Sport-heute: Sailing - ERICSSON 3 LEG ONE DAY 12 QFB: received 22.10.08 0417GMT

22. Oktober 2008, 23:50

ERICSSON 3 LEG ONE DAY 12 QFB: received 22.10.08 0417GMT

ERICSSON 4 LEG ONE DAY 12 QFB: received 22.10.08 0935 GMT today -TELEFÓNICA BLACK LEG ONE DAY 12 QFB: received 22.10.08 1333 GMT - MCM DRAG RACE SOUTH

On board Ericsson 3 the time stands still. The temperature is around 40 degrees and the boat is moving very slow through the water. The sweat is dripping down my back and no matter how much I drink, I still feel thirsty.

International Ocean (mk) TELEFÓNICA BLACK LEG ONE DAY 12 QFB: received 22.10.08 1333 GMT

Hi everyone
This message is taking me more than usual. We have left behind our friends the Doldrums and we are back sailing in a fine breeze, what makes me mark about three times the desired letter to be printed, due to the bounces inside the boat. So I go slowly correcting the spelling!

Life goes on as usual, except for the use of oilskins on deck, it is not very comfortable as you approach the Equator, but you can not have everything! We have caught up with the fleet in front of us, and split a little bit more with the boats behind, as we have been the quickest boat since the last position report. GO BLACKIES GO! It is nice to sail in these conditions, sponsors which support you blindly, a nice boat and a better crew!

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Mikel Pasabant - MCM
DRAG RACE SOUTH

One by one, the eight boats racing in leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race popped out the other side of the Doldrums and hooked into the south-easterly trade winds. In a drag race south, the fleet is steadily clicking off the miles towards Fernando de Noronha, around 253 nautical miles ahead of Ian Walker's Green Dragon and the chance to score more points.

After the painful drifting of the Doldrums, when the fleet all but came to a standstill, now onboard everyone is interested in the position reports and the universal question is: 'Do we still have a chance?' And, everyone is watching the Dragons, as they continue to hang onto their lead.

'There is full traffic by the nav station. Now everyone wants to have a look at the computers to see how the others are doing', writes Gustav Morin MCM onboard Ericsson 3 (Anders Lewander/SWE).

Gone is the languishing on deck, searching for shade. Today the crews are reaching for their wet weather gear as speeds pick up again to around 12 knots. 'It looks like we are back to normal sailing then,' said the crew of third placed Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA).

Out to the west, Green Dragon is sailing fast and straight for the islands, reaping the rewards of the westerly position the team opted for, four days ago. Bouwe Bekking/NED in charge of Telefónica Blue observed, 'We all know by now that the west paid off hugely, but probably the best route has been by Telefónica Black (Fernando EchÃ¡varri/ESP). They will make some good gains on the leaders in the next 36 hours,' he said. And Bekking is right. Telefónica Black is now only 64 nm from Green Dragon.

'Life goes on as usual, except for the use of oilskins on deck, it is not very comfortable as you approach the Equator, but you can not have everything,' says Mikel Pasabant, the MCM. 'We have caught up with the fleet in front of us, and split a little bit more with the boats behind, as we have been the quickest boat since the last position report. GO BLACKIES GO,' he adds enthusiastically.

Although pleased about the success of their team mates, the Telefónica Blue team is disappointed about their own position. 'Of course we are not happy. We would have liked to be more west, but missed the boat, literally, when we parked up,' Bekking said.

From onboard seventh-placed Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT), Telefónica Blue's situation looks rather enviable. 'During the Doldrums we lost an awful amount of miles to our opponents. The worst example is Telefónica Blue who was 140 miles behind us and now is ahead. That should not be possible. Even Green Dragon was very far behind and now they are in the lead,' said Gustav Morin.

'It looks like they [Green Dragon] picked the winning side this time,' says Ger O'Rourke/IRL, skipper of Delta Lloyd who opted for the easterly side of the course and is 223 nm out of touch. Earlier today his team had a near miss with a 200 mtre ship who decided that power must not give way to sail. 'The watch-leader miscalculated our crossing, called for permission to cross, but the master of the 200m ship held his ground and speeded up, eventually passing us an embarrassing half a mile ahead. It was the source of much amusement,' O'Rourke added.

After 12 days at sea, as the sweat ran off the crews in the scorching heat, there has been time for reflection, especially among those who have dreamed about competing in this race, and have followed the progress of their heroes during previous races. 'Is it what I expected?' Nick Bubb, a trimmer with Team Russia asks himself? 'Every bit and more,' he said.

'It still feels a little surreal for me to be out here as a competitor. So many of my idols have cut their teeth on this race track and I'm 'stoked' to be given my chance,' he said. 'Each time I go offshore I am struck by how simplistic life can be. No 'phone calls or emails, no day-to-day hassles. Just four hours on and four hours off.' For 6,500 nautical miles.

At the 1300 GMT position report today, average boat speed for the hour preceding the report was up to around 12 knots with Telefónica Blue and Ericsson 3 both averaging 12.8 knots. The positions in the fleet have remained stable for 24 hours, and Green Dragon has clocked the highest 24-hour run of 254 nm. The team has 253 nm to run until she reaches Fernando de Noronha, which will take them about 24 hours if they maintain the current speeds.

Leg One Day 12: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to leader)

Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) DTF 3612
PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +30
Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) +33
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando EchÃ¡varri/ESP) +64
Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +138
Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE) +183
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) +205
Delta Lloyd IRL (Ger O'Rourke/IRL) +223

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Life onboard is a lot about keeping focus. We have to concentrate on doing all the small things that can make the boat go just a little faster. It is painful to see this monstrous sailing machine lying parked in the water, when you know what it is capable of.

I have been really frustrated from the last position report. The other boats seem to have more wind than us, but right now our worst opponent is not Puma or Telefónica. Instead it is the burning heat and to keep the spirit up. The heat is stealing all our energy. You can't hide anywhere and my thoughts are more and more about stuff that has nothing to do with what we are here for, to win the worlds biggest yacht race. We have to stay focused, even if it is really hard.

We are now longing for more breeze and we know that it is not going to take long before we will do 20 knots of boat speed and be surfing down waves. Probably we will have to wait another day, but it could just be a few hours.

The only thing that matters though, is that we are the first boat to get the wind.
The race is still very open, every boat can win, and we will fight to be the first one out of this frustrating place called the Doldrums.

Regards

Martin Krite - bowman

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ERICSSON 4 LEG ONE DAY 12 QFB: received 22.10.08 0935 GMT today

It became apparent a few days ago that at least one essential piece of kit had been overlooked, the scene played out like it has done so may times before over the centuries: Where is it? I thought you were bringing it! No I thought you were...

We have no apparatus for shaving, and all onboard are feeling the beardy itch! It will be a chance to be like the Whitbread hero's - Blake, Dalton, Shoebridge and even Brooke - and sport some facial hair parked on the top lip (may even get some tight rugby shorts and aviator sunnies for that maxi ketch look). Not sure how my long-suffering wife will put up with me trying to look like Magnum PI but looking more like something from the 'Planet of the Apes' for the couple of weeks before I'm in Cape Town.

On a more sailing-related note - we are out of the doldrums and sailing on the wind on port. Just before a sail change an hour or so ago I heard the line 'Well looks like we are back to normal sailing then,' as everyone struggled back into their kit. So it's a push on to Noronha with a short break for the Brazilian version of the equator crossing. I'm expecting Horace (Carabelli) to have big colourful feathers on his Neptune outfit in true Rio carnival style.

Will keep you posted.

Guy Salter - MCM

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