Sport-heute: Sailing - TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG ONE DAY 24 QFB: received 03.11.08 0728 GMT-GREEN DRAGON FINISHES IN CAPE TOWN

03. November 2008, 18:09

TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG ONE DAY 24 QFB: received 03.11.08 0728 GMT-GREEN DRAGON FINISHES IN CAPE TOWN

SUNRISE FINISH FOR ERICSSON 3 - TELEFÓNICA BLUE FIFTH TO FINISH-KOSATKA CLAIMS SIXTH PLACE

THREE TO GO

At 1300 GMT today, there are still three boats out on the race track. The finish of Andreas Hankamp's Team Russia is imminent, around 1500 GMT today, and looking sure to claim sixth place, but still racing are Team Delta Lloyd (Ger O'Rourke/IRL) in seventh place and the injured Telefónica Black (Fernando EchÃ¡varri/ESP) in eighth.

Cape Town (mk) THREE TO GO

At 1300 GMT today, there are still three boats out on the race track. The finish of Andreas Hankamp's Team Russia is imminent, around 1500 GMT today, and looking sure to claim sixth place, but still racing are Team Delta Lloyd (Ger O'Rourke/IRL) in seventh place and the injured Telefónica Black (Fernando EchÃ¡varri/ESP) in eighth.

Team Russia has 33 nm still to go before reaching Cape Town, and they are averaging around 11.8 knots. Telefónica Black, on the other hand, is trapped in high pressure now, which has slowed their progress down. They are down to 7.3 knots and not expected to finish until 1600 GMT tomorrow.

Team Delta Lloyd has 116 nm to go to the finish and will arrive later tonight.

Leg One Finishing Order into Cape Town
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA)
2. PUMA USA (Ken Read/USA)
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE)
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR)
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED)

Overall Leaderboard (Provisional)
1. Ericsson 4: 14 points (FINISHED)
2. PUMA: 13 points (FINISHED)
3. Green Dragon: 11 points (FINISHED)
4. Telefónica Blue: 10 points (FINISHED)
5. Telefónica Black: 6 points (RACING)
6. Ericsson 3: 5 points (FINISHED)
7. Team Russia: 1 point (RACING)
8. Delta Lloyd: 2 points (RACING)

Leg One Day 24: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to leader)

Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DTF 33
Delta Lloyd IRL (Ger O'Rourke/IRL) +83
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando EchÃ¡varri/ESP) +220

GREEN DRAGON FINISHES IN CAPE TOWN

At 0712 GMT (0912 local time) today, Green Dragon crossed the finish line in Cape Town. She is the fourth boat to finish leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race, which was won by Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA).

After being at sea for 22 days, 19 hours, 12 minutes and 35 seconds (22:19:12:35), skipper Ian Walker said, 'It is definitely good to be here. The first 10 days of this leg were easy and then it got tight and tactical with four or five race leaders right across the leg. Obviously, we were very happy coming first at the gate and the boys did a great job. Waking up this morning and seeing Table Mountain was a great feeling.'

Ian Moore - navigator added, 'I've done this leg of the Volvo before, but it did seem that this leg was windier but easier, but it still seems like a very long way. I honestly love being back in Cape Town, it is a very special place. We saw the outline of the mountain at dawn, with the lion's head, and we always have a fantastic warm welcome here, there is a special atmosphere. It was an exciting finish to the leg and I am pleased with what we have done. '

It has been a harsh opening leg for first-timer Ian Walker. The team found itself parked for hours off Gibraltar and the good lead they built up was lost when PUMA and Telefónica Black sailed right up to them in the dying breeze. In the approach to the Cape Verde island, Walker played his Stealth card, secretly sailing Green Dragon straight though the middle of the islands, but emerging still in fourth place.

Fortunes turned on day eight and the Dragons, now positioned to the west, came storming up through the fleet. Navigator Ian Moore had a smile on his face at last. 'I guess we will know in the next 24 hours if our strategy paid off, 'Moore wrote. 'If not, the boys will be very dark.'

Third place was good enough as the team contended with the vagaries of the Doldrums on day nine, but the next day saw them atop the leaderboard, a lead they held until after passing through the mid-leg scoring gate. But, their position was under attack and, on day 14, Telefónica Black snatched the lead. There were just two miles between them, and PUMA was just three nm astern. 'We are going to fight tooth and nail,' wrote Walker.

As the fleet geared up for the 40-knot gale and the sleigh ride to Cape Town, Walker predicted that the boats which did not keep up with the pace, would drop off the back of the weather system and lose hundreds of miles. 'It's our job not to let that happen to us,' he said. On day 18, Green Dragon was in third place, and the most southerly yacht in the fleet. For an hour, the boat averaged 25 knots. 'Clearly, doing this for 24-hours (to chase the record) is another thing altogether and we are on the edge,' he said.

Then, the Dragon was wounded, burying her bow so hard that the spinnaker came back and stove in the pulpit and forward stanchions before ripping to pieces. This was followed by a deafening crunch as the boat hit something and came to almost a complete standstill. 'I don't really know where to start as the last 24-hours have been so incident-packed,' wrote Walker in his daily blog. As they reached the latitude of 35 degrees south, another spinnaker was shredded as the crew pressed the boat in attempt to catch Ericsson 3. But to no avail. Ericsson eventually finished 27 mm ahead of the Dragons after a long fight.

'There is only one thing for it in Cape Town and that is to get in the bar and trade some war stories as sailors love to do. My story will be of our night time collision and the ensuing panic-stricken thoughts, and of a multitude of nosedives form which I saw no escape,' Walker said today as the team approached the finish line.

The next boat to finish will be Telefónica Blue at around midday GMT today.

Leg One Finishing Order into Cape Town
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA)
2. PUMA USA (Ken Read/USA)
3. Ericsson 4 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE)
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR)

Overall Leaderboard (Provisional)
1. Ericsson 4: 14 points (FINISHED)
2. PUMA : 13 points (FINISHED)
3. Green Dragon: 11 points (FINISHED)
4. Telefónica Blue: 6 points (RACING)
5. Telefónica Black: 6 points (RACING)
6. Ericsson 3: 5 points (FINISHED)
7. Delta Lloyd: 2 points (RACING)
8. Team Russia: 1 point (RACING)

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TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG ONE DAY 24 QFB: received 03.11.08 0728 GMT

Yes, there are still boats on the water, and Telefónica Blue is one of them, but not for long, as the barn door is only 50 miles away.

So far so good, we have shaken the ruskies again back to a comfortable 60 miles. We sailed tactically well this last couple of days, and played the 'stealth' card very well. Even though we are sailing for fifth position, the crew has been working as hard as if it had been for a 1st place. This is like winning an extra point and the position reports were followed with great interest.

From a team's perspective, it is good to see that our mates on the black boat are moving well, and it looks like they will stay out of the grips of the high-pressure system, so gaining valuable time to do the necessary repairs.

I am proud of them. Ok, they had a little mishap, but they showed great pace in some stages of this leg and above all great seamanship to keep 'racing'. Well done boys.

So, another 3 hours and we are there, everybody looking forward to see their families and loved ones. Holiday...no, not immediately, first all our medical checks and debriefs, then we will find time to relax.

Cheers,

Bouwe Bekking - skipper

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SUNRISE FINISH FOR ERICSSON 3

Ericsson 3, skippered by Sweden's Anders Lewander crossed the finish line at 0408 GMT (0608 local time) today, after 22 days, 16 hours 08 mins and 50 secs at sea. She is the third boat to arrive in Cape Town at the end of the 6,500 nautical mile leg, which started from Alicante in Spain on October 11. Her stablemate, Ericsson 4, is already in Cape Town and flying the leg winner's flag and leading the race overall.

'I am very proud of the team,' said skipper Anders Lewander. 'It is fantastic coming to Cape Town: what an achievement for us. We have fought really hard and come back with great attitude. All the hours of preparation were worthwhile. We have had a lot of hard work, but we've got through and built on our spirit.'

Ericsson 3 is sailed by an all-Nordic crew, with one exception: watch captain Richard Mason from New Zealand, although Mason has lived in Sweden for a number of years. Mason has done this race twice before and his counterpart on the other watch, veteran sailor, Magnus Olsson, is on his sixth lap of the planet. The duo brings vast experience and knowledge to balance the youthful enthusiasm of the rest of the crew, a cocktail that has been clearly proven by the team's outstanding performance on this leg.

Speaking about the tough conditions the crew faced, watch captain Magnus Olsson said in his usual upbeat way, 'We all love those conditions; that is the reason we do this. You don't need to sleep, you can't sleep. It is so fun, you don't know where you are, water everywhere, the boat is going so fast and you don't know if you are going to die or survive. It's fantastic.'

At the start of leg, Ericsson 3 led the fleet, with Ericsson 4, through the Straits of Gibraltar. Going straight between the middle of the Cape Verde islands, the Nordic-crewed boat then had a challenging passage through the Doldrums before having to stop briefly at the scoring gate in Brazil for a spare part.

When 40 knot gales were forecast, on day 16, 26 October, Eivind Melleby the Norwegian helmsman said, ' We will have to hold on tight and keep the crew and equipment in once piece. ' Navigator Aksel Magdahl, also a Norwegian, added, 'We will just do it our way and see how good that is. I am sure some of the more experienced teams will push hard, but we will set our own pace. We will give it our best.'

Day 19 caused the experienced Richard Mason to exclaim, 'The worst watch of my life. We were in a squall for four hours and it was pitch black, absolutely no visibility at all. I couldn't see the waves and no horizon. We had everything from 19 - 46 knots of wind,' he said. 'Going with the chute up in that much breeze on one of these boats, when you can't see a thing, is as terrifying as it gets. It just doesn't get any harder than it was tonight. The guys did a great job to get the boat and ourselves through it in once piece,' he said.

Ericsson 3 went into battle with the wounded Green Dragon on day 20 (30 October) and finally overhauled them, but the Dragons were constantly breathing fire. By day 23, the strain was beginning to show. 'Everything is getting to its edge. The situation feels close and stressful,' said MCM Gustav Morin. A couple of bad sail changes slowed Ericsson 3 down, and a plastic bag caught around the keel did not help matters. But Nordic team pressed on and were delighted to finish 27 nm ahead of Ian Walker and the Green Dragon.

Ericsson 3 is the third boat to arrive in Cape Town and will score four leg points, taking into account the earlier measurement penalty imposed by the International Jury in October (for racing while her keel was not rule-compliant, see http://noticeboard.volvooceanrace.org/?p=315 ).

According to the ruling, Ericsson 3 will have two points docked from her leg one score of six. One point was previously deducted from her point total at the scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha as well as from the in-port race in Alicante.

On current form, the next boat to finish will be Green Dragon, in approximately 90 minutes.

Leg One Finishing Order into Cape Town

1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA)
2. PUMA USA (Ken Read/USA)
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE)

Overall Leaderboard (Provisional) - following the first three finishes

1. Ericsson 4: 14 points (FINISHED)
2. PUMA : 13 points (FINISHED)
3. Telefonica Blue: 6 points (RACING)
4.
Telefonica Black: 6 points (RACING)
5. Green Dragon: 6 points (RACING)
6. Ericsson 3: 5 points (FINISHED)
7. Delta Lloyd: 2 points (RACING)
8. Team Russia: 1 point (RACING)

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TELEFÓNICA BLUE FIFTH TO FINISH

Bouwe Bekking/NED with the crew of Telefónica Blue became the fifth team to finish leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race in Cape Town today. She crossed the finish at 1118 GMT (1318 local time) after an elapsed leg time of 22 days 23 hours 18 minutes 37 seconds (22:23:18:37). Even though the team has been sailing for fifth position, the crew has been working as hard as if it had been for first place.

On arrival, skipper Bouwe Bekking said, 'It feels great to be here in Cape Town. It was a hard leg and we learnt a lot and I think we came back well after the breakages of the first night. It is nice to be here with my family. Seeing my family is my biggest thing to look forward to.'

Navigator Simon Fisher/GBR said, 'It was a wet trip. We had a big couple of days in the south Atlantic when the boat was completely covered in water. We did have to bail out as, with so much water going over the deck, some ended up below. It was good, but hard. I think we were unlucky with the breakages, which put us on the back foot. It was frustrating, though we were improving all the time. We have learnt a lot in the last week, which will help us to be a lot more competitive. Everybody is happy and healthy and glad to be in Cape Town.'

Telefónica Blue has been playing catch-up for the entire leg when an early setback cost them dearly. After motoring out to the start area, with His Majesty King Juan Carlos 1 of Spain and his daughter the Infanta Dona Elena onboard for a short time, on day two, just 20 miles from the start, part of the steering broke. As only one rudder was working, and the crew was flying a large spinnaker, the boat immediately wiped out as the crew lost control. The boat slowed for nearly six hours while the crew tried to make a repair, but the decision was made to divert to Algeciras, in the bay of Gibraltar, for a 12-hour pitstop.

Back out on the track, the team found good breeze and the pitstop did not appear to be as harmful as the crew first thought. Bekking, and navigator Simon Fisher (GBR), watched the computer carefully, looking at all their options. But, by day six, they were still trying to claw back the miles, and patience was wearing thin.

On day eight, 18 October, the crew dared to fly their big repaired spinnaker. 'For the first time, we are back up to our potential numbers,' Bekking wrote. As the fleet ran into the Doldrums' brick wall, Telefónica Blue was back in contention, just 48nm behind PUMA.

Narrowly avoiding a partially submerged log on day 15, the team had another near miss, this time with something living. 'Judging by the hole it left in the water, and the speed it went away, it was pretty big and not best pleased to see us,' said Simon Fisher at the time.

As the fleet waited for the anticipated 40-knot gales to arrive, the crew of Telefónica Blue found themselves situated to the east and rather too near the centre of the South Atlantic High for comfort. 'It just hurts badly,' Bekking said when the crew had to sail on the unfavoured gybe, away from Cape Town, to escape.

But, as the gales swept over the fleet, Telefónica Blue had to throttle back and watch the leaders streak off into the sunset. 'We were way too close to the edge, too early,' explained Simon Fisher

Day 20 and the Spanish crew took a dive south and spotted their first Albatross. The sun was shining, the wind had eased and the waves were just a little bit smaller. For the first time in days, life onboard Telefónica Blue was a good. The team had overhauled three boats and was now in fifth place, but, on day 22, once again the boat flipped on its side as she careered out of control. All hands were called on deck to drop the spinnaker, which had fallen in the water, but miraculously had stayed in one piece.

The leg finished with the boat playing her Stealth card yesterday and keeping the advances from Team Russia in abeyance. 'We sailed tactically well this last couple of days, and played the 'stealth' card very well,' said Bekking this morning.

The next boat to finish will be Team Russia later this afternoon.

Leg One Finishing Order into Cape Town
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA)
2. PUMA USA (Ken Read/USA)
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE)
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR)
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED)

Overall Leaderboard (Provisional)
1. Ericsson 4: 14 points (FINISHED)
2. PUMA : 13 points (FINISHED)
3. Green Dragon: 11 points (FINISHED)
4. Telefónica Blue: 10 points (FINISHED)
5. Telefónica Black: 6 points (RACING)
6. Ericsson 3: 5 points (FINISHED)
7. Delta Lloyd: 2 points (RACING)
8. Team Russia: 1 point (RACING)

TELEFÓNICA BLACK LEG ONE DAY 24 QFB: received 03.11.08 1101 GMT

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Hi all
As we get close to the finish line, there is a curious mix of relaxation and tension onboard. Relative relaxation, as we still have 250 miles to go and anything might happen. The curiosity is that mix: tension to be on shore and with the family, but also to get everything fixed for the next leg, and relaxed as we know we have done everything we could in this one. We were not very lucky sometimes and that's all. Think ahead and we will see.

We are trapped in a high pressure now, which has slowed us down a bit, but we think we will limp across the finish line sometime between tomorrow and the next day. This is not bad at all with all the problems we have suffered.
We will see what happens today.

Looking forward to seeing you all.
Kisses
Mikel Pasabant - MCM

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KOSATKA CLAIMS SIXTH PLACE

Austria's Andreas Hanakamp brought Team Russia's Kosatka safely into Cape Town today at 1529 GMT (1729 local time) to finish sixth in leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race after 23 days 03 hours 14 minutes 00 seconds at sea (23:03:14:00).

A relieved Andreas Hanakamp said, 'It has been an intense leg with very close racing, I've never sailed in a race where the fleet was so close and fighting so hard. It exceeded all our expectations. All the boats sailed well and everybody got the position they deserved. We believed we would get Telefónica Blue in the end, but they just beat us.'

Wouter Verbraak , navigator, added, 'Andreas and I were more on deck than down below in the tough conditions. When we had 31 knots, it was tough for everybody and we were just holding on.'

This team, backed by St Petersburg businessman, Oleg Zherebtov, is the first Russian entry in the race since 1993. It is Andreas Hanakamp's first stab at a Volvo Ocean Race, but flanking him in the afterguard, he has two Volvo veterans as watch captains: Guillermo Altadill/ESP and Stig Westergaard/DEN, as well as and Wouter Verbraak/NED as navigator. In the crew, he has Mike Joubert, who is on his fourth race.

Leg one has been a big test and the crew will undoubtedly be disappointed with their finishing result. They suffered a problem with the seals around the canting keel that separate the sea from the inside of the boat and although they had thought the problem had been solved before the start, by day three it was clear that it had not and a temporary repair was made.

When they reached the Doldrums, Hanakamp was happy with their entry, but disappointed with their exit. 'The first half of the crossing was OK,' he said, 'but then we were faced with light head winds which took us nowhere.' The leaders were, by then, 200 nm away, and there was a lot of work to do for the Russian crew to move up the rankings.

On day 20, Kosatka crept four miles ahead of Team Delta Lloyd. Twenty-four hours later and the gap had increased to seven miles and they had overtaken the damaged Telefónica Black as well. Forty-eight hours later, the delta between Team Delta Lloyd and the Russians had lengthened to 47 nm and Telefónica Blue was almost within range. But, Kosatka had run out of runway, and Telefónica Blue finished ahead, but still within striking distance, and only three hours ahead.

The next boat to finish will be Team Delta Lloyd later tonight.

Leg One Finishing Order into Cape Town
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA)
2. PUMA USA (Ken Read/USA)
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE)
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR)
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED)
6. Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT)

Overall Leaderboard (Provisional)
1. Ericsson 4: 14 points (FINISHED)
2. PUMA: 13 points (FINISHED)
3. Green Dragon: 11 points (FINISHED)
4. Telefónica Blue: 10 points (FINISHED)
5. Telefónica Black: 6 points (RACING)
6. Ericsson 3: 5 points (FINISHED)*
7. Team Russia: 4 points (FINISHED)
8. Delta Lloyd: 2 points (RACING)

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Phil Harmer and Andrew McLean onboard Green Dragon, fighting for the lead during Leg 1

Bowman Justin Slattery sews a batten cap onboard Green Dragon

Neal McDonald at the helm as Green Dragon are joined by a Brazilian naval vessel with a TV cameraman and stills photographer onboard to shoot them passing first through the scoring gate of Fernando de Noronh

Ian Walker, Phil Harmer and Neil McDonald look out to see from Green Dragon

Phil Harmer and Freddie Shanks onboard Green Dragon on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race

Mid-Bowman Anders Dahlsjö fixes the stack onboard Ericsson 3

Pitman Jens Dolmer in action onboard Ericsson 3