Sport-heute: Sailing - ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A PODIUM FINISH

14. Dezember 2008, 15:29

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A PODIUM FINISH

Since the Volvo Ocean Race fleet left Cochin in India yesterday at the start of leg three to Singapore, most of the teams have had their moment in the sun at the head of the fleet, but, yesterday afternoon, Guy Salter MCM onboard overall race leader Ericsson 4 explained that his crew was concerned about the yachts inshore. 'We were looking good against them in the last sched, but the worry is that they have more wind and are slipping up the inside.'

cochin-singapore (mk) They were right to worry, as Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) and Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) did just that. The Dragons had also made a good start had soon been swallowed up and spat out by the rest of the fleet.

'We seemed to be way off the pace for two position reports and were bringing up the rear of the pack,' said Ian Walker. However, this allowed them to follow their plan of staying close to the shore, and by first light, they had every boat in the fleet in sight of them, and only Telefónica Blue in front. Walker thinks the fleet will compress again, but for now he says it is nice to be up with the leaders. Steve Hayles, the British navigator who is standing in for Ireland's Ian Moore on this leg, can rest easy in the knowledge that his first call as navigator for the Dragons has been a good one.

Telefónica Blue currently leads Green Dragon by five miles, with overall race leader, Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) in third place a further two miles astern.

Onboard PUMA, currently in fourth position, skipper Kenny Read says it is all beginning to feel very familiar - the warm water and bad food. 'Pretty much status quo,' he says, adding, 'except for this leg at least there is no large low pressure brewing as of yet to knock our socks off as in the last two legs.' PUMA also made a good start, only to see their initial lead evaporate as the leading bunch all took turns at the front of the field. Read says that in terms of weather conditions, they have had exactly what was expected in the first 20 hours of the race. Hot, light, tricky and very variable conditions.

Telefónica Black (Fernando EchÃ¡varri/ESP) takes up fifth place, just a mile astern of PUMA, while Ericsson 3 (Anders Lewander/SWE) occupies sixth place and the crew is disappointed. In the bright moonlight, the entire fleet gathered in sight of one another. There was almost no wind at all, and it was essential for each gust to be harnessed.

'We did not do very well. We missed a few chances to make better gains and we feel we are not very fast in the light and we have to improve quickly. We haven't really followed our own strategy and now we have only two boats behind us. We are not happy with that,' says Swedish watch captain Magnus Olsson.

In seventh position today at 1000 GMT is Kosatka Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT), who has stripped everything possible from their boat in order to improve speed. Andreas Hanakamp says that the first 15 hours of racing were closer than ever before. 'This morning, the fleet was summoned within sight of each other and, at one stage, at dawn, we would have been able to talk directly to IL Mostro and Ericsson 3 at the same time. What a great race and it feels good to be able to race the other boats that close,' he said.

Bringing up the rear this morning is Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP). They are now 32 miles behind Telefónica Blue.

'If we are lucky,' writes navigator Matt Gregory from the USA, 'we will be in Singapore for Christmas. For the past couple of days, all the wives and girlfriends have asked me if my forecasting models will get us to Singapore in time for Christmas'. I didn't have the heart to tell them directly what I was thinking. The truth is, I don't care when we get to Singapore. All I want for Christmas this year is a podium finish.'

Leg Three Day Two: 1000 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)

Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) DTF1690
Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +5
Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) +7
PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +12
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando EchÃ¡varri/ESP) +13
Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE) +20
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) +27
Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) +32

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ERICSSON 3 LEG THREE DAY 2 QFB: received 14.12.08 0840 GMT

We started to windward and were fighting for a long time with Puma, Telefónica Blue and Ericsson 4. We actually passed Telefónica last night. We put the throttle down and passed them to windward and then we bore off and sailed down just in front of them. But a lot has happened since.

During the night, the wind suddenly picked up a lot and we were splashing along in 16 knots of boatspeed. The guys below almost fell out of their bunks.

The temperature was perfect and the wind was cooling of our sunburned faces. It had been a very hot and sunny day and it was nice to be on deck in the darkness.

Since the start, the wind has been very up and down in strength and changing direction several times. This morning we had just 50 meters of separation from the Russians. We tacked away and found ourselves on 180 degrees course from each other.

The entire fleet was gathered, we could see everyone. We had almost no wind at all and it was essential to catch the small gusts that were approaching. Unfortunately, we did not do very well. We missed a few chances to make better gains. We feel that we are not very fast in the light and we have to improve, quickly. We haven't really followed our own strategy and now we have only two boats behind us. We are not happy with that, says Mange Olsson with a frustrated face.

Now the wind is back again and we are bumping a long in 18 to 20 knots of breeze and the same speed aiming to get back in the game.

Gustav Morin - MCM

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GREEN DRAGON LEG THREE DAY 2 QFB: received 14.12.08 0806 GMT

After a good start off the line, it was frustrating to get swallowed up and spat out by the fleet. We seemed way off the pace and for two position reports we were bringing up the rear of the pack. The only good thing was that this gave us the freedom to carry out our plan of staying in close to the shore.

After losing three boats by being too offshore in the last day into Cochin, it was a case of once bitten twice shy for the Dragon. We had no intention of letting anyone inside us and even gybed in at 90 degrees to our course at one stage to be best place to catch the end of the sea breeze and the start of the breeze off the land.

Fortunately, this seems to have been what transpired and Steve Hayles can rest in the knowledge that his first call as navigator has been a good one. It not only took us from last to first, but it is doubly important as we have now sailed into a freshening breeze and although Telefónica Blue has passed us, our lead on the pack has grown dramatically.

This morning we had every boat in the fleet in sight but now we can only see Telefónica Blue in front of us, Ericsson 4 a few miles behind us and Puma a further 6 or so behind them. I think the fleet will compress again at the turning mark but for now, it is nice to be up with the leaders.

The atmosphere is good onboard especially as I think we all know deep down that it will take forever to get to Singapore and Christmas onboard could well be a reality. We have had no problems with the boat apart from the distraction of a stowaway cricket. As Justin (Justin Slattery/IRL) succinctly put it as he was trying to get to sleep: 'it sounds like we're camping'. Fortunately, the noise seems to have gone away since some decent breeze came in - maybe he has taken a swim.

Right now, we have 160 miles to the turning mark off Sri Lanka and we are reaching at 18 knots in 20 knots of wind under full main and jib top. I suspect this is the fastest we will be going at any time on this leg but I hope I am wrong.

Ian Walker - skipper

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KOSATKA TEAM RUSSIA LEG THREE DAY TWO QFB: received 14.12.08 0239 GMT

All doubts about the 'new route' must have been wiped out with the Cochin stopover. India and the city of Cochin have been a fantastic host to the fleet; people welcomed us with such a friendship and enthusiasm. Even though coming here was difficult for us at the end of leg 2, I wish to come back again.

We started this leg with two new faces on board, Scotty (Scott Gray/GBR) our rigger as second bowman as Oleg (Zherebtsov) has left for St. Petersburg and Sergey )Sergey Bogdanov/RUS) as new media crew member. Both have been sailing with Kosatka extensively over the summer and know boat and the team well.

The first 15 hours in the race have been closer racing than ever before, this morning the fleet was summoned within sight of each other and at one stage, at dawn, we would have been able to talk directly to il Mostro and Ericsson 3 at the same time. What a great race and it feels good to be able to race the other boats that close.

We are sailing the boat in light mode, having just taken the bare necessities onboard. Everything we had the slightest doubt whether we will need it, was left behind, I hope that pays off. Thanks to Nick Bubb and Ben Costello for the great effort put in.

Andreas Hanakamp - skipper

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Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race. PUMA Ocean Racing at the start of leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean race, from Cochin, India to Singapore

Thomas Johansson (FIN) helmsman on Ericsson 3 in the start of leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Cochin, India to Singapore. Ericsson Racing Team in Cochin, India. Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009. Photo credit: Oskar Kihlborg/Ericsson Racing Team

13DEC08. The start of Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09, from Cochin, India, to Singapore. Leg 3 is expected to take 8-10 days, arriving into Singapore just in time for Christmas.

Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race. Telefonica Blue chases PUMA Ocean Racing at the start of leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean race, from Cochin, India to Singapore