Ericsson 4 Wins UBS Challenge For The In-Port Race In The Volvo Ocean Race Singapore
09:57 GMT Saturday, January 10, 2009. |
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| Ericsson 4 won the
UBS Challenge for the In-Port Race in the Volvo Ocean Race in
Singapore today after finishing second in race one and winning
race two. The result earned the team the four maximum points
on offer which extends their total to 39 points. |
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Overall Singapore In-port Race winners
Ericsson 4, skippered by Torben Grael (BRA).
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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The second in the
series of seven in-port races, the results of which count towards
the overall result of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 started at
05:25 GMT, 13:25 local time in a gusty 10 - 15 knot breeze. Both
sides of the race course were lined with spectator boats for
the first ever southeast Asia in-port race.
Two races were held and the results are combined to give an
overall winner for the day. PUMA (Ken Read / USA) dominated
the first race in an impressive display of solid sailing and
race tactics, leading the fleet from start to finish and holding
Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael / BRA) at bay. |
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PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken Read
(USA) who finished 2nd overall.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| Telefónica
Blue (Bouwe Bekking / NED) and Green Dragon (Ian Walker / GBR)
showed good form and fought throughout the short windward / leeward
course for third place, the finishing order only being decided
on the final run when Telefónica Blue edged ahead. |
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Telefonica Blue, skippered by Bouwe Bekking
(NED) who finished 3rd overall.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Ericsson 3, skippered
by Magnus Olsson / SWE, who has stepped up to take charge of
the boat while regular skipper Anders Lewander / SWE recovers
from knee surgery, finished fifth.
Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri / ESP) was
OCS (on course side) at the start gun and had to return to
start properly, but made a good recovery to finish in sixth
place.
Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez / ESP) with new navigator, Guillermo
Altadill / ESP replacing Matt Gregory / USA, finished in seventh
after a promising start, but sail-handling difficulties meant
they were never really in contention. |
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The fleet of Volvo Open 70's battle around
the short course during the Singapore In-Port Racing.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| In race two, the
first four finishers in the first race opted for the right hand
side of the course, while the bottom three headed for the shore
immediately after the start. The offshore side of the track clearly
had more pressure as Ericsson 4 and Telefónica Blue led
the fleet to the windward mark. Green Dragon came in to the mark
on port and tacked just inside PUMA to round fourth, with Telefónica
Black approaching quickly from the left hand side of the course. |
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The fleet of Volvo Open 70's battle around
the short and challenging course for the Singapore In-Port
Race.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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As the fleet split
again, PUMA opted for the right hand side with good pressure,
while Ericsson 4 and Green Dragon went left. The last run was
anything but a procession.
PUMA came smoking through the fleet, to rejoin the top four.
Telefónica Blue attacked from the right hand side of
the course. But at the conclusion, Ericsson 4 fought to hold
off Telefónica Black and finished the race in pole position.
Telefónica Black was second with Telefónica Blue
third in a photo finish. PUMA finished ahead of Green Dragon
in fourth, Ericsson 3 was sixth, and Delta Lloyd, still struggling
due to lack of practise on the water due to work being carried
out on her keel, was seventh. |
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The fleet of Volvo Open 70's battle around
the short course during the Singapore In-Port Racing.
In the background are some of the vast number of ships
anchored outside this busy global maritime crossroad.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Overall, the day
belonged to Ericsson 4 who won the UBS Challenge for the In-Port
Race in the Volvo Ocean Race in Singapore, with a second in race
one and a win in race two. This extends her lead overall, bringing
her tally to 39 points.
PUMA took 3.5 points for a win in race one and a fourth place
in race two, for a total of 31 points. Third was Telefónica
Blue, who scored three points for two third places (33.5 total). |
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The fleet of Volvo Open 70's battle around
the short course during the Singapore In-Port Racing.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Telefónica
Black was fourth and earned 2.5 points for a sixth and a second
(22 points total). Green Dragon was fifth and added two points
for a fourth and a fifth (22.5 points total).
Ericsson 3 claimed 1.5 points for a fifth and a sixth (24 points
total), and finally, Delta Lloyd scored one point for two seventh
places (10 points total). |
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The fleet of Volvo Open 70's battle
around the short course during the Singapore In-Port
Racing. In the background are some of the vast number
of ships anchored outside this busy global maritime
crossroad.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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The next race in
the in-port series will be held in Qingdao, China on 7 February
after the finish of leg four (2,500 nautical miles), which starts
next Sunday, 18 January.
UBS Challenge for the In-Port Race in the Volvo Ocean
Race Singapore
1. Ericsson 4: (4 points)
2. PUMA: (3.5 points)
3. Telefónica Blue: (3 points)
4. Telefónica Black: (2.5 points)
5. Green Dragon: (2 points)
6. Ericsson 3: (1.5 points)
7. Delta Lloyd: (1 point)
Overall Leaderboard
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael / BRA): 39 points
2.Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking / NED): 33.5 points
3. PUMA (Ken Read / USA): 31 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson / SWE): 24 points
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker / GBR): 22.5 points
6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri / ESP): 22 points
7. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp / AUT): 10.5 points
8. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez / ESP): 10 points
Visit www.volvooceanrace.org for
all the latest news!
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