Speed Is King
as Temperatures Plummet
Leg 5 Day 2 - 14:51 GMT Sunday, February 15, 2009. |
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| After a slow get away from Qingdao in China on leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race (12,300 nm - the longest leg ever to be set in the history of the race), the wind has arrived on schedule and the first three boats are up, up and away. But Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson / SWE) who had barely two hours after crossing the finish of leg four yesterday to re-provision the boat, loaded sails and extra clothes before they crossed the start line. They managed to achieve this just seven hours after the official leg start and are now hunting the leaders down in grand style. |
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Thomas Johansson (FIN) onboard E3 as
they leave the dock. Ericsson 3 arrives a few hours
after the start of Leg 5 in the Volvo Ocean Race from
Qingdao, China to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Photo © Oskar Kihlborg / Ericsson Racing Team / Volvo Ocean
Race.
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Bouwe Bekking’s Telefónica Blue had a disaster on the start line yesterday after running aground, requiring Bekking to return to Qingdao and haul his boat out for inspection and immediate repair. The team resumed racing last night, 19 hours behind the fleet.
At 13:00 today, they were 202 nm in arrears, amounting to approximately nine hours in the current conditions. |
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Jonathan Swain trimming the jib in rough
weather onboard Telefonica Blue, on leg 5 of the Volvo
Ocean Race.
Photo © Gabriele Olivo / Telefonica Blue / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| The fleet is now being catapulted towards the southern tip of Japan at breakneck speed. Ken Read / USA onboard PUMA reported a steady boat speed of 30 knots earlier this morning in 27 knots of wind. For Telefónica Blue, the start was anything but slow, which was tough on the crew and Xabier Fernandez from Spain was seasick. In the first hour of racing, the crew made four sail changes and saw their first snowflakes. |
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PUMA Ocean racing heading east at sunset
on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race.
Photo © Rick Deppe / PUMA Ocean Racing / Volvo Ocean Race.
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The light airs in the initial stages of the leg helped Ericsson 3 to catch the leaders and during their first two hours of racing, they drew them in by 30 miles.
"We really have to fight the cold at these speeds," said MCM Gustav Morin. "It is really tough when the freezing water is spraying us all the time," he explained. |
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Ericsson 3 during Leg 5 in the Volvo
Ocean Race from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Photo © Gustav Morin / Ericsson 3 / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| At 13:00 GMT today, the leader of the pack, Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael / BRA) was 155 nautical miles from the southern tip of Japan’s south island and averaging a boat speed of 22 knots. PUMA was 20 nm behind her and in third place was Green Dragon (Ian Walker / GBR) 44 nm behind Ericsson 4. |
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Green Dragon hit rough weather, on
leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race.
Photo © Guo Chuan / Green Dragon Racing / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| Walker will be looking anxiously over his shoulder as Ericsson 3 has closed the margin to just six miles. Ericsson 4 achieved the fastest 24-hour run of 415 nm. |
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Ericsson 4 hit rough weather on leg
5 of the Volvo Ocean Race.
Photo © Guy Salter / Ericsson 4 / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Leg 5 Day Two - 13:00 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(Boat name / country / skipper / nationality / distance to finish)
Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael / BRA) DTF 12,076 nm
PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read / USA) +20
Green Dragon IRL / CHN (Ian Walker / GBR) +44
Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson / SWE) +46
Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking / NED) +202
Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bérmudez / ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri / ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp / AUT) DNS.
Visit www.volvooceanrace.org for
all the latest news! |
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