First win
for Puma in Galway In-Port Race
17:24 GMT Saturday, May 30, 2009. |
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PUMA won the in-port race series in Galway today after two thrilling races were held on Galway Bay. This is the first time that PUMA has been on top of the podium for the Volvo Ocean Race and it brings her closer to second place in the overall standings.
Telefónica Blue, second today, maintains second place overall, but only by one point and Ericsson 4’s slightly disappointing performance shaves her overall lead from 14.5 points to 13 points. |
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PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken
Read (USA) come first in the In-port Race in Galway
Bay.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| In race one, Team Telefónica clearly dominated in what started out as perfect conditions, with blue skies and a building breeze. While local heroes, Green Dragon, opted for a committee-boat start followed by Delta Lloyd, Athens Olympic Gold Medallist Iker Martinez (49-er) quickly steered Telefónica Blue to the left of the course and into a clear lead, which he held until the finish gun. Telefónica Black, with America’s Cup helmsman and syndicate head Pedro Campos in charge, made it a one-two for the Spanish team in conditions that clearly suited the two Farr Yacht Design boats. |
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Bright sunshine and light airs for
the In-port race in Galway Bay, for the Volvo Ocean
Race.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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PUMA put in a good
performance to take third, from Ericsson 4, just as the wind
began to die and seriously shift. A big cloud bank swept across
the racecourse sucking the breeze with it and causing a headache
for the race committee who had to reposition the windward and
leeward marks several times during the course of the race.
Ericsson 3, Delta Lloyd and Green Dragon all had their problems during the race and found themselves trailing the leaders on the procession to the finish line after the windshift. |
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Thousands of spectators gather at Salthill
to watch the In-port race in Galway Bay, for the Volvo
Ocean Race.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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After a short postponement, race two got underway and the clouds parted to allow the blue sky and sun to shine through. A new westerly breeze of around 10 knots meant a new course was set, slightly closer to the shore.
Delta Lloyd made a blinding start at the pin end of the start line and led the fleet early. Telefónica Black was on course side and had to dip back behind the line and re-start, but made quick recovery. Green Dragon tacked, dipping behind the whole fleet and headed out to the right hand of the course. |
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PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken
Read (USA) comes first in the In-port Race in Galway
Bay.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Good work from Kenny Read and his men onboard PUMA meant they rounded the first mark in the lead from Telefónica Blue and Ericsson 4. The order at the front of the fleet remained unchanged at end of the first downwind leg, while, further back, Telefónica Black overtook Delta Lloyd and Green Dragon, who was struggling in the lighter conditions.
On the second beat, Telefónica Black came right back into contention and followed Telefónica Blue through the mid course gate to the right hand side of the course. Green Dragon also chose the right hand side, nearest the beach. |
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Hometown favourites Green Dragon and
Delta Lloyd rounding one of the marks during the In-Port
Race day in Galway Bay, Ireland, during the Volvo Ocean
Race 2008-09.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| The fleet converged on the windward mark for the last time with PUMA leading the fleet safely round. Second place was very close with Ericsson 3 coming in from the left hand side and the two Telefónica boats approaching from the right. Ericsson 3 got the better of the two Spanish boats and rose up through the fleet from fourth place to round the mark in second place, from Telefónica Blue, Ericsson 4 and Telefónica Black. |
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The endless line of camper vans parked
along the shore reveal that many of the thousands of
spectators gathered at Salthill to watch the In-port
race in Galway Bay, had travelled from far and wide
for the Volvo Ocean Race.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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On the final spinnaker leg, PUMA remained in control to complete the second race in first place, confirming her win today on a tiebreak, which takes the results of the second race as the decider. Ericsson 3 remained in second place and Telefónica Blue finished third in front of Telefónica Black.
Overall, it was a team affair, with PUMA taking maximum points today, followed by Telefónica Blue and Telefónica Black, Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4, Delta Lloyd and Green Dragon. |
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Bright sunshine and light airs for
the In-port race in Galway Bay, for the Volvo Ocean
Race.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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The final in-port race will be held in Stockholm, Sweden on June 21, and leg eight from Galway to Marstrand, Sweden, will start at 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT) next Saturday.
Race 1 Galway In-Port Race Finish Positions
1. Telefónica Blue
2. Telefónica Black
3. PUMA
4. Ericsson 4
5. Ericsson 3
6. Delta Lloyd
7. Green Dragon
Race 2 Galway In-port Race Finish Positions
1. PUMA
2. Ericsson 3
3. Telefónica Blue
4. Telefónica Black
5. Ericsson 4
6. Delta Lloyd
7. Green Dragon |
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PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken
Read (USA) comes first in the In-port Race in Galway
Bay.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Galway In-Port Race Results (Provisional)
1. PUMA: 4.0 points
2. Telefónica Blue: 3.5 points
3. Telefónica Black: 3.0 points
4. Ericsson 3: 2.5 points
5. Ericsson 4 : 2.0 points
6. Delta Lloyd: 1.5 points
7. Green Dragon: 1.0 points
Overall Leaderboard
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael / BRA): 94.0 points
2. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking / NED): 81.0 points
3. PUMA (Ken Read / USA): 80.0 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson / SWE): 62.5 points
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker / GBR): 53.0 points
6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri / ESP): 39.0
7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermúdez / ESP): 31.0 points
8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp / AUT): 10.5 points
Visit www.volvooceanrace.org for
all the latest news! |
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