Telefónica Blue hits rock while leading Volvo Fleet at start to Leg Nine
Leg 9 Day 1 - 14:36 GMT Sunday, June 14, 2009. |
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| Drama today in Marstrand as Telefónica Blue / Bouwe Bekking became wedged on a rock and suspended racing at 12:31 GMT while leading the fleet at the start of leg nine to Stockholm. |
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Telefonica Blue run aground the start
of leg 9 from Marstrand to Stockholm.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| The boat hit the rock while racing at around 14 knots of boatspeed and was hard aground in one-metre swells. The team immediately dropped the sails, but the boat’s keel was firmly wedged within the rocks whilst the rest of the fleet were sailing away. A pilot boat and the coastguard stood by and attempted to tow the boat clear. All the crew are unhurt. |
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Telefonica Blue run aground the start
of leg 9 from Marstrand to Stockholm.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Telefónica Blue was first across the start line, but PUMA quickly established a lead of around 10 boat lengths and Ken Read tacked a few metres away from the rocks, where the spectators enjoyed a grandstand view.
Ian Walker took Green Dragon in to a very light patch of breeze immediately after the start and the crew unfurled their enormous code zero as they headed towards the spectator fleet on the right hand side of the course. |
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PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken
Read (USA) and Ericsson 3, skippered by Magnus Olsson
(SWE) at the start of leg 9 from Marstrand to Stockholm.
Photo © Sally Collison / PUMA Ocean Racing / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Out on the left, PUMA and Delta Lloyd had plenty of wind and for the first 20 minutes of this inshore lap, the left side of the course continued to pay very well, but the breeze was dying all the way across the racecourse.
A big lumpy swell made it difficult for the teams drive the boats in the available five to six knots of wind and it was painful to watch as the boats came to a shuddering halt on every wave. The new breeze, when it came, filled in on the right hand side of the course and Green Dragon with the luck of the Irish, and had the first taster of the eight or nine knots of breeze, gained the advantage in the approach to the first turning mark. |
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The start of leg 9 from Marstrand to
Stockholm.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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They took the lead and were followed by one boat length behind by Telefónica Blue. PUMA and Ericsson 3 made up the top four, while Telefónica Black, Delta Lloyd and, unusually for Torben Grael on Ericsson 4, were the second string.
Racing downwind, the top three boats hoisted spinnakers, while the chasing pack stayed with their massive code zero headsails. An enthusiastic spectator feet then invaded the racecourse, escorting PUMA as they sailed downwind. |
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Ericsson 4, skippered by Torben Grael
(BRA) at the start of leg 9 from Marstrand to Stockholm.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| By the time the leading four had reached the final turning mark, the order had changed again and there was action and drama aplenty. Green Dragon had stayed out to the left of the course, nearest the spectator fleet. However, when the wind filled in from the right causing them to lose their lead, Telefónica Blue, Ericsson 3 and PUMA all all slipped passed to beat them at the mark ahead. |
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The start of leg 9 from Marstrand to
Stockholm.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| On rounding the mark, Telefónica Blue showed a clean set of heels, while Ericsson 3 caught their spinnaker on their spreaders, rendering them dead in the water. PUMA powered in and quickly took the opportunity to nip between Ericsson 3 and the mark as Ericsson 3 wallowed, with the crew trying to sort out the mess.
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An ultralight Zodiac dinghy flys past
Telefonica Blue, skippered by Bouwe Bekking (NED) at
the start of leg 9 from Marstrand to Stockholm. (No surprise
that someone from Sweden could come up with such a concept.
It would have to be an interesting licensing arrangement
however. Ed).
Photo © Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race.
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| Meanwhile, Green Dragon regained some speed and sailed inside both Ericsson 3 and PUMA. They were not able to re-establish their position and it was Telefónica Blue, who led the fleet out into the Kattegat from archrival PUMA, Ericsson 3 and Green Dragon. Then, disaster struck and Telefónica Blue struck that rock. |
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The start of leg 9 from Marstrand to
Stockholm.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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This is the second time that such a disaster has befallen Telefónica Blue. The team struck a rock in Qingdao just before the start of leg five and the boat had to return to Qingdao to be hauled out for damage inspection.
As this press release was published, efforts continued to free the yacht from the rocks to avoid sustaining more serious damage. |
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Telefonica Blue, skippered by Bouwe
Bekking (NED) take on water after running aground at
the start of leg 9 from Marstrand to Stockholm.
Photo © Gabriele Olivo / Telefonica Blue / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Telefónica Black sailed a solid race to hold off Delta Lloyd, while Ericsson 4 remained mysteriously at the back of the fleet having also had a poor spinnaker drop at the leeward mark.
The 525 Leg Nine is expected to finish in Stockholm on Tuesday. |
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Telefonica Black, skippered by Fernando
Echavarri (ESP) at the start of leg 9 from Marstrand
to Stockholm.
Photo © Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Overall Leaderboard
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael / BRA): 102 points
2. PUMA (Ken Read / USA): 87.0 points
3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking / NED): 86.0 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson / SWE): 64.5 points
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker / GBR): 59.0 points
6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri / ESP): 42.0
7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermúdez / ESP): 35.0 points
8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp / AUT): 10.5 points
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all the latest news! |
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