Volvo Ocean Race 2008 Leg 1

www.volvooceanrace.org - www.VolvoOceanRace.tv - VOR-Übersicht

Fotogalerie Leg 1 11 October 2008
Leg 1: Day 1: 1330 GMT
Fotos: images.volvooceanrace.org
RESULTS http://www.volvooceanrace.org/racedata/

ERICSSON 4 LEADS VOLVO FLEET IN TOUGH CONDITIONS FOR START

The long-awaited start day of leg one of the 10th running of the Volvo Ocean race dawned grey and very windy in Alicante, just as the forecasters had predicted, but it did not dampen the spirits of the 88 sailors who have been anxious to get this 6,500 nautical mile to Cape Town underway.

Nor did it dampen the spirits of His Majesty King Juan Carlos 1 of Spain and his two daughters. The Infanta Doña Elena left the dock with her father onboard Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) and the Infanta Doña Cristina was onboard Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP). The royal party was then transferred by RIB to the Spanish Navy frigate Principe de Asturias where they joined Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Knut Frostad, to watch the start.

The Bishop of Alicante-Orihuela blessed the fleet in traditional fashion before, one by one, the crews threw off their lines, waved to the huge crowd lining the harbour and departed the basin which has been their home for the past few weeks, to the sound of their team music. Fireworks exploded over the race village, while overhead Spain’s Blue Arrows aerobatic team gave a breath-taking display. Over 900,000 visitors have visited the race village since it opened on 19 September.

Ericsson nach Start
Foto: Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race

Start des VOR 2008 in Alicante
Foto: Ricjk Tomlinson

Verabschiedung der Skipper in Alicante
Foto: Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race

Out on the race track, conditions were wild. A strong north-easterly breeze of 25 – 30 knots meant a windy start for the fleet which had to sail a short lap of the Bay of Alicante before heading back round a turning mark and out to sea. A simple breakage today could be very costly. Race winner in 1997-98 and second in 2005-06, American skipper Paul Cayard once said, “You can’t win the Volvo Ocean Race on the first night, but you can certainly lose it,” and these wise words were echoing in the minds of the eight skippers as they jostled for position on the start line.

Waves were breaking over the boats as the teams held them into the wind to hoist their reefed index-leg1sails. Most opted for small headsails, although Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) chose a large masthead genoa.

As the start gun fired from the Spanish frigate, the fleet split, and it was Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) who rounded the windward mark ahead of PUMA (Ken Read/USA) and Ericsson 3 (Anders Lewander SWE) in a surprise third place.

Further down the fleet, the two Spanish boats, Telefónica Black and Telefónica Blue rounded the weather mark fourth and fifth followed by Team Russia. Green Dragon, who had struggled to sail as high as the rest of the fleet with their large genoa, were seventh, and Delta Lloyd (Ger O’Rourke/IRL) completed the fleet in eighth place.

04.11.2008 - TELEFONICA BLACK headS TOWARDS CAPE TOWN

04.11.2008 - DELTA LLOYD ARRIVES IN CAPE TOWN

03.11.2008 - KOSATKA CLAIMS SIXTH PLACE

03.11.2008 - TELEFÓNICA BLUE FIFTH TO FINISH

03.11.2008 - GREEN DRAGON FINISHES IN CAPE TOWN

03.11.2008 - SUNRISE FINISH FOR ERICSSON 3

03.11.2008 - Spektakuläre Abenteuerreise: Das Volvo Ocean Race im DSF

02.11.2008 - PODIUM FINISH FOR PUMA

02.11.2008 - CELEBRATION AS ERICSSON 4 WINS LEG ONE

01.11.2008 - THE HOME STRAIT

31.10.2008 - ALBATROSSES APPEAR AS CAT GOES ON THE PROWL

30.10.2008 - THE NIGHT FROM HELL