21.11.08
Leg Two Day 7
‘SAILING ROBOTS: SAIL/EAT/SLEEP/REPEAT’
Spirits are soaring along with the air temperature as the fleet charges towards the finish of leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race in Cochin India.
After the torrid time the eight-strong fleet has had over the past six days, life onboard has improved 100 percent. However, the tough conditions have taken their toll. Rick Deppe, MCM onboard fifth-placed PUMA (Ken Read/USA) describes his team, lovingly, as ‘Sailing Robots’: “Sail/eat/sleep/repeat”.
PUMA is one of two boats in the fleet that sustained damage during the heavy weather of the past week and the crew has been waiting for calmer conditions to laminate new carbon skins to their damaged yacht.
“It has been tough with all the repairs going on aboard the yacht,” said Deppe who commended his crewmate, Casey Smith from Australia for keeping the boat in the race. “His efforts and skill mean that we will probably make it to India, maybe even win,” said Deppe although he added, “we will probably all die of some horrible lung condition though… the boat was full of carbon dust for a while. It’s all in a day’s work for this crew. ”
The other boat to suffer damage was Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR), currently in third position, which broke its boom. The team is able to sail the boat very well without the boom and is enjoying crossing off the miles without any dramas, trying to save themselves for the challenges ahead. On deck, it is very wet as they are hard reaching with a jib top and full indexsail, but Walker says it is no longer very cold, but not yet too hot.
Walker has been able to rest some of his crew, as they are able to sail the boat with just three people on deck. “What’s very pleasing,” says Walker, “is that we have been able to set the indexsail up quite well without a boom, and we can now reef well too. We are sailing at very close to 100 per cent and conversation has turned from how we are going to get to India in time for the start of the next leg, to perhaps being able to beat some of the boats into Cochin.”
Onboard fourth-placed Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED), navigator Simon Fisher/GBR says ‘Life onboard is all pretty good,”, as the boat finally has the conditions she excels in. Gone are the memories of struggling in the big downwind conditions. “Right now,” says Fisher, “it’s all about reaching and we like that.” Fisher has been busy following the three-hourly position reports of the fleet. Often the arrival of this report is dreaded, but now, Fisher says he is even looking forward to them, to see how the team has done. “Right now is our time to shine,” he says, adding, “And I am keen to really make the most of it.”
They still have one crew, Laurent Pages from France, confined to his bunk with an injured shoulder. “He has slightly more movement, but still has more pain than he really wants to admit,” said skipper Bouwe Bekking this morning.
Their teammates on Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP), currently in sixth place, had a problem with a halyard this morning, which meant sending Mike Pammenter from South Africa up to the top of the mast. In 25 knots of wind as the boat heeled badly, he lost his grip on the mast and swung round it twice before regaining his grip and completing the job. “He completed and fixed everything up there and got down as if nothing had ever happened. He had his breakfast and then went to sleep,” said MCM Mikel Pasabant proudly.
On second placed Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) there has been talk of pirates, but, according to Guy Salter MCM, it is not a cause for concern. Onboard sister ship Ericsson 3, who are currently leading the fleet, the crew are still in raptures about passing through the scoring gate in second place.
“In the middle of nowhere, with only open seas surrounding, and only birds and fish listening and watching, six guys are making big noises of joy,” describes Gustav Morin, MCM. “With fists in the air, screaming and laughing, we are celebrating being the second boat to the scoring gate,” he said.
In the last 24 hours, Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) has achieved the highest 24-hour run of 508 nm. This team has also averaged the highest boat speed of 21.5 knots over the past three hours. Although the fleet is split 103 nm from first to last, the top five boats are all within 39 nm of each other, with just over 2500 nm to race to the finish.
Leg Two Day Seven: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)
Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE) DTF 2570
Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) + 13
Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +37
Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +38
PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +39
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) +71
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) +74
Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) +103
Position reports are issued daily at 1300 GMT by email; however, positions are updated every three hours on www.volvooceanrace.org http://www.volvooceanrace.org/. Click on RESULTS at the top of the page to go straight to the points table and onboard data.
For media information on the Volvo Ocean Race, please contact:
Lizzie (Green) Ward – Senior Race Press Officer (Race HQ - UK)
Tel: +44 1489 554 832: Mob: +44 7801 185 320
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