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Fotogalerie Leg 8
11.06.09
http://media.pumaoceanracing.com
PUMA second to Marstrand in dramatic leg finish
PUMA second overall with two legs reindexing
June 11, 2009 – In a dramatic finish to an intense five day leg from
Galway, Ireland to Marstrand, Sweden, PUMA finished leg eight of the Volvo
Ocean Race in second place at 05:04:46 local (03:04:46 GMT) this morning.
The PUMA team staged an incredible comeback in the final 24 hours of the
leg, crossing the line less than a minute ahead of third placed Green
Dragon in yet another incredibly close finish. With two legs of the Volvo
Ocean Race 2008-09 reindexing, second place in leg eight moves the PUMA
Ocean Racing team into second place overall.
After falling back to seventh place on Tuesday night having destroyed one
of their key sails and being caught in the light winds of a low pressure
system, the PUMA team were thrilled to finish second. Skipper Ken Read
(USA) attributed the comeback to the decisions of navigator Andrew Cape
(AUS) and the hard-willed determination of the eleven man team. Welcomed
by a flotilla of spectator boats in the early morning light and with
hundreds of spectators crowding the rocky shores of the island of
Marstrand, the team celebrated onstage before heading off for some
well-deserved sleep.
Skipper Ken Read (USA) commented: “I am so proud of this team, and I give
Andrew Cape (AUS) a ton of credit. 24 hours ago we had all the reason to
quit in this leg, things looked really bad. The centre of the low had
gobbled us up far to the east of where we thought it was, our running kite
was destroyed and the fleet was literally sailing away from us; we thought
we had really screwed it up. But Capey (Andrew Cape) refused to quit, he
said ‘you know what, we can either follow them in or we can try to do
something about it’. Our Plan B was to sail through a gale to get to the
northerly winds that got us back in the fleet…and it worked. We’re a
happy, exhausted crew, and I can’t tell you how much they all mean to me.
The idea of quitting does not exist in this team. It seems that when
something goes wrong, it brings out the best in us. The toll this kind of
racing takes on you both physically and mentally is unreal. I can't thank
the team enough for their determination and desire. I am very proud of
this team. Very proud.”
The PUMA team will now spend the next three days in Marstrand, Sweden, the
only Pitstop of the race. By race rules, no members of the shore team are
allowed onboard the boat during this stopover. Any indextenance must be
carried out by the sailors themselves. Leg nine starts at 13:00 local
(11:00 GMT/07:00 EDT) on Sunday 14th June.
The Volvo Ocean Race is made up of ten legs, finishing in June 2009 in St.
Petersburg, Russia. By joining the race, PUMA has entered a new premium
category and is the only Sportlifestyle company to participate in the
Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. For more information about the race, team and
the PUMA Sailing collections, please visit www.pumaoceanracing.com
Alongside PUMA’s entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, PUMA has launched a full
range of marine clothing and apparel, from offshore sailing gear to
onshore lifestyle fashion. The PUMA Sailing Performance collection was
developed and tested by the PUMA Ocean Racing team itself, and is worn by
the team throughout the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. The PUMA Sailing
Lifestyle collection takes inspiration from the sport.
For more information on Puma Ocean Racing, please contact:
Bridgid Murphy or Kate Fairclough - PUMA Ocean Racing
Tel: +1 978 996 5155 or +44 7827 277 517
bridgid.murphy@puma.com or kate.fairclough@puma.com
For images and footage free for editorial use please go to:
http://media.pumaoceanracing.com
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