14.06.2009
http://media.pumaoceanracing.com
PUMA aiming to retain second place overall
Chaotic start to leg nine in Marstrand
June 14, 2009 – PUMA made an excellent start to leg nine of the Volvo
Ocean Race in Marstrand, Sweden today, a 525 nautical mile sprint round
the Swedish coast to Stockholm. After a light wind start in choppy seas
the seven boat fleet raced round a six mile course positioned just off the
northwest coast of the island of Marstrand. Several hundred spectator
boats lined the race course on either side causing a chaotic sea state,
almost walling the racing boats into a narrow channel. PUMA rounded the
final mark in second place, watched by crowds of thousands on the rocky
shore just above it, before heading off south down the coast in this
all-Swedish leg of the 37,000 mile round the world race. Currently lying
in second place overall, just one point ahead of Telefonica Blue, PUMA are
determined to retain second place overall with a strong finish in this
leg. While Telefonica Blue ran aground on rocks an hour after the start
and suffers potentially serious damage to their keel, PUMA presses on down
the Swedish coast with the reindexder of the fleet.
Leg nine from Marstrand to Stockholm will take the Volvo Ocean Race fleet
down the west coast and round the southernmost tip of Sweden, before
working their way northwards along the east coast towards the Stockholm
archipelago. Never out of sight of land for the entire passage, leg nine
is a true test of the PUMA Ocean Racing team’s coastal racing skills, with
variable diurnal winds and tidal streams to be contended with. Navigating
their way round islands, wind farms and bridges en route, the ten sailors
once more expect to get very little sleep in the next 48 hours. Winds of
up to 25 knots are predicted for the first half of the leg, with light and
fluky conditions expected for the second half, meaning a tricky approach
to Sandhamn on the island of Sandön where the finish line is located just
outside the Stockholm archipelago. The fleet is expected to cross the
finish line on Tuesday June 16.
Skipper Ken Read (USA) commented on the dock this morning: “This leg is
like a day race. First of all because the sun never goes down here, and
secondly, it’s just close-quarters hand to hand combat. There’s no chance
to take a break. It should be a quick trip; quick and dirty. You have to
approach it with a very different mentality to the offshore legs. All of
the crew on are on deck all day and all night. We get very little sleep.
There will be a lot of sail changes, a lot of anticipation. In a leg like
this, you could see some splits round islands, round bridges, there’s a
lot of stuff in the way out there. You could see some small splits in the
fleet which could make some big differences. We have been nice and
consistent in this race to date, and hopefully this leg will be no
different. We’ve enjoyed our short stay here in Marstrand, and are looking
forward to seeing Stockholm.”
The Volvo Ocean Race is made up of ten legs, finishing in St. Petersburg,
Russia on 28th June 2009. 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
PUMA Ocean Racing Crew List, Leg Nine, Marstrand - Stockholm
Ken Read (USA) Skipper
Andrew Cape (AUS) Navigator
Rick Deppe (GBR) Media Crew Member
Robert Greenhalgh (GBR) Watch Captain
Erle Williams (NZL) Watch Captain
Justin Ferris (NZL) Trimmer/Driver
Rob Salthouse (NZL) Trimmer/Driver
Craig Satterthwaite (NZL) Trimmer/Driver
Shannon Falcone (ANT) Trimmer/Pit
Casey Smith (AUS) Bowman
Michael Müller (GER) Bowman
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