Volvo Ocean Race - Leg 9 Start
by Volvo Ocean Race media 14 Jun 2009 19:17 BST
14 June 2009
Telefónica Blue hits rock while leading Volvo fleet at start
Drama today in Marstrand as Telefónica Blue/Bouwe Bekking became wedged on a rock and suspended racing at 1231GMT while leading the fleet at the start of leg nine to Stockholm.
The boat hit the rock while racing at around 14 knots of boatspeed and is hard aground in one-metre swells. The team immediately dropped the sails, but the boat’s keel is firmly wedged within the rocks whilst the rest of the fleet is sailing away. A pilot boat and the coastguards are standing by and attempting to tow the boat clear. All the crew are unhurt.
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 fleet as they headed towards the spectator fleet on the right hand side of the course.
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 just 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, giving them the advantage in the approach to the first turning mark.
They took the lead followed one boat length behind by Telefónica Blue. PUMA and Ericsson 3 made up the top four, while Telefónica Black, Delta Lloyd and, unusually, Torben Grael and 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. Enthusiastic race goers invaded the racecourse and PUMA sailed downwind escorted by a big spectator fleet.
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, but the wind filled in from the right, causing them to lose their lead and allowing Telefónica Blue, Ericsson 3 and PUMA all to reach the mark ahead.
Rounding the mark, Telefónica Blue showed a clean set of heels, while Ericsson 3 caught their spinnaker on their spreaders, which rendered 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 and the crew tried to sort out the mess.
Meanwhile, Green Dragon approached at speed, and sailed inside both Ericsson 3 and PUMA. They were not able to establish their position and it was Telefónica Blue, who led the fleet out into the Kattegat from archrival PUMA, Ericsson 3 and Green Dragon, until disaster struck and the boat struck the rock.
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 is closed efforts continue to tow the yacht free from the rocks before the more serious damage is done.
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.
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 points
7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP): 35.0 points
8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 points
Positions are updated every three hours on www.volvooceanrace.org
GREEN DRAGON LEG NINE DAY 1 QFB: received 14.06.09 1509 GMT
We have just changed to a fractional Zero from the masthead Zero. It seems faster and more under control. Wind is up to 24 knots and we seem to be gaining on Delta Lloyd who only has what looks like a genoa up. At this pace it’s less than three hours to the entrance of the Sound. Then the fun really begins.
Ian Moore - navigator
ERICSSON 3 LEG NINE DAY 1 QFB: received 14.06.09 1742 GMT
”Watch out!”
The start was extremely intense and tricky with very light shifty winds and irritating swell.
But it was to change pretty quickly.
Soon after the leeward rounding we were reaching along in about 20 knots of wind and the same boatspeed. We got overtaken by Puma in the rounding and after that she gained on everyone and no, 19.00, she is in the lead, around a mile before us and a bit less on Telefónica Black and Ericsson 4 who are a couple of 100 metres ahead but down to leeward.
We are pretty concerned about the guys on Telefónica Blue, who hit a rock soon after the leeward rounding.
”Blue just hit the bricks! Watch out!” Richard Mason shouted just after he saw the Spanish boat dive and then heel.
We all hope they are all well onboard. To go from 15 knots to 0 can cause some serious headaches.
It still pretty wet out here and we are still steadily doing over 20 knots. We will soon put the A4 up for a couple of miles when we get on to the narrow parts. Next hours will be interesting.
More to come soon.
Gustav Morin - MCM
DELTA LLOYD LEG NINE DAY 1 QFB: received 14.06.09 1901 GMT
We are fighting a boat to boat fight against the Green Dragons here on the Danish coast. The breeze is a lot lighter than an hour ago and it turns out that we will have a beautiful sunset, while the crowd is still following us in little boats; it's fantastic to see all these enthusiastic people.
Today when we left Marstrand we were surprised by the hundreds of boats on the water. Since we arrived in Europe it seems that there are more people watching. From the horizon we can see the other boats in the race so the battle isn't over yet, the boys still have their fighting spirit!
Sander Pluijm - MCM
TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG NINE DAY 1 QFB: received 14.06.09 1904 GMT
What a start... After the gun the wind was flirting around each boat during the first beat upwind, giving everyone moments of glory. We managed to go through the right hand side of the course and, luckily, the wind swung right some 120 degrees and we were in the lead together with Green Dragon.
Sailing off Marstrand with so many spectators boat was just incredible, better than this, we couldn't ask. Rounding the bottom mark in first position with Puma just behind was what everyone wanted, the battle between us has just started...
Ask your worst enemy what is the worst thing you could wish someone and this is what would happen. We hit a rock doing 15kn while we were leading the fleet towards Stockholm.
The reaction was very quick; Jono Swain got the guys to furl the Code 0 while Pepe Ribes was checking the boat inside. In these circumstances you have to be quick, no time for thinking, just reacting.
After securing the boat and taking the sails down, I checked the boat down below to see the damage and quickly found out that the daggerboard had broken through the case and water was coming in. Both emergency pumps were running full throttle and the guys were bailing with everything that they could find. A human chain was quickly formed to maximize the amount of water bailed in the smallest amount of time.
Swearing and sweating was the common factor between all of us. "Why us? We don't deserve this..." Bouwe said looking at the bulb stuck in the rock. We don't deserve it at all, not to us and not anyone else. Two police boats were trying to pull the bow sideways, but the boat didn’t want to move. We were sitting on top of the rock; we could clearly see the water, the skid mark left from the bulb 5-6 meters long.
The choppy sea wasn't helping at all; our poor lady was shaking up and down every single wave. Every hit could have been the last one. The whole boat has been stuck on the rock for the longest two hours of this race. Finally we escaped from what could have been our grave and we got set free. We now heading back to port. We have to haul the boat out of the water and check the damage. Only one message I want to give to who's reading this email, friends, families and everyone else: WE WILL NOT GIVE UP.
Gabri Olivo - MCM
GREEN DRAGON LEG NINE DAY 1 QFB: received 14.06.09 1950 GMT
We are all sailing down the channel off Copenhagen and the sun is setting over the city behind us. We are back past Delta Lloyd after they had a very scrappy spinnaker drop - getting the spinnaker halyard caught over the top of the mainsail. They seem to also be trapped behind a large ship in the channel.
Ian Walker - skipper