Sea, Sail & Surf news
Volvo Ocean Race • Leg 4
Pirates leads the charge to Horn Cape
The fleet are expected to be at sea for 18 days arriving in Rio around the 9 March
dimanche 19 février 2006 –
- Volvo Open 70 s start Leg 4
- Six VO70s leave Wellington to Rio De Janeiro
As the cannon sounded it was Pirates of the Caribbean, Skippered by Paul Cayard (USA), who had positioned themselves in the best place and shot off the start line closely pursued by overall race leaders ABN AMRO ONE. Seb Josse (FRA) and the young crew on ABN AMRO TWO crossed the line next followed by Brasil 1 and Ericsson.
As the fleet headed upwind to the first turning mark, Pirates of the Caribbean had sneaked out an eleven second lead from Mike Sanderson and his crew on ABN AMRO ONE.
The fleet weaved their way up the shoreline, in a battle to reach the second mark and be the first boat to hoist the spinnaker. Pirates of the Caribbean showed great pace and by mark two had pulled out a 33 second lead over ABN AMRO TWO. Despite making a last minute crew change, the Pirates crew work was slick and they continued to charge out in front.
Further down the fleet, Brasil 1 had problems with their headsail but managed to hold out Neal McDonald’s (GBR) Ericsson causing them to tack for the mark. Ericsson went for an early hoist on the spinnaker and rounded just behind Torben Grael’s (BRA) Brasil 1.
The fleet was a spectacular site for those watching from the shore and by spectator boat, as they picked up speed in the 16 knots gusts and headed out of the Bay. Pirates of the Caribbean pulled away and established a healthy lead from ABN AMRO ONE, who had also managed to pull away from their team mates on ABN AMRO TWO. Brasil 1 and Ericsson continue to tussle at the back of the fleet, with Brasil 1 just having a small advantage over the Swedish entry.
Amongst the spectators watching the start from Queen’s Wharf was the unusual site of a race crew staring out to sea and a Volvo Open 70 still tied to the dock. The crew of movistar, who incurred a two hour time penalty when they opted to repair the boat during the pit stop, carefully watched the route the fleet had taken hoping that they would be able to make up the two hours over the 6,700 nautical mile leg.
Navigator Andrew Cape commented : “It certainly feels strange to be standing on shore and watch the rest of the fleet starting. We had to fix the boat and it was not an option for us. Two hours is not very long over that distance and we will just have to work hard to catch up.”
Leg four is one of the most spectacular legs in the race as it takes the crew round Cape Horn before finally finishing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fleet are expected to be at sea for 18 days arriving in Rio around the 9 March 2006.
Current Leaderboard
[position/team name/skipper/race points to date]
1. ABN AMRO ONE, Mike Sanderson (NZL) 38.5 pts
2. ABN AMRO TWO, Sebastien Josse (FRA) 28 pts
3. Movistar, Bouwe Bekking (NED) 25 pts
4. Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard (USA) 21.5 pts
5. Brasil 1, Torben Grael (BRA) 20 pts
6. Ericsson Racing Team, Neal McDonald (GBR) 16.5 pts
Dans la même rubrique
Volvo Ocean Race • Leg 3 : Bouwe Bekking wins in Wellington for 9 seconds
Volvo Ocean Race • Leg 3 : Six V70s en route to Rio with a pit-stop in Wellington
Volvo Ocean Race • Melbourne : Victory for Mike Sanderson’s team on Port Phillip Bay
Volvo Ocean Race : Glenn Bourke : "nobody knows what’s happening to us out there better than what we know"
