ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2008

Alessandra Sensini (Italy) and Ben Ainslie (UK): ISAF World Sailors of the Year 2008. Image copyright Rolex/Kurt Arrigo.

by Giles Pearman

November is a special time of the year for the sailing community as it brings about the annual International Sailing Federation's (ISAF) Conference and the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards.

The Awards are recognized as the highest honours a sailor can receive in recognition of his/her outstanding achievements during one year. The 2008 edition of the award ceremony took place last night, November 11th, at the stunning La Quinta de Jarama in Madrid, Spain. The list of nominees was impressive, and the well-deserving winners of the 2008 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year titles are Alessandra Sensini (ITA) and Ben Ainslie (GBR), two athletes who have excelled in the sport and have made history with their impressive achievements throughout their sailing careers.

Alessandra Sensini is no stranger to success and she added her name to record books this year when she became the first woman to have ever won four Olympic medals in sailing. And at 38-years old, Sensini's continuing achievement in the sport is all the more extraordinary. "To win the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is an incredible feeling. I have done five Olympics and I have won four Olympic medals but I still feel great emotion to win a prize like this because it means you are inside the history of your sport and a part of world history- it's just incredible."

Born in Grosseto, Italy in 1970, Sensini has had a very successful windsurfing career that began at the age of 13. By 1985 Sensini had already won her first major title as the Italian Junior Windsurfing Champion and she quickly moved to the top of her sport in Italy. Driven by her strong passion, Sensini set her sights on the Olympic Games, first participating in 1992 in Barcelona, and winning her first bronze medal in 1996 in the Mistral Class at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

But one bronze was not enough and at the 2000 Games in Sydney Sensini tasted gold, an achievement that saw her nominated for the first time for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards. She was nominated a second time in 2002 after her consistency culminated in victory at the ISAF World Sailing Games in Marseille, France, where Sensini won every one of the nine races in the series.

Sensini remained on the Olympic circuit and at Athens in 2004 she continued her run on the podium, taking home another bronze in the process becoming a three-time Olympic medallist, an achievement never before realized by an Italian Olympic sailor. That same year Sensini was appointed to the ISAF Windsurfing Committee and began commentating for Italian television on the America's Cup and other sailing events. Sensini then made a third appearance at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards when she hosted the ceremony in 2005 in Singapore.

Sensini's 2008 season began with a gold medal at the 2008 RS:X World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand and a gold at the HRH Princess Sofia Trophy MAPFRE in Palma, Spain. At Qingdao, the sailing venue for the Beijing Olympic Games, Sensini posted impressive results finishing every race within the top ten and ending the competition with the silver medal, making history for female sailors all over the world. "When I think that I have won four Olympic medals I start to count the years and I have to ask myself, 'how old are you?'," Sensini laughed. "In China I was competing with girls that are 20 years old or even younger making it a really tough job. The Olympics do not get any easier the more you do and every year it is more difficult. But this, along with the all the changes in technology that have happened in the sport, have helped to keep me going in windsurfing as I like the challenge."

When asked if she was surprised to have won the 2008 Award Sensini put her hand to her heart and said, "I was surprised to win because I have already been nominated twice and I have always really wanted to win this prize but the competition with the other girls is always really hard because they are all really great and incredible at what they do. I think the voters have a very difficult job to decide the winner."

Although plans for the future are not fully decided, Sensini is making the most of her down time in between Olympic campaigns to try some new things and to recover from an operation on her hand. "At the moment I'm using this time to sail keel boats, something I've wanted to do for a long time and as for the rest, we'll see in a year or so. I can't discount the 2012 Olympics because for the last two campaigns I've said, 'I'm going to stop, this is the last time' so I can never say never! As long as my body's in good shape and I feel like I can still grow, stay motivated inside and compete at a high level, I will keep going because I love the sport. It's a great opportunity I have in my life and it would be a shame to waste it."



Palza Cibeles, Madrid, Spain. Image copyright Rolex/Kurt Arrigo.

Ben Ainslie is also a familiar face here at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor Awards, having won the Award twice before in 1998 and in 2002. He is the only sailor to have won the Award three times. " The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is a massive honour," Ainslie said of his win. "For any sailor it's huge. It's a great list of nominees and for me to win it this year is fantastic and it's made my year absolutely- I'm just really, really happy." Ainslie is Britain's most successful Olympic sailor with three gold medals and a silver, an impressive collection that has demanded years of passion and dedication.

Born in Macclesfield, England in 1977, Ainslie has been sailing almost his entire life. He began sailing competitively by the age of nine and by the age of 16 he was already the Laser Radial World Champion. He competed in his first Olympic Games in 1996 at the age of 19, taking home the silver medal in the Laser class after narrowly losing to Robert Scheidt of Brazil in an epic battle that went to the last race. Ainslie's success continued in the Laser with world championship wins in both 1998 and 1999 and he went on in 2000 to win his first gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games, where he reversed the result of four years previously by beating Scheidt.

Ainslie then decided it was time for a new challenge and he switched to the Finn class in 2002. He wrapped up three consecutive world championships before heading to Athens where once again he won gold. He has remained unbeaten in the Finn class ever since, winning the gold medal once again at the 2008 Beijing Games. In an interview with the BBC, IOC President Jacques Rogge described Ainslie's feat in winning a third sailing gold as the equal of Michael Phelps (the swimmer) and Usain Bolt (the sprinter), "For me, his achievement is as valid as Phelps or Bolt," said Rogge. "The others can win two, three... all the way up to eight. What they do is fantastic, but what Ainslie does is equally fantastic."

"China was a really, really tough Olympics," Ainslie admitted, reflecting on what it was like to win his fourth Olympic medal. "The sailing conditions were the toughest we've ever seen and were really light. For all of us it was a great challenge and for me it was really a great relief to come away with the gold medal, which is what I had set my sights on."

Showing no signs of slowing, Ainslie has the America's Cup and of course, the 2012 Games as his future targets. "The America's Cup is really the next biggest challenge for me and Team Origin. We've got a great sailing and design team in place and we're really looking forward to getting the Cup back on track, getting out on the water and getting racing. So that is my next challenge and after that, I think we are all looking forward to the 2012 Olympic Games in London as a once in a lifetime opportunity."

For anyone just starting out in sailing, Ainslie offers these words of advice: "The big thing with sailing is that you have to enjoy it because it's a really complex sport and you need to always want to be learning, always want to improve and you need good people supporting you. So get out there and go for it- dreams can come true."

All nominees were able to attend last night's Award Ceremony at La Quinta de Jarama with the exception of Francis Joyon, who has just entered the record books again, this time conquering the Discovery Route from Cadiz to San Salvador. The result was kept secret from everyone until the announcement was made at 11pm local time, adding to the sense of anticipation that built through the evening. Along with Sensini and Ainslie, the nominee list for the 2008 ISAF Rolex World sailor of the Year Awards brought together an incredible number of accomplishments in the sailing world. Over 500 guests packed the venue of last night's ceremony and were honoured to be in the company of so many talented sailors, including 8 previous winners of this Award. The feeling was summed up in the opening remarks of HM King Constantine, ISAF President of Honour: "This is the one night of the year that we the world governing body of sailing and you our guests may marvel, celebrate and award those who are the heroes of our sport."

The list of nominees for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year award also included:

Female Sailor/Crew

Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB & Pippa WILSON (GBR)
Claire LEROY (FRA)
Elise RECHICHI & Tessa PARKINSON (AUS)
Anna TUNNICLIFFE (USA)

Male Sailor/Crew

Tom ASHLEY (NZL)
Francis JOYON (FRA)
Vincenzo ONORATO (ITA)
Ian WILLIAMS (GBR)

ISAF World Sail of the Year

VOR Crew Changes for Leg Two for Ericsson 3

by Victoria Low

Ericsson Racing Team skipper Anders Lewander has announced crew changes to Ericsson 3 for Leg Two of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Returning to the crew is trimmer Martin Strömberg (Gothenburg, Sweden), who had to stand down on Leg One due to injury. Also returning to the crew is helmsman Eivind Melleby (Oslo, Norway), who filled in on Leg One for Strömberg. Melleby replaces Stefan Myrälf (Hellerup, Denmark), who has decided to leave the crew.

Strömberg, 26, has been a member of the Nordic crew for the past year. He crewed aboard Ericsson 3 during the Alicante In-Port Race, but was injured before the start of Leg One. Now recovered, he's looking forward to joining his mates for Leg Two, scheduled to start Saturday.

"It was difficult, having trained so long, not to be on the boat," Stromberg said. "But I am really looking forward to getting back and sailing to India."

Ericsson 3 placed a credible third on Leg 1. After finishing the leg, Lewander consulted with Myrälf, and the skipper and trimmer/helmsman decided jointly that he would stand down for the remainder of the race.

"It has not been an easy decision to make but I think it's best that I leave my place for someone who is more suited to the role onboard," said Myrälf, 48. "It has been a very exciting time with Ericsson Racing Team, but during this leg I increasingly felt ill at ease with my role as I normally have a bigger area of responsibility."

"Stefan and I have sat down and discussed his position onboard the boat and we have decided that it is best that he steps down at this stage in the race," Lewander said. "He has been a very valuable member of the team to date, and has been instrumental in getting the boat to the level of preparation that we had at the start," said Lewander.

Myrälf will be replaced by 36-year-old Melleby of Norway. Melleby has raced a number of one-design boats, including the Star, Melges 24, Laser and Europe. He won a bronze medal at the Laser World Championship in 1995, and earlier this year he was the world's No. 7-ranked Star sailor.

"I am very glad that Anders has asked me to stay in the team," Melleby said. "I think I have a lot more to give and am very happy to continue and will do my best to make the boat sail as fast as possible."

Although stepping aside, Myrälf plans to follow the race closely.

"I will, of course, follow the race very closely and I really wish my friends in Ericsson Racing Team all the best of luck," said Myrälf. "And I am sure the guys on Ericsson 3 will be fighting for a podium position on many legs to come."

Ericsson Racing Team

Volvo Ocean Race

PUMA Look Ahead to Leg Two of the VOR 2008-9 to India

Second Leg of Volvo Ocean Race: into the unknown

by Kate Fairclough

Cape Town is currently the home of the PUMA Ocean Racing team, who are busy at work in preparation for Leg Two of the Volvo Ocean Race. Having finished Leg One in second place late on Sunday night, all hands are now on deck to ensure PUMA’s il mostro is ready for the 4,450 nautical mile leg to Kochi, India, an entirely new route for the race, which begins on Saturday 15th November.

While the sailing team are getting some well-deserved rest, the shore team, which has been bolstered in numbers due to the short South African stopover, are hard at work servicing and repairing the boat. With only twelve days in port in which to do this, it’s a tight schedule.

Neil Cox, PUMA Boat Captain, commented: “Our shore team, as usual, has stepped up into another gear. We had the boat out of the water, stripped down, and the rig on the ground within 12 hours of the boat arriving to port. From here the boys know that until the boat is tied back to the dock and ready to go for its shakedown sail, life is ‘all about the boat’. Even without the standard breakages, leaks and new developments, the basic service list off the top of your mind would comprise of over 150 jobs divided between the boat building, rigging, sail making and electrical departments.”

The passage from Cape Town to Kochi is widely regarded as an ‘unknown’ for the Volvo Ocean Race sailors, as no professional round-the-world yacht race has ever sailed this course before. The leg is expected to be predominantly upwind sailing and piracy is considered a serious threat in these waters. As the commerical capital of India’s south-western state of Kerala, Kochi will welcome the fleet after a tough eighteen days at sea.

Skipper Ken Read commented: “Leg One to Cape Town was such a close leg, we had some great racing and we learned a lot about the boat and how hard we can push ourselves onboard il mostro. This is only the beginning. In just a few days we’ll be saying ‘goodbye Cape Town and hello Kochi’. We’ll be ready for that and to go out there and push even harder. Everyone’s talking about India, and we’re excited to be going there.”

As planned, Jerry Kirby and Jonathan McKee will stand down for the next leg of the race, as the crew rotates. Shannon Falcone (ANT) and Robbie Naismith (NZL), a trimmer/pitman and trimmer respectively, will join the PUMA team for the leg to Kochi.

Current Overall Position:
2nd Place, with 18 points

The Volvo Ocean Race is made up of ten legs, finishing in June 2009 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Leg Two to India starts from Cape Town on Saturday 15th November.

PUMA Ocean Racing

Volvo Ocean Race

World Match Racing Tour - Monsoon Cup Preview

by Rob Kothe

The climax of the 2008 World Match Racing Tour, is the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia which will be sailed from 3rd to 7th December 2008. The Monsoon Cup is the last stage of the 2008 Tour and is shaping up to be the most exciting event of the year.

For the fourth year running, it will be sailed in the eastern Malaysian state of Terengganu, on Duyong Island in the Terengganu River, which flows through this state capital. Over the last three years large crowds have gathered on the island foreshore to watch the action.

The pressure is on for the 2007 Monsoon Cup winners and 2006-2007 World Champions, Bahrain Team Pindar skippered by Ian Williams, who must beat France’s Sébastien Col to retain the World title. Col is in great form having won the Berlin Match racing event and his Tour record is good, despite having sailed one less event than the other two top placed teams. The current World number one ISAF ranked sailor Frenchman Mathieu Richard, should not be under estimated and indeed he too could win the Monsoon Cup and the championship title.

The current leader board, as it stands, going into the Monsoon Cup is

1st Ian Williams, GBR Bahrain Team Pindar 92
2nd Sébastien Col, FRA French Team/K-Challenge 88
3rd Mathieu Richard, FRA French Team/French Spirit 77
4th Adam Minoprio, NZL ETNZ/BlackMatch 53
= Torvar Mirsky, AUS Mirsky Racing Team 53
6th Magnus Holmberg, SWE Victory Challenge 51

In this final event of the season there are 150 World Championship points at stake. The Monsoon Cup winner will receive 38 championship points; the second placed team 30, third placed 22, fourth 18. Any of the top three teams could win this event and the 2008 Tour.

In 2007 Williams and his British crew were second on the Tour as they prepared to sail the all-important last event. After the completion of two days sailing and after some very ordinary flights, they finished in eighth place, almost missing the quarter finals. Williams regrouped, sailing the last rounds with the determination of a World Champion and went on to claim the Monsoon Cup and take the overall Tour crown.

This year consistency has paid off for Team Pindar and after winning the Danish Open and finishing second in both the Korea Match Cup and St Moritz Match Race; they are at the top of the Tour leader board.

Williams and his Bahrain Team Pindar have a simple plan. Williams says, “We are approaching the Monsoon Cup as a one- off event, as a World Championship.

‘We are going to get the best result we can. Of course we are going to be watching what Sébastien (Col) and Mathieu (Richard) are up to, but at the same time trying not to focus on them too much. Our approach to last year was to go out and try to win the event. In the end we won the World Championship the day before by qualifying for the final. Williams said

‘Our aim is to win the Monsoon Cup and therefore the Championship.’

Sébastien Col has a great success rate this year, with two wins in the Korea Match Cup and the Portugal Match Cup. Although behind on points, Col will ensure Williams does not have an easy path to the top of the leader board.

Col says, “My first goal is the World Match Racing Tour title, the second one is the Monsoon Cup regatta itself. We will face eleven teams, any of whom could potentially win the Monsoon Cup. So we don’t think too much about the results. We focus, and will have to be ready in the best shape, highly motivated, as always, and above all, we’ll have to be confident. This year has already been a big “bonus” for us, and now there might be ‘a cherry on the top of the cake’ as we say in French.

‘At the Monsoon Cup we will fight hard and give our maximum, as we always do with my team.”

In third place Mathieu Richard has a larger task. Richard beat Williams in the St Moritz Match Race final and is keen to beat him early in the Monsoon Cup Round Robin.

‘We still have a chance to win the championship, but for us to win the event then the other two would have to have been beaten early in the series. We have to be more aggressive because we are only third. We have to pass two teams first of all. They are quite fast’ Richard says.

‘Sébastien Col is having a great season this year … again beating him could be a tough job for Williams.

‘Sébastien and Ian have a very similar style. They are very good on the starts. They often sail at the same level, which is a high level.

‘Sometimes they can be higher, but not so much. We are different, we are a little irregular. We can be brilliant, but we can also be lost’ concluded Richard.

Ian Williams offers this commentary on his rivals.

‘We’ve been sailing Sébastien for ten years. He’s very solid; he’s very cool and very calm. He has quite a structured way of sailing. Sébastien understands the match racing very well and he’s well practiced at it. We expect him to be very strong. We always feel that if we really ‘step up’ and sail our best game, that we should beat him. But he never takes it lying down. If that doesn’t happen, he’s always there; he’s always sailing solidly and fast. If we make mistakes he won’t make many mistakes, and consequently he’ll come in strong.

‘We thought that Mathieu was going to be the biggest challenge this year. He was sailing extremely well in the early rounds of every regatta, often much better than us. He’s a big threat and certainly if he does win, then he’s got a good shot at winning the World Championship.’

West Australian Torvar Mirsky and New Zealander Adam Minoprio are great friends but bitter rivals out on the racecourse.

At 22 and 23 years old respectively, these two sailors are the young guns of the fleet. Mirsky beat Minoprio in the final of the prestigious invitation only Warren Jones Regatta, an event for under 25 year old Match Racers held in Perth, Western Australia. Minoprio however, has just scored a great second place in the recently concluded WMRT event, the King Edward VII Gold Cup in Bermuda.

With the large amount of prize money on offer at the Monsoon Cup both are hungry for a win, although neither can take the overall Tour title this year. At best, either could finish in second place, still a great achievement for 2008.

The contrast in their styles will be interesting to watch out on Duyong Basin. Mirsky is known for his aggressive tactics, whereas Minoprio has a more conservative style and the matches between these two will prove most intriguing.

Neither of these crews is leaving anything to chance with Mirsky training in Perth before the Monsoon Cup on Foundation 36’s. Williams and Richard will be joining him.

Minoprio on the other hand, will be in Auckland over the next few weeks at the New Zealand Match Racing titles. The competition will be tough and he will come up against two America’s Cup master match racers, Chris Dickson and Dean Barker. Add the multiple Olympic Gold Medallist, Team Origin America’s Cup skipper Ben Ainslie, and the racing is sure to be super competitive.

Ben Ainslie will be sailing in his first Monsoon Cup event and the crowds are sure to be attracted to this star.

The Monsoon Cup star-studded field of 12 includes two match racing veterans.

Peter Gilmour was the winner of the inaugural Monsoon Cup in 2005. In 2007 he finished second, in what he considers his ‘home’ tour event. Gilmour is the only four times ISAF World Match Racing champion having won the title in 1990,1997,1998,2006.

Magnus Holmberg from Sweden won the World Tour in 2000-2001. He finished third at Match Cup Sweden and second in the Portugal Match Cup and this America’s Cup skipper would like nothing less than a Swedish Victory.

There will be a total of 12 teams in the 2008 event; two more tour teams are yet to be announced. The Malaysian and Asian Qualifiers will round out the dozen.

The Malaysian Qualifiers, to be sailed 24th to 26th November and the Asian Qualifiers, from 27th through to the 29th November, will be conducted on the Terengganu match racing course. The ultimate prize for the winner of each event is entry into the Monsoon Cup.

Article provided by Rob Kothe – Sailing World

Current World Match Racing Tour Leader board (top ten teams) (After Stage 8 of 9)
1. Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar, 92 points
2. Sébastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge, 88
3. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team/ French Team Spirit, 77
4. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing Team, 53
=. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, 53
6. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Victory Challenge, 51
7. Mattias Rahm (SWE) Stena Bulk Sailing Team, 46
8. Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza, 43
9. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Alandia Sailing Team, 40
=. Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team, 40

World Match Racing Tour

Bouwe Bekking Analyses the Fleet at the end of VOR 2008-9 Leg One

Telefonica Blue skipper, Bouwe Bekking. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.

by Javier Sobrino

The Volvo Ocean Race fleet is now safely in Cape Town at the end of Leg 1. The 6,500 nautical miles from Alicante in Spain saw almost the entire range of wind conditions. An excellent first test for the eight contenders in this round the world race. The eighty-eight crewmembers now have a week of recovery time before the start of Leg 2, from Cape Town to Cochin, India. 4,450 nautical miles sailing northwards into the Indian Ocean, a first unknown region in this race for most of the competitors.

On board TELEFONICA BLUE, skipper Bouwe Bekking had anything but an easy sail during Leg 1. The Spanish boat completed the course in 22 days, 23 hours, 18 minutes and 37 seconds, securing 5th place to stay 4th on the scoreboard. The best reward for Bekking at the arrival was "hugging and kissing my girls", as he says, followed by the champagne spraying, a good shower and shave, and the first proper meal in over three weeks: "My first dinner was Kudu, a local meat that tasted like heaven to my tongue", Bouwe explains. "The transition from eating freeze dried food to normal food is a matter of building up slowly. You like to eat a lot, but your stomach has shrunk. The eyes are always bigger than the stomach, so I've been just taking it easy: Just a little fruit, a little salad, lots of rice, a slow, slow transition."

It was a good welcome for the warrior, but the party did not last long. "This time, the South African stopover is shorter than usual, meaning there is no time to relax. After our first night ashore, we resumed our physical training routine the day after. Fortunately, my knee is going really well, no problems at all. It was the first time I've been running for more than two months, and the run was actually really good, which was a big surprise. That's all good."

After this first leg, the human factor on TELEFONICA BLUE has passed its opening exam with a good grade; so has the boat, which is good news for the shore crew: "The job list in our boat is not massive, all little things," Bouwe says. "The Black boat has got a more extensive list, but ours is not bad at all. The sailmakers have also some small jobs; we have a couple of minor changes to do to certain sails to make them better, but all and all the sails are all in very good shape, and in that sense we are looking good."

From the arrival of TELEFONICA BLUE in Cape Town until the start of Leg 2 on November 15, there is very little time both for shore crews to work on the boats and the crews to recover. Bouwe explains the schedule for the Spanish team: "The main thing is to get the boat back into shape as quickly as possible. We will have a couple of days of meetings, analyzing, discussing performance, etcetera, etcetera. Then I'm going to have a three-day break. On Tuesday everybody comes back to start loading the boats. On Wednesday we want to go for a short sail, slowing the tempo again on Thursday and Friday, so the guys can spend more time with the families. And then Saturday we are off again!"

Analyzing the fleet
After showing her power in the first two In Port races at Alicante, the VO70 TELEFONICA BLUE found herself struggling in the back of the fleet for much of the first offshore leg. Bouwe thinks this to be a very unfair result for a very strong boat: "I think she's just a very good all around boat". And, Bouwe is quick to confirm his confidence in the Farr Yachts' design, "what we've seen so far, in light and medium conditions, as well as heavier reaching conditions is that we're really, really strong. We know we are not the fastest in running conditions, but I think we can make some changes in order to improve the performance in that area. This race has along way to go and I remain confident that, by being a good all around boat, we can be on top of the list at the end."

A good design sailed by a fantastic crew. But Bouwe never loses perspective: "You can always improve. If you think you cannot improve, you are wrong, because you're never perfect. In the sail design we can work a lot, the crew can always work better as a crew. You always work to make the boat go faster; it's a non stop learning and improving process."

What about the other contenders? Bouwe Bekking offers his thoughts about the rest of the fleet, one by one:

Ericsson 4
"Ericsson 4 have shown the benefit lots of sailing and training in a lot of breeze. The boat performs very well in those strong breeze conditions; they broke the 24-hour distance record after all! But she is a heavier boat compared to ours. We've gained on them in the lighter conditions. So, overall, I think Ericsson 4 is a little bit more tiptop in the higher wind ranges than us. And, of course, he must be a fantastic good boat; it is the one that won the first leg!"

Puma
"Puma had a great leg too. She was all over Ericsson 4 and up front for much of the course. She seems to be good in the medium to heavy and a little weaker in the light. They have a fantastic crew as well, so it's no real surprise how well are they going."

Green Dragon
"Green Dragon was always a little bit of the dark horse going into the race. They sailed the leg tactically very well, and scored top points at the scoring gate. After that they were not fantastic once the wind built up, but we've seen what happened to their keel. They have a good bunch of guys as well, so I think she is just one of these boats that you don't know."

Ericsson 3
"Ericsson 3 has been surprising in some conditions. They have similar design to Ericsson 4, but I think Ericsson 3 still has some really strong points compared to her teammate. In some parts of the race, she was probably the fastest boat on the water. The crew is young and less experiences, but they are smart guys that will learn and, for sure, will be a strong contender. Now they have received their new keel it will be very interesting to see how they perform."

Team Russia
"As for Team Russia, it's been really surprising how quick they are going downwind. It is probably just a matter of the whole hull shape and a very small keel bulb. What we've seen is that she doesn't seem to be very quick upwind or reaching. That is a consequence of the bulb being really, really light."

Delta Lloyd
"Delta Lloyd has got a very solid boat, the winner of last edition. Even though she's a generation behind she was at the head of the first generation, so she is still a boat with very strong points, such as high stability. I think they'll come up with some surprises before the end of the race."

TELEFONICA BLACK
"TELEFONICA BLACK is just the same as TELEFONICA BLUE. They've shown they are quick in the light, quick in the medium, fast in reaching conditions. Up to now they have struggled a little bit in the heavier downwind running, but like us she is one of the boats that is overall a very, very strong contender because she is good over the range."

Bouwe Bekking

Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo Ocean Race 2008-9 End of Leg One: Image Collage

Skipper Torben Grael greets crew member Tony Mutter, who had to be taken off Ericsson 4 with a knee injury earlier in the leg. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Skipper Torben Grael and Dave Endean celebrate at the end of Leg One. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 wins leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race, crossing the finish line at 05.54 GMT. Skippered by Brazilian Torben Grael and with a crew of international sailors, they completed the 6,500 mile leg from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa in 21 days, breaking the 24 hour monohull record on 29/10/08 with a distance of 602.66 miles. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 wins leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 wins leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 wins leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 wins leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 wins leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race into Cape Town. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 approaching Cape Town off Robben Island. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 4 wins leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Skipper Torben Grael with the leg winners trophy. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Skipper Torben Grael drinking champagne on stage. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Very proud children mark the achievements of their Dads on the dockside. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


The crew of Ericsson 4 raise the leg winners flag. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken Read, finish second in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, after a tough 6,500 mile battle with leg winners Ericsson 4. Crossing the finish line in Cape Town, South Africa at 17:44:55 GMT, earns them seven points for the leg and 13 in total to move them within one point of the overall race lead. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken Read, finish second in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken Read, finish second in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken Read, finish second in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ken Read holds aloft the trophy for second place with his crew mates on stage. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken Read, finish second in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Delta Lloyd closing in on Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Sander Pluijm/Team Delta Lloyd/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 3 are the third boat into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. The Nordic crew crossed the finish line at 04:08:50 GMT scoring 4 points, leaving them with a total of 5 points overall. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 3 are the third boat into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. The Nordic crew crossed the finish line at 04:08:50 GMT scoring 4 points, leaving them with a total of 5 points overall. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Richard Mason is reunited with his children. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 3 are the third boat into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. The Nordic crew crossed the finish line at 04:08:50 GMT scoring 4 points, leaving them with a total of 5 points overall. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


An exhausted skipper, Anders Lewander of Ericsson 3. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 3 are the third boat into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. The Nordic crew crossed the finish line at 04:08:50 GMT scoring 4 points, leaving them with a total of 5 points overall. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Ericsson 3 are the third boat into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon arrive into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. The Irish-Chinese entry crossed the finish line at 07:12:35 GMT scoring 5 points, leaving them with a total of 11 points overall. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


The crew of Green Dragon are treated to Irish Beef and Cheese on the dockside. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon skipper Ian Walker is interviewed on the pontoon. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon Media Crew Member Guo Chuan and Skipper Ian Walker. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon crew on stage in Cape Town at the end of leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon navigator Ian Moore. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon arrive into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon arrive into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken Read, finish Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 in second place, crossing the line in Cape Town at 17:44GMT (19:44 local). Ken Read receives the trophy for 2nd place, from the Executive Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, Grant Haskins. Image copyright Sally Collison/PUMA Ocean Racing.


PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken Read, finish Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 in second place, crossing the line in Cape Town at 17:44GMT (19:44 local). Image copyright Sally Collison/PUMA Ocean Racing.


Green Dragon arrive into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Green Dragon arrive into Cape Town on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Blue skipper Skipper Bouwe Bekking from the Netherlands. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Blue arrive in Cape Town in fifth place on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Blue arrive in Cape Town in fifth place on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Blue arrive in Cape Town in fifth place on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Blue arrive in Cape Town. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Blue arrive in Cape Town. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Russia arrives into Cape Town at the end of leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. They crossed the finish line at 15:29:47 GMT scoring 3 leg points, claiming 6th place overall. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


The crew of Team Russia celebrate with champagne. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Russia arrives into Cape Town at the end of leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. They crossed the finish line at 15:29:47 GMT scoring 3 leg points, claiming 6th place overall. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Russia arrives into Cape Town. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Russia arrives into Cape Town at the end of leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Russia arrives into Cape Town. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Delta Lloyd celebrate in Cape Town, South Africa after completing the 6,500 mile first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Team Delta Lloyd arrives in Cape Town, South Africa after completing the 6,500 mile first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Black with their temporary rudder. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Bruised and battered, the Spanish entry, Telefonica Black became the eighth and final boat to complete the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race when they crossed the finish line in Cape Town at 16:43 GMT. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Black. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Black celebrate finishing in Cape Town. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Telefonica Black is the eighth and final boat to complete the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Image copyright David Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.


Volvo Ocean Race leg 1 Prize Giving Ceremony. The crew of Ericsson 4 celebrate winning the Waterford Trophy for first place, at the leg 1 Prize Giving in Cape Town, South Africa. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.


Volvo Ocean Race leg 1 Prize Giving Ceremony. Bruce Parker-Forsyth, Chairman of the local organising committee World Sport, presents the crew of Ericsson 4 with the record breaking 24 hour monohull distance trophy. The crew sailed an astonishing 602.66 nautical miles over a 24 hour period on the home straight to Cape Town. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.

Volvo Ocean Race