Ericsson 4 and PUMA at the start of leg 5 out of Qingdao. Image copyright Sally Collison/PUMA Ocean Racing.
by Kate Fairclough
True to form, PUMA today led the Volvo Ocean Race fleet out of Qingdao, China, at the start of the longest ever leg in the history of the Volvo Ocean Race. As the fog lifted and the breeze freshened, PUMA led Ericsson 4 and Green Dragon round a five mile course just off the headlands of Qingdao, before heading out to sea, en route to Rio de Janeiro, 12,300 miles away.
The team left after a spectacularly ceremonious departure, which saw the eleven PUMA sailors parade the ‘Emperor’s Walk’ along Qingdao’s ‘Great Wall of China’ to the beat of several hundred drummers. The Mayor of Qingdao offered each of the team’s skipper’s gifts, while a flock of doves, symbolizing peace, were released and flew over the crowds. Scenes on the dock before departure were somber, as the PUMA Ocean Racing team considered the long journey ahead.
Skipper Ken Read (USA) commented: “This leg is going to be a real adventure, as well as a boat race. We’re looking forward to going round the tip of Japan, down the Ring of Fire, and down to Cape Horn, and all the other really cool things that are out there. These are all places that we may never go for the rest of our lives.”
“It’s going to be a windy drag race out of here for the first few days, so we’ll be concentrating on keeping the boat in one piece. I’m really looking forward to sailing for 35 to 40 days. Though none of us have sailed this exact course before, coming out of China and down the Pacific, we’re fortunate enough to have guys like our navigator Capey [Andrew Cape, AUS] who have a lot of experience sailing in the second half of this leg. We rely on guys like Capey, a lot.”
“As I’ve said all along, we just have to be there in the end to give ourselves an opportunity in this race. This leg is long and it will be hard, but we just have to get there in one piece. We don’t have to win every leg to win this race, but just give ourselves a shot. By staying on the podium, developing our boat and our team, that’s the way to do it.”
“China has been great. The hospitality we’ve been shown by everyone we have met here has been amazing. From the day we arrived, until leaving today, it’s been a wonderful experience. A lot of our families aren’t here, though my wife is, and none of us have our kids here. You see less tears on the dock today, it’s a little easier this way, as people know we’re going away for a long time.”
Leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race is expected to take 35 – 40 days to complete. The Volvo Ocean Race is made up of ten legs, finishing in June 2009 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
PUMA Ocean Racing
Volvo Ocean Race
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