Richard Mason, keeping track of PUMA Ocean Racing, onboard Ericsson 3, on leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Rio de Janeiro to Boston. Image copyright Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race.
by Gustav Morin
The evil wave
Early this morning we finally got some more action out here. The breeze picked up from around 10 knots to over 14 and we quickly decided to go from mast head zero to a smaller and flatter headsail. That was a good decision since the wind increased even more just after we were done with the change. Now we have steadily over 14 knots and every now and then a wave makes it way over deck.
The first big wave to hit us in this leg flushed Magnus Olsson into the pedestal around the wheel. He was knocked out and had to take a pause. It was his ribs which were hurt but he managed to go down below and climb up in a bunk without help, and since he was still talking and even laughing it shouldn't be that bad.
"I was not prepared for that wave at all. It really feels stupid to be hit like this by the first wave that reaches the deck", Magnus commented before he went to sleep.
Richard Mason, who is running ‘the no mercy medical clinic’ onboard, woke up just after Magnus went to sleep and he tried to have a look at the bruise without waking him up. No conclusion could be made and we will have to wait with the examination until later.
Mason couldn't help wondering if he brings bad luck to Ericsson 3. "On the entire last leg, when I was not onboard, you did not have many injuries at all, and now this happens almost straight away!"
From what I can remember about last leg it was only Martin Strömberg who broke a rib, Thomas Johansson who got some bruises and Anders Dahlsjö who had some problems with his elbows towards the end. Not much for a 44 day sail. Now it only took five days for something to happen.
Volvo Ocean Race
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