Green Dragon in Rough Seas, on leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Rio de Janeiro to Boston. Image copyright Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.
by Lucy Harwood
The fleet are nearing the halfway point of Leg 6 to Boston. Leg leader Telefonica Blue has a 100 mile cushion to the pack behind as the remaining fleet stay close and push hard to close the gap. The crew onboard Green Dragon have been working hard to reduce the miles from the boats in front and they are now three miles from Delta Lloyd in sixth place. Elsewhere Ericsson 3 have made some big gains and move up to second just a mile in front of their sister ship Ericsson 4. The fleet are now heading north west in more consistent 15 – 20 knot conditions as boat speed across the fleet remains high as they sail at around 20 knots.
It was a weekend of rituals onboard Green Dragon after they crossed the equator and King Neptune and Queen Codfish paid a visit to James Carroll (Green Dragon’s Boat Captain). This his second leg onboard the Dragon but his first equator crossing. This ceremony has a long history with its roots with Royal Navy, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and other navies which commemorates a sailor’s first crossing of the equator. Originally the tradition was created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long rough times at sea. Sailors who have already crossed the equator are nicknamed (Trusty) Shellbacks, often referred to as Sons of Neptune; those who have not are nicknamed (Slimy) Pollywogs. The ceremony is sometimes explained as being an initiation into the court of King Neptune.
Freddie Shanks celebrates his 29th Birthday, on leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Rio de Janeiro to Boston. Image copyright Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race.
Leg Six Day 9: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)
1. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) DTF 2,449 nm
2. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +104 nm
3. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) +105 nm
4. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +107 nm
5. Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) +140 nm
6. Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermúdez/ESP) +148 nm
7. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +150 nm
8. Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS
Green Dragon Racing
Volvo Ocean Race
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