VOR: Stockholm In-Port Race

A beautiful morning at the Race Village in Stockholm on the day of the In-Port Race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.

by Volvo Ocean Race media

Sunday, 21 June 2009, 13:15 GMT

13:15 GMT UPDATE: RACE TWO FINISH

Double joy for Telefonica Blue. A win in the second race gives Bouwe Bekking's men overall victory in Stockholm, their fourth inshore race victory of the series. It also enables the Blue boat to shave a sliver - half a point - off PUMA's advantage over them in the overall race standings - 98.5-92.

It's a brilliant recovery Bekking's men after the devastation of the Leg 9 start when they were forced to suspend racing after hitting a rock.

That mishap effectively ended their challenge to PUMA for second place overall to Ericsson 4. It is still mathematically possible for the cat to be caught, but the cards would have to fall heavily in their favour for that to happen.

STOCKHOLM IN-PORT RACE SERIES: OVERALL RESULTS

1. Telefonica Blue - 4 pts
2. PUMA - 3.5 pts
3. Telefonica Black - 3 pts
4. Ericsson 4 - 2.5 pts
5. Ericsson 3 - 2 pts
6. Delta Lloyd - 1.5 pts
7. Green Dragon - 1 pt

RACE TWO PROVISIONAL RESULTS:

1. Telefonica Blue
2. Telefonica Black
3. PUMA
4. Ericsson 4
5. Delta Lloyd
6. Green Dragon
7. Ericsson 3

12:55 GMT UPDATE

At the windward mark for the final time of asking, Bekking has got his wish and helped Telefonica Black to put a few yards on PUMA. Team tactics are paying off. Can PUMA bridge the gap? Prayers are being said.

So, Telefonica Blue leads the charge, and victory in this second race will give them victory overall in Stockholm. Telefonica Black second from PUMA. As for the rest, the order is Ericsson 4, Delta Lloyd, Green Dragon, Ericsson 3.

12:50 GMT UPDATE

Tele Blue comfortably in the lead at the mid-way gate, the sweaty palms belong to Telefonica Black as PUMA begins to pounce - that's where the interest is in terms of race standings and the overall leaderboard. It's going to the wire.

Bekking and his crew are squeezing down on PUMA to open up a path for the sistership. The Blue boat would dearly love to put a boat between her and PUMA. Ken Read's men are being double-teamed. Being 'gassed', according to Mark Chisnell. All's fair in love and warfare.


Hundreds of spectator boats turn out for the Stockholm in-port race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.

12:40 GMT UPDATE

At the bottom mark, Telefonica Blue leads from Telefonica Black who took the high road to relegate PUMA to third. The Black boat is playing the perfect team game as far as Bekking is concerned.

Ericsson 4 is fourth from Green Dragon, Delta Lloyd and Ericsson 3. The whole fleet is on port tack for the second beat as the wind shifts to the left.

12:35 GMT UPDATE

At the windward mark for the first time, Telefonica Blue gets the jump on the fleet to grab the lead. PUMA is second from Telefonica Black and Green Dragon. Ericsson 4 just shades Delta Lloyd with the Nordics, heroes to zeros, last.

How will these positions, and the aggregate scores from the Stockholm series impact on the overall leader board? Our mathematicians are working on it. It's close out there, many permutations are possible at this stage.

12:30 GMT UPDATE

Telefonica Black and PUMA are scrapping at the front at the approach to the mid-way gate. Delta Lloyd and Ericsson 4 are in the mix as well. The cross at the gate will sort out the order. It's tight between PUMA and the Black boat. Heady times for the strategists.

Meanwhile, Tele Blue is threatening. PUMA and the Black boat roll into a tack as is Blue. Could be decisive move for Bouwe Bekking's men.

12:20 GMT UPDATE: RACE TWO START

Different approach this time tactically. The fleet is setting up for the right-hand side. They are tightly bunched. Good starts from Ericsson 4 and Green Dragon, at the pin end.

PUMA tacks to the right soon after the gun as the fleet splits. PUMA, Tele Black and Green Dragon, Delta Lloyd are drag racing on port leaving Ericsson 4 on starboard as they power upwind for the first time. Ericsson 3 is hung out to dry.

12:15 GMT UPDATE

Five minute gun sounds for Race Two. Can PUMA go two-for-two? Similar conditions to the first instalment - about 12 knots of breeze. Will the right pay early again?

12:10 GMT UPDATE

10 minute gun sounds for Race Two. As reported earlier, there are thousands of spectator boats out on the water. Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad, who knows a thing or three about these things, says he has never seen such a clamour for a sailing event. The Swedes are out in force for the Formula One of sailing.

Speaking of which, there are over 100,000 gathered at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix today and not a sailing fan in sight.


The Volvo Open 70 fleet crosses the line at the start of the In-Port race in Stockholm. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.

11:48 GMT UPDATE: RACE ONE FINISH

PUMA claims the spoils. The Nordics on Ericsson 3 see off the attentions of Telefonica Blue to take second. Ericsson 4 is forced to gybe to make the line and snatches fourth place from a fast-finishing Telefonica Black. Green Dragon and Delta Lloyd settle for the scraps.

STOCKHOLM IN-PORT RACE SERIES: RACE ONE PROVISIONAL RESULTS

1. PUMA
2. Ericsson 3
3. Telefonica Blue
4. Ericsson 4
5. Telefonica Black
6. Green Dragon
7. Delta Lloyd

11:40 GMT UPDATE

Telefonica Blue has turned on the after-burners at the half-way gate and Ericsson 3 are in danger of being singed. PUMA leads through the gate.

11:48 GMT UPDATE: RACE ONE FINISH

PUMA claims the spoils. The Nordics on Ericsson 3 see off the attentions of Telefonica Blue to take second. Ericsson 4 is forced to gybe to make the line and sntaches fourth place from a fast-finishing Telefonica Black. Green Dragon and Delta Lloyd settle for the scraps.

11:40 GMT UPDATE

Telefonica Blue has turned on the after-burners at the half-way gate and Ericsson 3 are in danger of being singed. PUMA leads through the gate.

11:30 GMT UPDATE

Telefonica Blue overcook their port tack and concede ground to PUMA. It appears Blue and E3 had trouble spotting the mark amid the sea of spectator boats. So, PUMA leads around the top mark from E3 and Blue. Ken Read and his men hoist the chute and head for home.

The battle between E3 and Blue is intense, just two boatlengths between them at the mark. Telefonca Black is fourth, Ericsson 4 fifth. A gap back to Green Dragon and Delta Lloyd limps along at the back. The post mortem on the Dutch boat after Rcae One may be worth eavesdropping on.

11:25 GMT UPDATE

At the bottom mark, the order is PUMA, Ericsson 3 and Telefonica Black. Telefonica Blue, mounting a stirring comeback is fourth and has headed to the right-hand side of the race track for the second beat. Bekking, not for the first time in this race, has PUMA in his sights.

Green Dragon, Ericsson 4 and Delta Lloyd compete the picture.

11:20 GMT UPDATE

PUMA maintains her lead, houned by the Ericsson twins. The Telefonicas, meanwhile, relishing the downwind going, have hoisted their kites, pulled up their socks and are back in the game.

11:15 GMT UPDATE

Telefonica Blue, hanging out at the back a minurte adrift of PUMA, decides to roll the dice and gybes.

11:10 GMT UPDATE

Breeze shifts left forcing Green Dragon to tack. PUMA benefits. Meanwhile, the battle out on the left is a bruising affair. Ericsson 3, Delta Lloyd, Ericsson 4 all trading blows for the lead. Tele Blue has had a bit of a shocker.

At the top mark, PUMA leads, Ericsson 3 is second from Delta Lloyd, Green Dragon and Ericsson 4 in close company. There follows Telefonica Black. Bringing up the rear is the sistership Telefonica Blue. Not what Bouwe Bekking needs with PUMA leading the pack.

11:05 GMT UPDATE

The port side gamble has paid for Green Dragon at the halfway gate. Both Ian Walker and PUMA have made gains. The breeze is still favouring the middle of the course. Just. A squabble develops between Tele Blue and Delta Lloyd. Some crossing coming up.

11:00 GMT UPDATE: RACE ONE START

Great start at the pin end for Ericsson 4, Delta Lloyd and Telefonica Blue. They lead tje bulk of the fleet on starboard tack on this first leg in about 11 knots.

PUMA get dirty air and is forced to tack away at the line. Not a good getaway for Ken Read's men. Green Dragon goes against the grain and starts of port tack behind the rest. PUMA follows her up the right-hand side of the course.

10:55 GMT UPDATE

Five minute gun sounds.

10:35 GMT UPDATE

Just half an hour until start time and the number of boats on the water keeps increasing. If you were to guess one-thousand, you wouldn't be far off.

The sea breeze has stabilised at about 7 to 10 knots, from 155-degrees. The Race Committee is still expecting it to shift right over the course of the afternoon, so watch for the teams to be looking towards that side of the race course.

We're expecting an on-time start, but keeping the race course clear could be a possible cause if there is a delay.

Otherwise, you couldn't get a better afternoon for racing. Bright skies, an enthusiastic crowd, and a reasonable sea breeze... what else could you ask for??

10:20 GMT UPDATE

The race committee is setting the course axis at 160 degrees with a course length of 1.6 nautical miles and the wind is currently around 7-8 knots from the south-east.

There is a huge fleet of hundreds, if not thousands, of spectator boats out on the water, and some special guests expected to be sailing on some of the Volvo Open 70s today including Loick Peyron and Carl Johan Sanger on Telefonica Blue, and Swedish actor Rafael Edholm on PUMA.

10:30 GMT

Just half an hour until start time and the number of boats on the water keeps increasing. If you were to guess one-thousand, you wouldn't be far off.

The sea breeze has stabilised at about 7 to 10 knots, from 155-degrees. The Race Committee is still expecting it to shift right over the course of the afternoon, so watch for the teams to be looking towards that side of the race course.

We're expecting an on-time start, but keeping the race course clear could be a possible cause if there is a delay.

Otherwise, you couldn't get a better afternoon for racing. Bright skies, an enthusiastic crowd, and a reasonable sea breeze... what else could you ask for??

UPDATE 10:20 GMT

The race committee is setting the course axis at 160 degrees with a course length of 1.6 nautical miles and the wind is currently around 7-8 knots from the south-east.

There is a huge fleet of hundreds, if not thousands, of spectator boats out on the KanholmsfjÄrden, and some special guests expected to be sailing on some of the Volvo Open 70s today including Loick Peyron and Carl Johan Sanger on Telefonica Blue, and Swedish actor Rafael Edholm on PUMA.

UPDATE 09:30 GMT

Most of the fleet have arrived on the race course area now and so, it seems, has much of Sweden. There are hundreds of boats out here already, including a huge number of boats under sail. Working to patrol the edges of the race course is going to be difficult today.

The Race Committee is just on station now too. They're reporting a beautiful sea breeze of 10 knots from 155-degrees, but it's expected to swing further right, more like 180-degrees, over the next hour or so.

The cumulus clouds are continuing to develop, which is a great indication of the heating inshore that's necessary to develop this sea breeze. 10-12 knots is probably the best we can expect today, but that should be more than enough for good racing.

UPDATE 08:15 GMT

It's an absolutely stunning day here in Stockholm, with bright sunshine bathing the race course area. Peter Rusch here, with Mark Chisnell... We're out early this morning to the race area, some 25 miles from Stockholm and with this weather, it's pretty close to paradise.

One concern is wind. There was absolutely none when were ferried out to our www.volvooceanrace.tv commentary spot this morning. But there is good news. Over the past 90 minutes, there has been massive cumulus cloud development over the land, which bodes very well for the forecasted sea breeze. As I write this now at 07:45 GMT, the first ripples are appearing on the water as a light wind gently fills in.

The race course area is in the middle of the Swedish archipelago, and is a small, circular area, bounded by small islands and big rocks. Hundreds, if not thousands of spectator boats are expected to be out here this afternoon so the race management team is going to have their work cut out for them.

As the race course area is so far from the race village in Stockholm, we have a few logistical issues to deal with compared to most in-port venues. The teams docked out at 07:30 local time today, well before Riath Al-Samarrai was awake (and to be fair, the sailors aren't that comprehensible at that time of day either), so we don't have the usual dockside comments this morning.

Volvo Ocean Race