VOR: TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG FIVE DAY 2 QFB: received 15.02.09 0350 GMT

by Bouwe Bekking

At least the Chinese have a better charted area of Qingdao, good advertising for the city of sails. I spoke yesterday with one of the Chinese officials, and he said there are lots of rocks, what a hiccup, not informing us.

We are away, and having good breeze, nearly too much for an easy transition, Xabi (Xabier Fernandez/ESP) for example got seasick. In the first hour we had four sail changes and we had our first snowflakes.

A huge thanks to the shore crew, they did a fantastic job. It is good for our minds to know that we don't have any issues. Of course we have to play catch-up, and it will take a long time before we even will get close to the other boats, it is unbelievable but true, but luckily a long way to go, we will never give up fighting.

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR: ERICSSON 3 LEG FIVE DAY 2 QFB: received 15.2.09 0322 GMT

Ericsson 3 skippered by Magnus Olsson (SWE) (pictured), finishes Leg 4 on start Day for Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Qingdao, China, to Rio De Janeiro, and sets off again a few hours later on Leg 5. At over 12,000 miles, Leg 5 is the longest leg ever attempted in the history of the race. Image copyright Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.

by Gustav Morin

“Hit and run”

That is what the police call it when bandits break into buildings with a big car to steal everything in just a couple of minutes, and then take off again with full throttle.

Yesterday we did what is the probably the closest you can come to a hit and run in a yacht race.

We hit the dock in Qingdao at 2000 local time. That was seven hours after the start of leg five and we were pretty keen on leaving as soon as possible. Richard Mason, who is not sailing the next leg due to a back injury, flew to China while we were sailing to prepare for our arrival together with the shore crew.

We got quite a welcome.


Ericsson 3 arrives in Qingdao, only to leave again, for Rio on Leg 5, after a few hours. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.

We reached the near coast of Qingdao early afternoon in what most people would call beautiful conditions. And it was, for sure. We had about five to 10 knots plus and the sun was shining. But, there was absolutely no wind for a couple of hours. It has been a long time since I last saw Magnus Olsson that frustrated...

But the breeze did eventually pick up and we reached the massive skyscrapers with their neon shining fronts and we were welcomed by heavy fireworks and an energetic shore crew.

As soon as we hit the dock the boat was full of people running around. They checked the bow and the fix, installed a fuel tank went through all the safety gear with Volvo, loaded the boat with new sails, a huge amount of food, extra clothes and three new crewmembers.

Everyone in both the sailing team and the shore crew were working like crazy and from when we hit the dock until we were about to hoist our new main can’t have been more than 90 minutes.

So, we managed to reach our first goal. We have crossed the start line of leg 5, prepared to sail to Rio. Only problem was that we were already 70 miles behind the others. Except Telefónica Blue who hit a rock and had to suspend racing for repairs.
During the night the breeze picked up pretty quickly and we were soon reaching along in 20 knots of boatspeed. The boats in front were still in the light air and in just a couple of hours we had gained more than 30 miles.

Now, at 9.00 local time, the breeze has picked up even more and we are sailing in between 21 to 25 knots, still reaching. We really have to fight the cold in these speeds. It is really tough when the freezing water is spraying us all the time.

Fortunately the sea is flat and we are cutting through the water very smoothly. According to our navigator Aksel Magdahl’s calculations, we are only two hours behind. Incredible thinking about what we have been through.

A big thanks to our shore crew for all the help making this happen. I think you should get some well deserved time off while we make the best of your effort and ‘battle on’, as Magnus always says, to catch up even more.

Ericsson Racing Team

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR: Telefonica Blue Returns to the Race Course

Telefonica Blue, Skippered by Bouwe Bekking, undergoes emergency keel repairs overnight in Qingdao before commencing Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, after the yacht hit a rock before the start. At over 12,000 miles, Leg 5 is the longest leg ever attempted in the history of the race. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.

by Volvo Ocean Race media

Bouwe Bekking's Telefonica Blue team has resumed racing and started leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race. The team starts the leg in fifth place, after crossing the starting line nearly 19 hours behind the leaders.

Telefonica Blue had suspended racing just minutes ahead of the starting gun for leg five on Saturday afternoon in Qingdao (05:00 GMT), after running aground and damaging the keel before the start. Skipper Bouwe Bekking made the difficult decision to suspend racing in order to have the boat hauled out of the water to assess the extent of the damage before starting the leg.


Repairing the damaged keel. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.

Fortunately for the team, tests showed the damage was not critical. The shore crew worked at a furious pace overnight to fix damage to the bulb and fin and by sunrise in Qingdao on Sunday morning, the boat was ready to be lifted into the water.

"It could have been way worse," said a relieved Bouwe Bekking. "The good news is there's no structural damage and I'm just happy that we checked it out. You don't want to go out on a leg like this where your keel or your bulb could fall off. It's good news."

With the leading boats in the fleet starting nearly 19 hours ahead, the Telefonica Blue crew will have their work cut out for them to make up for lost time.

"We are going to lose a bit more over the first couple of days, as they're always in better pressure, but hopefully they park up and we reel them back in."

Telefonica Blue resumed racing at 23:42 GMT on Saturday night (07:42 local time in Qingdao).

Leg Five Day 2: 0100 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to leader
PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) 12356 DTF
Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) +0nm
Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +5nm
Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +29nm
Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +169nm
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

Volvo Ocean Race

Wellington's Josh Junior Wins The National Bank Youth International Match Racing 2009

Wellington's Josh Junior wins The National Bank Youth International Match Racing title on the Waitemata in Auckland. Image copyright RNZYS media.

by Barry Davies

Josh Junior from Wellington took out the title for the National Bank International Youth Match Racing Championships in the final against the RNZYS' William Tiller today.

An easterly breeze of 8 – 12 knots made perfect conditions for Match Racing in the harbour today. Despite having a clean sweep through the two round robins, Junior had to fight hard to come away with the win. The first race of the day between these two saw a tight pre-start, with Tiller gaining a penalty for not keeping clear in a luffing situation.

However, with an extremely strong incoming tide, Tiller was first off the start line, forcing Junior to tack away into tide, causing a big split at the top mark, where Tiller had a comfortable lead. He held that lead all the way to the finish, completing his penalty just before the finish line with time to spare. Obviously an upset for the young Wellington team, they came back fighting in the second race, dominating the start and sailing straight to the sea wall (where there was minimal tide).

The third race saw some more smooth pre-start action from Junior, and he took the race. The fourth race came right down to the wire, Tiller leaving the start line with two penalties, one for tacking in Juniors water. Having to take one turn immediately, Junior took a lead from the start. However the upwind beat brought the boats neck and neck at the top mark, Tiller just edging in front. He had just enough of a lead to do his penalty before the finish line, where a nail biting finish saw both boats cross a split second apart.

With Tiller taking the race, it was all down to the last one. After a good start in the 5th race, Junior was able to get to the side he wanted, and get an advantage by being out of tide to lead at the top mark, win the race and the regatta.

So after sailing the maximum of five races, the winner was finally decided, Junior taking his victory swim coming back into the marina. You couldn’t have asked for more fierce competition from the RNZYS team however, William Tiller also happy with his performance on the water today. 'It was tough – pretty much whoever won the right hand side and got to the wall first won the race. We feel that we’ve really improved throughout the regatta, after having only three wins from the first round robin, we did pretty well to get to the final'. Tiller said at the end of today’s racing.

The petit finals also saw some close racing between Lucinda Whitty and Adrian Short, the first pre-start saw Adrian starting with a penalty, which he carried for the first upwind leg. However, by getting out of tide Adrian was able to cross just in front at the top mark, and extend to complete his penalty on the finish line. After forcing Lucinda over the start line in the second race, he lead around the course and finished with a comfortable margin, ending up 3rd overall.

With first, second and third places going to the New Zealand teams, we may have left the Aussies a little stumped. However, a fantastic effort from all competitors made for a great regatta. As the event ends, sailors are now friends more than competitors, as they now sit in the RNZYS Clubrooms enjoying the time to relax!

FINAL RESULTS - Sunday 15 February

Petit finals:
Adrian Short (RNZYS) beat Lucinda Whitty (RSYS) 2-0

Main Final:
Josh Junior (RPNYC) beat William Tiller (RNZYS) 3-2

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron

Vendée Globe: Valentine’s Day Vendée Globe triumph for British female sailor Sam Davies as Roxy crosses the finish line in third place

Three images (above) of Sam Davies and Roxy arriving in Les Sables d'Olonne at the end of the Vendée Globe. All images copyright Jacques Vapillon/DPPI/Vendée Globe.

by Justine Ozoux

· Sam posts second quickest time ever for a female Vendée Globe sailor after 95 days, 4 hours and 39 minutes at sea (official time after 32 hours redress)
· Roxy covered 27,470 miles to complete the gruelling circumnavigation of the globe
· Sam Davies finishes third on the water, first Briton and first female competitor home
· Leading British sailor ecstatic as she is welcomed home by thousands of fans
· Roxy one of just 11 boats from an original fleet of 30 to finish the race

Today at 00:41 (GMT), leading British female sailor Sam Davies onboard Roxy completed her first solo, non-stop round the world Vendée Globe race in an incredible time of just over 95 days. Sam posted the second fastest time ever for a female Vendée Globe skipper, narrowly missing out on Ellen MacArthur’s record of 94 days and 4 hours after becoming stranded in light winds during the final days of the race. Sam’s bright pink Open 60 yacht Roxy covered an incredible 27,470 miles during the three month race at the average speed of 12.02 knots.


Sam Davies on shore. Image copyright Mark Lloyd/DPPI/Vendée Globe.

Upon completing the race, Sam commented “I am absolutely ecstatic to have finished the toughest adventure of my life! The emotion of three months alone at sea with my beautiful Roxy yacht has started to pour out as I am overwhelmed by the amounts of people who have come out to see the end of our epic voyage in the middle of the night. I am delighted to see my cheri Romain and gave him a BIG Valentine’s Day kiss!”

Sam has battled for three months over a course that has taken her down the Atlantic Ocean, past the Cape of Good Hope, around the iceberg-strewn Southern Oceans to the fearsome Cape Horn, and ultimately onto the final Atlantic sprint home.

Originally hoping for a top ten finish, Sam has far surpassed all pre-race expectations and has been embraced by the international media as a formidable and extremely enthusiastic competitor. One leading national newspaper summed up perfectly the phenomenon that is la petite anglaise as she has become affectionately nicknamed in France by commenting, “Sam has taken the race by the throat, the public by storm, and is as fresh and cheerful at the finish as she was at the start on 9th November 2008”.


Sam is congratulated by the crowd. Image copyright Jean Marie Liot/DPPI/Vendée Globe.

Sam’s mettle was tested as early as November as she launched Roxy into the Bay of Biscay. In an example of what was to come, Roxy was swamped by massive gusts and waves in a storm that saw several of her rivals fall at the first hurdle. This baptism of fire was, however, only the first of a number of challenges that Sam would face in pursuit of solo sailing’s ultimate prize.

Ever-changing weather conditions down through the Atlantic and into the Southern Ocean meant that every day Sam faced numerous changes between her enormous spinnaker (nicknamed Sophie), gennaker (Genevieve) and smaller Solent. These demanding sail changes left Sam physically and mentally exhausted but were vital in the three month long battle to secure the best possible finish for herself, her boat and her team: “I am so proud of this achievement not only for myself, but also for my fantastic Roxy support team. I could not have done this race without them and I’m looking forward to celebrating with everybody who came to see me!”

In December, Sam was at hand to assist in the dramatic Mercy Mission rescue of fellow Vendée skipper and friend, Yann Eliès. Roxy raced to the Frenchman’s aid after he suffered a horrific broken leg while alone onboard his yacht in the depths of the Southern Ocean, and offered morale boosting psychological aid as lay stranded, awaiting rescue.

Less than three weeks later, Sam was rocked by the plight of another French Vendée skipper, Jean Le Cam, who became trapped under his boat after losing his keel. These two dramatic events, along with numerous other irreparable damages to other boats, went a long way in reinforcing the Vendée Globe’s reputation as a boat-breaker. Indeed, only 11 from an original fleet of 30 boats have, or are scheduled to finish the race.

The rounding of the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn were big personal milestones for Sam as they signalled the beginning and the end of the mighty Southern Ocean. Life onboard an Open 60 is anything but relaxing, especially when faced with waves of up to 50 foot, raging storms and little sunlight. However, Sam persevered over the weather conditions and even the breaking of her favourite tea cup to enter the final stages of the race locked in battle for third place with French skipper Marc Guillemot.


Sam celebrates with the crowd, as she tries to spray champagne high up over Roxy. Image copyright Jean Marie Liot/DPPI/Vendée Globe.

Having overtaken Safran, one of the original race favourites, in December, Roxy built a good lead that subsequently vanished as she became stuck in no wind for nearly a week. It looked as if the lead was to be lost until Safran tragically lost her keel, forcing Guillemot to attempt to finish the race with a severely damaged boat. Due to the 82 hour redress given to Guillemot after diverting his course in the rescue of Yann Elies, Sam must now hope that 50 hours or more elapse between Roxy’s final race time and Safran’s final race time, to ensure she retains third place.

Sam is ecstatic at the completion of her first Vendee Globe finish. She will now stay in Les Sables d’Olonne to see her fellow competitors finish the race, and attempt to come to terms with the remarkable feat of seamanship that she has achieved. Sam’s perseverance and dogged tenacity have led her to an outcome that few although not Sam herself would have thought possible: “Third place on the water, first Briton and first female skipper! Not bad for a little lady on a bright pink boat! The Southern Ocean was the key Roxy has been around twice before so I knew that if we could come out of there in one piece, we could take on anyone up the home straight.”

It is exactly this honest, determined attitude that have delighted Sam’s supporters all over the world throughout the race and written a new chapter in the history of female British sailors. On the water, this result marks the end of an incredible journey for la petite Anglaise and her bright pink steed. However, Sam has also cemented her place at the top table of global yacht racing and is now certain to considered one to watch if she makes it to the start line of the next Vendée Globe in 2012: “I am sure I will start to get itchy feet very soon; my next dream is to be here in four year’s time, with a new boat and to do better than this year the pressure is on!”


Sam Davies' entry into Les Sables d'Olonne with Roxy. Image copyright Mark Lloyd/DPPI/Vendée Globe.

SAM DAVIES VENDEE GLOBE 2008/2009 facts:
3 to 5 litres of water per day, coming from a water maker
1 Christmas
1 New Year
Between 0 to 60 knots of wind
30 sea water showers
100 dolphins seen
1 fainting incident
Climbed Roxy mast twice
Saw land once in 95 days (between Cape Horn and the Falkland Islands)
1st ever solo rounding of Cape Horn
50 videos sent from Roxy via satellite phone
250 photos sent from Roxy via satellite phone

ONBOARD ROXY for the 2008/2009 Vendee Globe
In total at the start of the Vendee Globe: 500 kg of material including 117 of food and 50 of clothing
7 cameras
1.5 km of ropes
9 sails
3 pairs of sunglasses
1 ski mask
100 freeze-dried food portions
270 teabags
14 books (read 10)
10 Dvds (watched 3)
1 chocolate bar per day (total of 100 + eaten)

Roxy

Vendée Globe

VOR: Odyssey Continues for Ericsson Racing Team's Nordic Crew

Ericsson 3's new cut-out livery! Image copyright Oskar Kihlborg/Ericsson Racing Team.

by Victoria Low

Ericsson Racing Team's Nordic crew finished Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race a couple of weeks late and started Leg 5 a few hours late, but that hasn't diminished skipper Magnus Olsson's ebullience.


Ericsson 3 arrives in Qingdao. Image copyright Oskar Kihlborg/Ericsson Racing Team.

"They saw us," Olsson said, referring to the three boats that took the scheduled start of Leg 5 at 1300 local (0500 GMT). "And I saw they were sheeting on the sails because they're afraid we're going to catch up. I saw how they tried to go faster when they saw us."

Ericsson 3 started Leg 5 at 1950 local, but having achieved its primary goal of finishing Leg 4. Ericsson 3 crossed the finish line at 1801 to collect the 4 points available for placing fifth. Ericsson 3 has 28 points overall, and trails fourth-placed Green Dragon by 2 points.

The finish completed an odyssey that started on Jan. 27 when the bow forward of the watertight bulkhead was found flooded. Later inspection revealed damage to the outer carbon-fiber skin, as well as delamination of both inner and outer skins.

Ericsson 3 spent two weeks in Taiwan making repairs, and when it arrived in Qingdao it had new graphics on the blue hull and orange bow: a white, dashed line around the new piece of hull with scissors mocking the cut out.

Instead of the celebratory bottle of champagne for finishing a leg, the crew made a beeline for the dock where new sails, a spare fuel tank, extra fuel, a slew of food bags, extra clothing and extra sailors waited. After less than two hours, the crew pushed off to join Leg 5, 12,300 nautical miles to Brazil.

"I feel very confident with the boat. The boatbuilders are fantastic," Olsson said. "I never felt, even though it was a rush, I never felt they'd rush and send us out if they weren't happy. There was one day a few things went wrong so they had to redo that. They said it was only 90 percent good and wanted it 100 percent. We were six hours delayed perhaps, but it doesn't matter."


The shore crew get Ericsson 3 ready for departure in Qingdao. Image copyright Oskar Kihlborg/Ericsson Racing Team.

The Nordic crew's deficit to the fleet was minimized because of the light winds the three boats battled for most of the afternoon. But the Nordics still had to complete the 5-nautical-mile circuit along Qingdao's headlands and beaches before heading out to open sea. And, much to their chagrin, the wind had died away again to 6 knots or less.

That didn't seem to matter to Magnus and the Nordics, who were happier with their finish than Jason and the Argonauts when they discovered the Golden Fleece.

"I think I've done 40 legs in the Whitbread/Volvo and I've never abandoned one. I've always finished. And this feels like the best finish I've ever made," Olsson said dockside.

"We are fifth and pick up 4 points, and the reason is our fantastic boatbuilders and shore team," Olsson continued. "They never gave up when it was very hopeless. They were battling on and wanted us to finish in time for the next start. We almost made it. It feels bonus to be here. I'm so happy to be here."


A jubilant Magnus Olsson. Image copyright Oskar Kihlborg/Ericsson Racing Team.

ERICSSON 3 CREW LIST, LEG 5
Skipper: Magnus Olsson
Navigator: Aksel Magdahl
Watch Captains: Thomas Johanson, Olsson
Helmsman: Eivind Melleby
Trimmer/Helmsman: Aarve Rooas
Trimmers: Martin Stromberg, Magnus Woxen
Pitman: Jens Dolmer
Mastman: Anders Dahlsjo
Bowman: Martin Krite
Media crewman: Gustav Morin

Ericsson Racing Team

Volvo Ocean Race

VOR: Tenacity Beyond Doubt: Ericsson 3 Scores Well-Earned Points, Re-Stocks in Qingdao and Starts Leg 5

Ericsson 3 skippered by Magnus Olsson (SWE), finishes Leg 4 on start Day for Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Qingdao, China, to Rio De Janeiro. At over 12,000 miles, Leg 5 is the longest leg ever attempted in the history of the race. Image copyright Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race.

by Volvo Ocean Race media

Magnus Olsson/SWE and his crew racing Ericsson 3 were simply not going to give away points. Retiring after their boat was seriously damaged in the crossing between Luzon Island in the Philippines and the northern tip of Taiwan, was not an option for this team, whose tenacity is beyond doubt. Four points for finishing in fifth place were on offer, and they belonged to Ericsson 3.

“I think I’ve done 40 legs in the Whitbread / Volvo and I have never abandoned a leg,” said skipper Magnus Olsson. “I have always finished and this feels like the best finish I have ever made. And the reason is our fantastic boat builders and shore team. They never gave up even when it looked hopeless. They battled on and wanted us to finish in time for the next start and we almost made it.”

The original incident where the boat was damaged was a terrifying experience for the crew who, on day 10 of Volvo Ocean Race leg four from Singapore to Qingdao in China, discovered the bow compartment of their boat was full of water and found a four-metre crack and an open hole in the hull. As soon as the boat started leaking, Olsson turned the bow back towards Taiwan where he steered for shelter and the sanctity of a boat yard that could make assess the damage.

The damage was serious. A boat yard was found which could make the repairs but it required a painful 20-hour trip with a tugboat precariously towing a rusty barge loaded with Ericsson 3. Boat builders were flown in from all corners of the globe, a new piece of bow section was built in Italy and flown to the new yard and suddenly the impossible looked possible.

“We have really worked like maniacs,” said 59-year old skipper Magnus Olsson, the oldest skipper in the race. “The boat builders and sailors have fought around the clock and now we’re back on track. I really want to give all the guys credit for a fantastic job.”

On 11 February, the team returned to the spot where they suspended racing and restarted leg four at 23:44 GMT. They arrived in Qingdao at 10:01 GMT or 18:01 local time.

But there was no time for big celebrations for this team. No rest or relaxation, no prize giving to attend and no in-port race to take part, when they arrived in China. Instead, the team was greeted by jubilant friends and family dockside and an eager shore crew ready to get started. There was a serious race against time to get the boat loaded with provisions, a new main sail and equipment for the longest leg of the race. It only took the well organised team just over an hour to get back off the dock again.

At 19:50 local time, (11:50 GMT) Ericsson 3 crossed the start line of leg five, nearly seven hours after PUMA, Ericsson 4, and Green Dragon. It will be another 12,300 nautical miles for this crew until they can relax.

Meanwhile, Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED), which suffered damage earlier today, just minutes before the start of leg five, has been hauled out of the water. A crack has appeared in the keel and the keel bulb has been damaged.

“That crack shouldn’t have been there, said Bouwe Bekking. “We have to do it the proper way. We have to be 100 per cent sure. A structural problem would be a major and then it’s a drama. I don’t even want to think about that.”

Leg Four Finishing Order Qingdao
Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 8 points
PUMA (Ken Read/USA) 7 points
Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael) 6 points
Green Dragon (Ian Walker) 5 points
Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson) 4 points
Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNF: 2 points
Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP)DNF: 2 points
Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

Overall Leaderboard at the end of Leg 4, including Qingdao in-port race
Ericsson 4: 49 points
Telefónica Blue: 42 points
PUMA: 41 points
Green Dragon: 30 points
Ericsson 3: 28 points
Telefónica Black 21 points
Delta Lloyd: 12 points
Team Russia:10.5 points

Volvo Ocean Race