Saturday 27 June 2009

VOR: TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG TEN DAY 2 QFB: received 26.06.09 0812GMT

by Bouwe Bekking (skipper)

The left side of the track has been paying off hugely, more wind pressure and also the wind coming more from the left. We were hung out to dry early this morning together with Ericsson 4, we had no pressure and the three boats pipped inside us.

Still close, so it will be intense. The black boat has done extremely well, I reckon she is he quickest in the fleet in this conditions. From day one, we have been struggling to match her on the beat. Anyway would be nice if they can get a podium place on a leg, they deserve it - (but better behind us) we have been hiking (crew on the rail) since the start, to squeeze every millimetre out of the boat. Hopefully we will get some tight reaching in, as we know we are quick in that stuff.

Saw many spectator boats from Finland this morning, and an "old" Whitbread veteran and friend, Marcus Mustelin was among them. Once you have done this race once, you just can't let it go.

140 miles to go, maybe they are going to lengthen the course, which will be good for us, as we are in fourth place, so more miles means better odds to catch up.

Anyway, in less than a day this race is history, amazing the days have gone by so quickly. The boat is not even a year old, and we will have just over 47.000 miles on the clock, including the training days, when we arrive in St.Petersburg!

Volvo Ocean Race

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