Photos: L ©Oskar Kihlborg R © Oskar Kihlborg

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Sat, 10 Jun 2006 08:02:48 UTC

To see Torben Grael beaming a contented smile, let alone one from the winning boat, was a surprise in itself, but this light wind leg was one of surprises for each of the three podium dwellers, who finished within 26 minutes of each other in the early hours of this morning.

For Brasil 1, a team loved around the dock, beset by bad luck in previous legs, but a consistently solid performer, they were able to hold off the imperious challenge of ABN AMRO ONE in growing breeze and claim their first win of the event.

Finishing three minutes later, ABN AMRO ONE was happy to surprise the critics continuously failing to accept their all-conquering performances as little more than the spoils worthy of a naturally faster yacht.

While Ericsson, bottom of the leaderboard in Brazil, was disappointed that top step of the podium, a place which for half the leg was theirs, was lost on the last night of eight and they had to settle for third.

Even the wind, normally a pounding presence day in and day out along the British coast, didn’t turn up. The later stages of the 1,500 mile trip from Portsmouth saw some gusts nearing the 20 knot mark, but the measly eight knots caressing the sails for the majority of that time was not expected.

Now an even bigger surprise could be on the horizon, with the battle between the Pirates of the Caribbean and Brasil 1 for second overall considerably closer than many thought possible after Grael’s team was dismasted on leg two.

Whether the remaining In Port race and final leg offer enough opportunities for the team to overcome a 4.5 points deficit is yet to be seen, and it is a long shot, but for Grael to be in a position where it is possible is all that matters.

“After the second leg it was difficult to come back,” the five time Olympic medallist said. “It took a lot of determination and patience and I think it paid off. We are going up the ladder and have a chance at second place. It will be hard, Pirates are a very good team, but that we have that chance is good.”

Stu Wilson hinted at the role Brunel could play in making dreams of second a reality in tomorrow’s rescheduled In Port race. If the Australian boats with the Dutch sponsor find themselves between Brasil 1 and Pirates, the points difference could be critical. He said, “I'd like to be second on the podium. I think that is still do-able. I think a good In Port race and good last leg and it is do-able. I am hoping maybe our Australian friends can help us out there!"

The battle for fourth has also been rejuvenated with Ericsson’s resurgence. If ABN AMRO TWO finish this leg in the position they currently occupy - last - then just half a point will separate skipper Neal McDonald, currently fifth, from a position which seemed impossible just two months ago.

“To be where we are now is great, thinking about where we were,” he said. Tim Powell, his helmsman, added, “We’ve had a good last two legs; shame it didn’t come earlier.”

But Ericsson still had a lot to rue once they arrived on the dock. Powell went on to explain how the team watched the lead disappear on the last night due a poor decision to break away from their two rivals.

“We were first for the majority of this leg and we should have won it, so for me personally this is disappointing. Last night we made the wrong decision, that was the make or break point and we went the wrong way. We split tacks with the other two boats. But it was a really fun leg; just the end was disappointing.”

At times it seemed the fleet, stuck in light airs, would never finish. Marcel van Triest, Brasil 1’s navigator, pointed to a particularly tricky light air start. “Just getting out of the Solent in itself is a nightmare in these boats.

“Traditionally, going around Britain is usually windy, miserable and wet. This was light airs and sunny.”

For anyone tracking Stan Honey’s correct to incorrect decision ratio, ABN AMRO ONE ironically made the best move in the patch of lightest winds which made the normally short dash to Fastnet Rock stretch to three days. The team, at this point last, approached a high pressure system eight miles off the pace, and emerged just three miles back. Mark Christensen explained, “When we crossed the Irish Sea going over to Fastnet Rock, we were six or eight miles behind the Farr boats, with a 70 mile light air beat to go. By the end of it there was a pretty big chance we’d be 20 miles behind. There was a weather gate there, a high, and they shouldn’t have got out, but they did and we ended up three miles behind. Stan kept us away from the centre of the high and we were able to close it up.”

His skipper, Mike Sanderson, added, “Stan’s a legend. He does all his homework. Up in the north of Scotland the course got diverted, but Stan had this huge literature of the tides for the new route. A genius.”

But no one felt too clever heading up the Irish coast. Non existent winds reduced the fleet’s charge to a crawl, with Brasil 1 and Ericsson alternating the lead and ABN AMRO ONE making the occasional cameo appearance at the front. Sanderson, however, was up against it. Dave Endean explained, “It was a leg for the Farr boats.”

Grael concurred, “We were probably a bit lucky in that the conditions were ideal for our boat.”

The fleet headed north to Scotland, but still no breeze; in fact anchors were constantly on standby as the boats threatened to drift in the wrong direction. Honey said, “It was spectacular weather. I don't think we saw a wave bigger than 18 inches all the way round. I think the only time we got water on the deck was on the way in tonight, a few drips. It was astonishingly light airs, a flat water leg. I wouldn't have imagined in spring time conditions like that going round Britain and Ireland. And to go round places with names like Hell Rock and Cape Wrath with six inch ripples in four to six knots of wind is just amazing. And beautiful scenery which I kept saying to myself I have to come back here to see this."

It was at the northernmost point of the course, just as the fleet began its descent towards Holland, that the top three pulled away. Mike Sanderson, coining the rich get richer cliché, explained, “The problem with light airs is ten metres can turn into 100 metres which can turn into a mile and ten miles and 100 miles.”

Here on in was a dogfight, the top three pulling away, but swapping places on an hourly basis. “We had a great, great battle all the way home,” Grael explained. “We overtook them all lots, they did the same to us.”

Sanderson recalled one such moment earlier in the race. “We went past them on day two, running downwind, and I don’t think they expected it. We came through tons quicker, then Torben comes on the VHF and says ‘hey Moose, do you mind giving us a tow, we have flat tires’.”

The race for the lead came down to the last night when Ericsson tacked away from the other two and fell from contention. Brasil 1 and ABN AMRO ONE raced in with 16 knots in the sails. “So tough, but we held out,” Marcello Ferreira said. Grael added, “We are delighted. Very happy. Good result for Brazil although they are more concerned with another competition at the moment!”

Sanderson had an equally big grin. “This proves again that this team is not about boat speed. That forecast was a nightmare for us and we have surprised a lot of people by coming in second just minutes after Brasil 1.”

Neal McDonald was happy, but as with much of their sailing campaign it was about what might have been. “We could have won it, so I’m disappointed with third. If someone had offered me this result eight days ago I would have taken it.

“It has been a surprising leg for all of us.”

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