Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race
Sat 4 October 2008 12:00:00
Overall points (after two races):
1 Telefonica Blue 4pts;
2 Telefonica Black 3.5;
3 PUMA 3;
4 Ericsson 4 2.5;
5 Green Dragon 2;
6 Delta Lloyd 1;
7 Ericsson 3 0.5*
*Deducted 1 penalty point.(see story)
Second Race Finish: 1, Telefonica Blue; 2, PUMA; 3, Telefonica Black; 4, Ericsson 4; 5, Ericsson 3; 6, Green Dragon; 7, Delta Lloyd; 8, Team Russia.
Just 11 seconds seperate Torben Grael's Ericsson 4 from the Black boat while at the tail of the field Delta Lloyd just edge out Team Russia.
Telefonica Blue grab the spoils. A double first for the Blue boys. PUMA take second and Telefonica claim the final podium place.
Telefonica Blue continue to gain on PUMA on the downwind run for home.
Mark 3: 1 PUMA 43:41; 2, Telefonica Blue +14; 3, Telefonica Black +1:45; 4, Ericsson 4 +30; 5, Green Dragon +2:29; 6, Ericsson 3 +8; 7, Delta Lloyd +1:51; 8, Team Russia +9.
Unlike PUMA, Green Dragon struggle with their Code Zero and allow Ericsson 4 to close the gap.
Telefonica Blue make gains on PUMA as they head to the top mark for the second time. Fourteen seconds is the cushion - down from 46.
Mark 2: 1, PUMA 27:29; 2, Telefonica Blue +46; 3, Telefonica Black +1:03; 4 Ericsson 4 +40; 5, Green Dragon +1:19; 6, Ericsson 3 +25; 7, Delta Lloyd +1:00; 8, Team Russia +28.
PUMA go through the gate and reach for the heavy artillery with their Code Zero once again at the bottom mark.
At the downwind gate, its PUMA from Telefonica Blue with the Black boat looking to slide inside.
Mark 1: 1, PUMA 13:56; 2, Telefonica Blue +44; 3, Telefonica Black +1:09; 4, Ericsson 4 +42; 5, Green Dragon +59; 6, Ericsson 3 +1:20; 7, Delta Lloyd +12; 8, Team Russia +53.
PUMA meanwhile is smoking up the left side of the course at the head of the fleet. Green Dragon also looks strong.
A comfortable lead. Telefonica Blue has just crossed ahead of Green Dragon and Telefonica Black is in fourth.
PUMA on starboard leads from Telefonica Blue, then Black while Delta Lloyd and Green Dragon squabble over fourth.
PUMA's Code Zero working a treat in a battle at the head of the fleet with the Telefonica twins and Green Dragon.
Delta Lloyd and Team Russia are holed below the water line. The Russians hit the committee boat after the collision with Delta Lloyd.
PUMA make good their escape along with the Telefonica boats on the left.
Race Two Start: 15:30: Pressure down at the gun. Pin end favoured. Mayhem all round at the committee end. Team Russia and Delta lloyd collide and the committee boat also takes a hit. Ericsson 3 and 4 bail out.
PUMA go with the Code Zero again.
5 minutes to go.
10 minute gun.
Four minutes to the new 10 minute gun. New start time of 15:30 local or 13:30 GMT.
Race course is shifted to about 120 degrees.
Wait and see for the race committee while the wind plays its tricks. We have about seven knots, similar conditions to the first race.
Postponement: After an ugly shift to the right just before the off:
PUMA opt for the Code Zero for the second race.
10 minute gun. Course 140.
14:45:Welcome back to the build-up to race two in Alicante.
Join us for race two at 14:45 local and 12:45 GMT.
So a thrilling home-town result with Bouwe Bekking's boys on Blue leading home their Spanish stablemates on Telefonica Black.
A strong showing from Green Dragon, a battle royal between the Ericsson pair, PUMA and Team Russia locked horns at the tail of the fleet while it is safe to say that Delta Lloyd is still playing catch-up.
Race One Finish: 1, Telefonica Blue 52:46; 2, Telefonica Black +1:46; 3, Green Dragon +1:06; 4, Ericsson 4 +1:08; 5, Ericsson 3 +48; 6, PUMA +52; 7, Team Russia +1:34; 8, Delta Lloyd +9:25.
Mark 3: Telefonica Blue rounds in 41min 35secs. 1, Telefonca Blue; 2, Telefonica Black +18; 3, Ericsson 4 +8; 4, Green Dragon +17; 5, Ericsson 3 +1:12; 6, PUMA +1:05; 7, Team Russia +2:11; Delta Lloyd +
Mark 2: Telefonca Blue rounds first in 28min 33secs. 1, Telefonica Blue; 2, Green Dragon +09; 3, Telefonica Black +34; 4, Ericsson 4 +36; 5, PUMA +17; 6, Team Russia +34; 7, Ericsson 3 +57; 8, Delta Lloyd +5:50.
Approaching the gate for the second time conditions are still tricky.
13:35: Mark 1: Telefonca Black rounds first in 15 minutes 16 secs. 1, Telefonica Blue; 2, Green Dragon +31; 3, Telefonica Black +24; 4, Ericsson 4 +28; 5, PUMA +13; 6, Team Russia +1:06; 7, Ericsson 3 +20; 8, Delta Lloyd +2:08.
Telefonica Blue stretching their lead as they make for the lay line at the top mark. Green Dragon make gains. Torben Grael on Ericsson 4 mounts a comeback on the left ahead of PUMA.
Conditions still flukey as they heading for the gate. Telefonica Blue lead the way from Green Dragon, Team Russia and PUMA.
Big right shift favours Team Russia. The two Ericsson boats, PUMA and Delta Lloyd are falling behind.
13:20: Race One start: Ian Walker's Green Dragon leads them out of the traps and have the jump on PUMA. Telefonica Blue and Black show impressive speed and making early gains.
One minute, fleet converging.
Five minutes to go. Telefonica Black struggling with their jib.
10 minute gun sounds. Wind direction of 150.
South-easterly forecast we were expecting is ringing true. Code Zeros are being swapped for headsails.
Warning signal is planned for 13:10
12:47: Postponement confirmed.
12:45: A scheduled 15 minutes to the start here in Alicante. But we are just hearing from the frace track that there will may be a slight delay. A "flakey sea breeze", according to our commentator Mark Chisnell, is to blame.
Celebrity watch: Mary Robinson, the former Irish president, was hanging out with the Ericsson Racing Team before their departure. No doubt she also found time to talk tactics and press the flesh with the Irish contingent on Green Dragon and Delta Lloyd.
Shirley Robertson, British Olympic champion has joined Andreas Hanakamp on Team Russia's Kosatka.
Crown Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, also the race patron, is one of the guests on board Anders Leander's Ericsson 3, Francisco Camps, Regional President of Valencia is on Telefonica Black. Not to be confused with Pedro Campos, the syndicate boss, who is at the helm today.
Alongside Bouwe Bekking on Telefonica Blue is Pedro Sardina, or Peter Fish to those of us who know and love him dearly, the sailing doyen of ABC, the biggest-selling Spanish daily.
Team Song Contest: Our resident musical expert and online commentator, Mark Chisnell reckons Telefonica Black won the battle of the sounds with a stirring re-mix of 60s classic Black is Black by Los Bravos. U2's Elevation (Green Dragon) and All Around the World by Oasis (Team Russia) were tied for second. A variation on a theme was the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Around the World (Telefonica Blue). Special mention goes to PUMA for Shipping to Boston by Drop Kick Murphys.
12:10 Weather watch: So what's in store for the fleet today weather-wise?
Here's what race weather expert Jennifer Lilly has to say on the matter that really matters - the wind ... "High pressure will continue to move east today, with a decreasing Northerly pressure gradient in the course area. As the high moves east the winds will veer right from Northerly to South-Easterly.
"Most likely the winds will stay around 10 knots all day, but you could see a midday lull with the afternoon sea breeze building.
"The stronger the morning winds, the slower the breeze will trend right. The weaker the morning winds and the more sun you have the more the sea breeze will build.
"Overall look for Easterly winds around 6-10 knots midday, possibly increasing to South-South Easterly 7-10 knots with a late afternoon sea breeze.
"The maximum gusts of the day will be around 12 knots."
12:00 Pre-race update: One hour to the start of the first in-port race here in Alicante. The dockside crowds who farewelled the fleet during the dock-out ceremony, have now made their way to vantage points on the pavilion baclonies or have clambered aboard the flotilla of hospitality boats on the race track.
The big news of the day is that Team Delta Lloyd, after a marathon effort by the shore crew over the past 24 hours will start the race. In fact they got the measurement certificate, at 7:00am local time. So, a green light for gentleman Ger O'Rourke's boat, the former ABN AMRO ONE, means that the full set of eight boats will face the starter in Alicante Bay.
Ger O’Rourke: "I managed to get the crew to bed about 1.00am this morning, but the boat builders were working going through the night. We got our certificate at 7am – talk about lastminute.com!"
"The guys are knackered but what’s the point in doing this race if you’re not doing it all? We’re not going in half-hearted, if we have to work through the night we’ll work through the night.
"The comms aerial at the back was 20mm too short so we extended it. That was the last thing, and now we can go for a race."