A year ago, just days before Groupama 3 was to set sail on her second attempt to conquer the Jules Verne Trophy, Groupama announced its participation in the next two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race with Franck Cammas. 

“Our commitment to the Volvo Ocean Race until 2015 is an expression of our Group’s approach to development, which has been strongly internationalised over the past 3 years, explained Jean Azéma, managing director of Groupama. We’ve chosen this Round the World race to promote our image and thus write a new page in our shared history, for the wider benefit of Franck Cammas and Groupama. Given its longevity on the circuit, its human dimension and its international course, the Volvo Ocean Race is synonymous with Groupama’s values as a builder, humanist and something that is lasting.”

Since November 2009, the Groupama Sailing Team has continued to become stronger, to work on the design of the future Groupama 4 as well as sail aboard Groupama 70, winner of the last edition of the crewed Round the World with stopovers, which went by the name of Ericsson 4.

For his part, the Groupama skipper has successively won the Jules Verne Trophy and the Route du Rhum aboard Groupama 3. His has been a packed schedule, but one which didn’t prevent him from playing an active role in the selection of the crew, who will participate in the Volvo Ocean Race.

 The first to be named is Irish sailor Damian Foxall, who has already participated in three editions of the Volvo (2001, 2005 and 2008). At 41 years of age, this most French of Anglophones resides in Lorient. Winner of the Barcelona World Race with Jean-Pierre Dick, Damian is very enthusiastic: “From the outset, I was involved in selecting the crew alongside Franck. It was necessary to define the skills set we wanted to gather together. The greatest challenge is to work effectively as a team and to drive Groupama 4 at 100% of her potential at each of the nine stages, with very little time during the stopovers. In the nine months, the fatigue accumulates. At the end, you really feel like you’ve done a circumnavigation of the globe.”

Damian will take up the position of helmsman, trimmer and crew manager.

According to Franck Cammas: “When Damian is on a project, it is often the winning one. As such it’s better to have him with us rather than against us”.

At 31 years of age, the Australian Phil Harmer will participate in his third edition of the Volvo Ocean Race (2005 and 2008). Phil lives in the Hamble in the United Kingdom. “I’m really lucky to be in the Groupama Sailing Team. Since the call from Damian, who I sailed with on Green Dragon, I’ve had other offers, but I don’t want to leave. All the work that has gone into this is fantastic, both in technical and human terms. To date, no other team is in a position do better.”

Phil will take up the role of helmsman, trimmer, pitman and master sailmaker.

According to Franck: “Phil is a specialist in sails and manoeuvres. A very good trimmer, he’s also a master sailmaker, which is an essential skill to have in the crew.”

Swede Magnus Woxen is preparing for his fifth Volvo (1997, 2001, 2005 and 2008). Aged 39 and living in Stockholm, “Baggy” as he is commonly known, doesn’t lack humour: “It may be because Damian found my French to be “très bien” that he contacted me. Groupama draws its strength from over ten years’ experience. Of course competing in the Volvo is something new for them. I’m bringing them the experience I’ve gained from my four successive Volvos. It’s a fusion of skills.”

Magnus will take up the position of helmsman, trimmer and mast consultant.

According to Franck: “Magnus is a Volvo Ocean Race specialist. He really has a good command of what we know least about the Volvo Ocean Race. Any discussions and negotiations with him are interesting as he really has a fresh way of looking at things. That’s what gives this crew its charm and richness”.

The first Frenchman to be selected by Franck, Jean-Luc Nélias is an old acquaintance as they competed together in a double-handed transatlantic aboard a Figaro. A native of Finistère this 48 year old has taken up the position of navigator on numerous boats but solely on one leg of the last edition of the Volvo, aboard Green Dragon: “It’s a race which has had a lot of bearing on my life but was hard to access as there weren’t many French sailors doing it. I’d applied to Anglo-Saxon teams several times, but never with any success. Franck very quickly invited me to join the Groupama Sailing Team in Lorient. It’s a lot of work but also a great pleasure.”

Jean-Luc will take up the position of navigator.

According to Franck: “Jean-Luc Nélias had never raced in the Volvo but, like me, he’d dreamed of doing it. We’ve just won the Route du Rhum, with him as router, so it augurs well”.

At 36, Charles Caudrelier is an old friend of Franck’s. Winner of the Solitaire du Figaro and the Transat Jacques Vabre with Marc Guillemot, he’s well aware of the new challenge which awaits him: “I wouldn’t have sailed with any old team because, to my mind, the Volvo is very difficult on a human level. All alone on a boat going around the world is something that fascinates people, but you only have to take care of yourself in that situation. When there are eleven people going around the world and it lasts a year, it’s very hard”.

Charles will take up the position of helmsman, trimmer, navigator and person in charge of performance.

According to Franck: “I’ve known Charles for a very long time; we even lived in the same house for two years! He’s someone who performs extremely well, as was proven in his victory in the Figaro and he is very involved in our project”.

The only French sailor to have participated in the Volvo Ocean Race since Eric Tabarly in 1993, Sébastien Josse is just 35 years of age. Based in the Morbihan, Brittany, the former skipper of ABN AMRO 2 is plunging back into extreme sailing: “Since my early days in ocean racing, I’ve alternated between crewed races and solo races. It’s a cycle. The hardest thing in a Volvo remains living on top of one another. It’s a bit like living in a travelling caravan of old. For two years, you’re with the same people and a few kit bags in various hotels. 90% of our time is devoted to racing and the team while the rest is kind of on hold”.

Sébastien will take up the position of helmsman, trimmer and head of on-board systems.

According to Franck: “Sébastien Josse is one of the rare Frenchmen to have skippered one of the Volvo Ocean Race boats recently. We’re really lucky to have him in the Groupama Sailing Team”.

Triple winner of the Mini Fastnet, Yann Riou will take up a special position aboard Groupama 4. At 36, this electronics and computer buff will be a Media Crew Member: “The role of Media Man essentially consists of taking video images, making a selection of shots and an initial edit and sending it to the organisation and the communication team so the images can be broadcast. Several minor tasks come on top of that: preparation of the food – as the boat’s official cook, and the small domestic chores – as an extreme cleaning operative”.

As such Yann won’t be allowed to touch a single sheet or a single sail.

According to Franck: “It was necessary to have a very good sailor in the role of media man as you have to be familiar with living and working on this type of boat. Yann’s offshore sessions aboard the Groupama trimarans and in the Mini mean that he has the appropriate profile.”

At 51, Jacques Caraës is the most senior member of the crew. A holder of the Jules Verne Trophy aboard Groupama, he also competed in the Whitbread with Eric Tabarly in 1993. Right now he’s ready to pull on his foulies again: “Having once had the experience, I know that this race makes men physically and mentally exhausted. The teams who retain the same composition throughout the race programme are rare. The replacements bring good humour and freshness, as well as strengthening the harmony and solidarity within the Team. The Volvo boats have become so extreme that I don’t mind distancing myself from the foredeck. Racing is wearing for everyone, including the media man. It’ll be a welcome feature for there to be two of us supporting each other in this role”.

As such Jacques will replace Yann Riou.

According to Franck: “I know Jacques very well through having done several Jules Vernes with him, even though only one got all the way round. He’s someone who is extremely solid, who’s already done several round the worlds and who, added to that, is always pleasant on a boat.”

A special feature of this eleventh edition of the Volvo Ocean Race is that three crew must be under thirty years of age at the moment of the race start.

A Swede who’s just squeezed into the under-thirty category, Martin Krite is a professional navigator. As such, he participated in the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race aboard Ericsson 3. However, he is also a pastor: “Religion is important to me. I have a personal faith and that influences my everyday life, not solely when I’m at sea. However, I’m in the team as a sailor and not as a pastor. If one of the guys wishes to have a discussion with me about this, I’ll be happy to answer any questions they may have. However, I don’t want to impose my belief on them.”

Martin will be bowman and boat captain

According to Franck: “Martin never complains and is very tough. As a Swede, he’s not afraid of the cold or the sea spray. Pleasant, always positive, hard-working and courageous, he forms part of the crew of under-thirty year olds who have experience in this domain”.

It’s rare to see a boat competing in the Volvo Ocean Race which doesn’t have any New Zealanders aboard. The Groupama Sailing Team is no exception to the rule with the arrival of Brad Marsh, aged 27. A member of Ericsson’s shore crew and a sailor aboard the Class America Team New Zealand during the Louis Vuitton Cup, he’s very determined: “I was very enthusiastic at the idea of discovering the French aspect of ocean racing as well as the French culture. The way a project is managed is so different. The French concentrate a great deal on the detail; they’re extremely focused. It’s very interesting to be able to witness it from the inside and to learn alongside people like Franck Cammas.”

Brad will be a bowman and in charge of the rigging.

According to Franck: “Brad has recently arrived in the team. He was a member of Ericsson 3′s shore crew so he hasn’t sailed in the race. However, he’s an enthusiastic sailor who will work in a complicated and at times dangerous position, where he’ll need courage. I think he has that.”

Martin Strömberg will be the third Swede on the boat. At 28, he’s already got one Volvo Ocean Race under his belt, aboard Ericsson 3: “We don’t speak French very well but we do speak English. One amusing thing is that when the three of us are together on deck, the others have christened it the “Ikea watch”. We have a real potential for victory, even though the team has never done the Volvo. Some of us have done it several times and there’s also Franck’s multihull experience. Ultimately, we’ve got a fair number of round the worlds on the clock between us. Frank is always there to get the boat and the crew performing at their very best. I find that very agreeable and stimulating”.

Martin will be a trimmer, pitman and sailmaker.

According to Franck: “Martin has a big build and that’s definitely something we need on the boat. He’s someone who is very calm and at the same time very rigorous, who does his job very well”.

Don’t go thinking that you have to be from outside France to have the necessary skills to race around the world at less than thirty years of age. The proof comes in the shape of Erwan Israël who will be competing in his first Volvo Ocean Race. A familiar face on the Figaro circuit, he’s now discovering the VOR 70: “The boats are powerful and constantly pushed to perform at 100%. We mustn’t let ourselves be overwhelmed by the big seas on deck. The sea trials are exhilarating. The participation of a French team will enable young French sailors to be trained up for the Volvo Ocean Race. I’m happy to be one of those.”

Erwan will be a trimmer and helmsman, as well as being in charge of the manoeuvres in the inshore races and also the safety.

According to Franck: “Erwan is an excellent racer. He’s young too and I hope he will race some of the legs. It’s our role to train them in the Volvo Ocean Race.”

Last but not least, Sébastien Marsset is a Mini specialist. Groupama 3′s technician, he’s the youngest member of the team at 25: “It’s a circumnavigation of the globe which in itself is not insignificant. It’s a competition with a compelling human story. Whether it is within the shore team or the sailing team, it’s going to be rich. What’s evident is that I have a lot to learn from the others. I have to try to absorb their experience. Ultimately I’m becoming fairly well integrated and haven’t had to endure any ragging. They say that I’m the sportiest amongst us, but I train like the others”.

Sébastien will be a trimmer, pitman and in charge of the deck hardware and safety.

According to Franck: “Seb came to us with a CV, which was a bit lacking in substance, but his attitude and motivation are excellent for the team. He started out working with the shore crew and during a few sea trials proved that he was motivated, along with performing increasingly well in the manoeuvres and boat management.”

Besides these twelve sailors, the Groupama skipper is relying on the heads of department to bring the Groupama group’s participation in the Volvo Ocean Race to a successful conclusion.

At 57, Luc Gellusseau is the first of them to join the Groupama Sailing Team. In charge of relations with the organisers and, in particular, the special race rules for the Volvo Ocean Race, he keeps an eye on each stage of the project – training, construction of Groupama 4, manufacture of the sails and constitution of the crew – to ensure that the decisions made conform to the race rules.

Watch leader aboard Telefonica during the last edition of the race, Laurent Pagès, 34 years of age, joined the Groupama Sailing Team back in August 2009 and is in charge of the sail programme: “The number of permitted sails has been reduced in relation to the 2008 edition. That means that you have to re-examine things from every angle in terms of strategy, development and design. There’s a whole in-depth study to be carried out with North Sails and our own team in order that we perform as well as possible on the start day, as well as throughout the nine months of racing”.

Loïc Dorez, head of the design office, Pierre Tissier, head of boat construction, Hervé Le Quilliec, in charge of logistics, Australian Ben Wright, head of the shore crew and finally Olivier Mainguy, in charge of the rigging, complete this team led by Stéphane Guilbaud, team manager, who has worked alongside Franck Cammas since 1997, the year when he won the Solitaire du Figaro: “The team has evolved in stages. There has been a steady succession of projects since 1998, which are increasingly ambitious every time. We’ve been lucky to be supported by Groupama, which is also forging ahead. Our aims are now international, which explains why a third of Groupama Sailing Team is from overseas. However, our basic rules have not changed and continue to revolve around humility, common sense and an ability to adapt. The team remains the most important value to be defended and Franck is a leader to us more than ever.”

Indeed Franck Cammas retains the determination and sporting ambition which have been his strength for what has already been a long period of time. After winning virtually all the possible races and records in a multihull (barring The Transat), the Groupama skipper explains this switch of direction: “To participate in the Volvo Ocean Race is a decision we’ve made together with Groupama, who has supported me for the past thirteen years. Together we’ve sought an event which can exert its influence over Groupama’s image internationally and enable us to progress and confront what I imagine to be the best in crewed ocean racing. We know that there’s a lot happening overseas and one way of progressing is to go and do battle with the best. That’s why we’re taking part.”
  

A few words about the Volvo Ocean Race
• 11th edition / 10 ports / 39,270 miles spanning 4 oceans
• First race in Alicante on 30th October 2011
• Start of the first leg between Alicante and Cape Town on 5th November 2011
• Last race in Galway on 7th July 2012
• French stopover in Lorient from 16th June to 1st July 2012
• 11 crew per boat including one media crew
• Ranking in points, 20% of which are awarded for the races during stopovers
• Groupama 4, first French boat to participate since Eric Tabarly, on La Poste, back in 1993.

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It was at 1126 hours BST on Sunday that Franck Cammas and his ten crew took victory in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland off the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. By covering the 1,802 miles in 5 days 21 hours and 26 minutes at an average speed of 12.74 knots, the French crew considerably improved on the best time over this course which had previously been in the hands of the British sailors Dee Cafari and Sam Davies since 2009. “Our arrival in the Isle of Wight was pretty magical. We powered along the island at over twenty knots under spinnaker before tacking against the current in the Solent. On crossing the finish line off the Squadron, the exhaustion swept over us. That’s how you build a team; it’s important” says Jean-Luc Nélias, navigator aboard Groupama 70.

As the winner of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland tied up to the dock in the port of Cowes, the bottle of champagne was passed around the whole crew. Very much in demand, Franck Cammas had to do a steady stream of telephone interviews and after his first confrontation against a Volvo Ocean Race specialist, the skipper of Groupama 70 was ready and waiting: “Our aim in this race was to see how the work this new team, on a new boat, has been doing over the past six months would measure up to a reference like Telefonica. The battle was great and very close-fought. We really battled hard. The confrontation was worth its weight in gold with the crew forced to sail under pressure for the first time since Groupama’s engagement in the Volvo. This victory has motivated the whole team to push themselves as hard as they can. As far as the record is concerned, it’s the icing on the cake” explains a happy Franck Cammas.

By taking 14 hours and 3 minutes less time than the previous Sevenstar RBI reference, Groupama 70 has confirmed the fast pace of these Volvo Ocean Race monohulls, which are capable of peak speeds in excess of 30 knots, as well as regularly sailing faster than the strength of the wind, like the multihulls that the skipper of Groupama is so familiar with.

However, the greatest satisfaction for the recent winner of the Jules Verne Trophy is a human one: “We have a new team. None of my crew come from the multihull and the three Groupama trimarans. It was necessary for me to become integrated. For that there’s nothing more valuable than a race to get to know each other well and gain trust. I’ve learnt more in six days of racing than in six months of training in Lorient during our day sails. This victory binds our crew for the future”.

Next up the crew will quickly have to head back out to sea to return to the base in Lorient: “We’ll have left before Telefonica arrives. We’re not being prudish, but our work schedule is a busy one and every minute counts until the start of the Volvo in November 2011. It would be a mistake to underestimate our rivals” concludes Jean-Luc Nélias.

- Time of passage over the finish line: 1126 hours BST
- Race time: 5 days 21 hours and 26 minutes
- Average speed over the 1,802 mile course: 12.74 knots
- Lead over the previous record: 14 hours and 3 minutes

Crew of Groupama 70
1. Franck Cammas, skipper
2. Jean-Luc Nélias, navigator
3. Laurent Pagès, watch leader
4. Magnus Woxen, watch leader
5. Charles Caudrelier, trimmer
6. Erwan Israël, trimmer, under 30 years of age
7. Martin Strömberg, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
8. Sébastien Marsset, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
9. Mike Pammenter, bowman, under 30 years of age
10. Martin Krite, bowman, under 30 years of age
11. Yann Riou, media crew

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Scheduled for 1400 hours local time, the start of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race took place bang on target. The English punctuality didn’t favour Groupama 70, who were delayed following a collision with another boat whilst still tied to their mooring. Setting off around fifteen minutes late, Franck Cammas and his crew powered away and managed one by one to overtake 25 of their 27 rivals in some rather harsh sailing conditions and a light worthy of Beken of Cowes. 

First to cross the start line, ICAP Leopard and Telefonica Azul put on an exceptional display, firing off at 25 knots into the Solent, the sound which separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland. Despite being over 30 foot longer than the VOR 70, ICAP Leopard, with Sam Davies navigating, got irreparably left behind, as did the rest of the fairly assorted fleet.

During this time, the crew of Groupama 70 attempted to quickly hoist their mainsail. Delayed following a failed manoeuvre by a competitor, which damaged the bow of the VOR 70, Franck Cammas could only watch, powerless, as his main rival, Iker Martinez, skipper of Telefonica, took flight. A double Olympic medallist in the Forty Niner, the Spaniard couldn’t have wished for a better start.

It remains to be seen now how the skipper of Groupama 70 will react. Prior to the start, the newcomer to the VOR category had this to say: “We’re here to drive the men and Groupama 70 into a corner, as well as to see how we measure up against an experienced, high performance crew”.
Having racked up a 5-mile deficit from the outset, Cammas had no other choice but to attack. He too tracked making 25 knots of boat speed, creating fabulous plumes of water in his wake, the skipper was clearly ruling Groupama 70 with a rod of iron.

Once across the Solent, the imposed route will call for a series of tack changes under spinnaker. Favouring a more northerly course, Jean-Luc Nélias, Groupama 70′s navigator, was the first to put in a gybe. It’s a manoeuvre which, in the breeze, requires perfect synchronisation. Unfortunately this element may well have been somewhat lacking aboard Celox 40, which lost her mast.

With the wind set to remain very steady, the competitors will continue to traverse the English Channel at pace, zigzagging between the numerous cargo ships picking their way across it. Suffice to say that in these conditions, any minutes spent sleeping will be both rare and precious if they are to keep performing well… 

 

Crew of Groupama 70
1. Franck Cammas, skipper
2. Jean-Luc Nélias, navigator
3. Laurent Pagès, watch leader
4. Magnus Woxen, watch leader
5. Charles Caudrelier, trimmer
6. Erwan Israël, trimmer, under 30 years of age
7. Martin Strömberg, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
8. Sébastien Marsset, trimmer and pitman, under 30 years of age
9. Mike Pammenter, bowman, under 30 years of age
10. Martin Krite, bowman, under 30 years of age
11. Yann Riou, media crew 

 

About the race:
 Distance to cover: 1,802 nautical miles
 Direction of the course: clockwise
 Best race time since 1976: Artemis (IMOCA 60) in 7 days and 4 hours
 Largest of this year’s boats: ICAP Leopard measuring 30 metres
 Smallest of this year’s boats: Arethusa measuring 10.9 metres
 Number of VORs competing: 2
 Start: Cowes, Monday 23 August 2010 at 14:00

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On Sunday night in St. Petersburg, the final prizegiving was an opportunity to remember and celebrate all that has happened on this magnificent adventure.

It was an emotional evening, with all of the teams, their families and friends finally able to truly relax after living in the pressure-cooker of the past nine months. It was also time to say goodbye, with most of the teams disbanding as early as Monday, airplane tickets taking them to all corners of the globe already in hand, booked months in advance.

The most poignant moment came with the inaugaral awarding of the Hans Horrevoets Rookie Trophy, which was created in memory of Hans, who was lost at sea during the last edition of the race. The Dutchman was washed over the side of ABN AMRO TWO on the transatlantic leg. He had played a key role in ABN AMRO’s unique and ambitious project to help young talent break into the top level of offshore sailing.

His wife, Petra, was on hand to present the award and her emotional speech saw even the most hardened of sailors wiping tears from their eyes.

The award was created to recognise a rookie sailor who was younger than 30 when the event commenced. Each skipper was asked to nominate a who has shown a significant drive to make an improvement to their own skills and to the skills of the team and who has shown a significant contribution in strengthening the team onboard. The Race Committee made a selection from those nominated.

Images by Rick Tomlinson and Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race

(click on image to enlarge)

The winner of the inaugural Hans Horrevoets Rookie Trophy is Michi Mueller from PUMA Ocean Racing, whom skipper Ken Read said had grown from a raw, untested rookie, into a linch-pin of the team.

It was a good night for PUMA as the Inmarsat Media Prize went to Rick Deppe, who was recognised for his outstanding work across the entire race. Deppe won the prize for leg 10 (his fourth win), as well as the overall prize (which included a cheque for 10,000 euros), and he was quick to pay tribute to his colleagues, asking all of the media crew members to join him on stage.

Presenting the prize, Perry Melton, COO, Inmarsat said: “The Volvo Ocean Race selected Fleet Broadband before its launch. They have described its global performance as flawless. We are delighted that the innovation of media crew members was paired with our newest service to deliver media coverage from the harshest of maritime conditions.”

The advent of the media crew members has allowed the race to secure HD footage that has never been recorded in past races, when regular crew were asked to to double duty as media men as well. In this race, the media crew members have not been allowed to participate in the sailing of the boat. As a result, they are more like ‘embedded reporters’, bringing the true story of their teams to life.

Deppe wasn’t the only media crew recognised on the night. Green Dragon’s Guo Chaun was presented with a new market media award in recognition of the media interest generated across China.

The Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics Seamanship Award was given to the PUMA Ocean Racing shore crew (Neil Cox, Sean Healey, Will Oxley and Kimo Worthington) for rending assistance to Telefonica Blue, after they ran aground at the start of Leg 9 in Marstrand.

And finally, to the sailing teams themselves. All eight teams were recognised for their achievements while Ericsson 4, the winner of the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race, was presented with the ‘Fighting Finish’ trophy by Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, patron of the Volvo Ocean Race; a just reward for a team that has dominated the competition, securing the overall title in Stockholm, with one in-port race, and one offshore leg to spare.

In closing the ceremonies, Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad paid tribute to his team in addition to all of the sailing teams and was already looking forward to the start of the next race, in 2011 in Alicante, Spain.

Following the formalities, the celebrations started in full force and continued long into the night and indeed well into the morning. With no more racing scheduled, there was no reason to stop the party. Until next time, this is, the end of the road.

Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 Prizes

 

 

Best 24-hour run - Ericsson 4, 596.6 nautical miles

Hans Horrevoets Rookie Trophy - Michi Mueller, PUMA Ocean Racing

Inmarsat Media Prize – Rick Deppe, PUMA Ocean Racing

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics Seamanship Award - PUMA Ocean Racing shore crew

Volvo Ocean Race, 3rd place – Telefonica Blue

Volvo Ocean Race, 2nd place – PUMA Ocean Racing

Volvo Ocean Race, 1st place – Ericsson 4

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It was an historic moment tonight in St Petersburg, Russia, when as the
White Night turned to dawn the Volvo Ocean Race fleet, led by Telefónica
Black in a thrilling climax,  crossed the tenth and final finish line of
this nine-month, 37,000 nm race around the world.

Spanish skipper, Fernando Echávarri said, ³It¹s a prize for all the crew and
all the shore crew. We have been trying to do it in all the legs but
couldn¹t; this was our last chance. We had a nice battle with PUMA in the
last 100 miles. We are really happy.

“It has been really difficult. We prepared the boat for light conditions and
the first 150 miles we had more wind than expected so we suffered a lot.
Then it got lighter and we got faster. We have been fighting with PUMA,
Telefónica Blue and Ericsson 3 for the last 250 miles. It has been really
close. It has been like a match race. I don¹t know how many tacks we have
done! It is a great way to finish the Volvo Ocean Race. I am really proud of
everyone in the group. They have done an excellent job.”

Victory for Telefónica Black was hard-fought and a match race developed with
PUMA, who had led the fleet for the majority of this 400-mile sprint from
Stockholm.  At just after midnight GMT and while on the additional triangle
added to lengthen the course, Telefónica Black gained a small advantage,
which translated into a two and a half boat length win, denying PUMA a
second leg win in a row.  However, with a total of 105.5 points, PUMA takes
second place overall. 

PUMA skipper Kenny Read said: “Congratulations to all those guys, they have
worked very hard for their first leg win. We will take our second and our
second overall. You know what? We just sailed around the world. I guess I
said a thousand times that we know no other way but to make it hard for
ourselves.  It¹s a shame, because we usually win these close battles and
today we didn¹t.

“The big picture is we finished this race, everyone is safe and the boat has
been spectacular. We flew the flag well for Volvo and I think we flew the
flag well for PUMA. We have everything to be proud of. Relief is the right
word. Right now, it is relief and, as always, we are a pretty tired group
onboard. Let the celebrations begin because all the group deserves it.”

Images by Dave Kneale  and Rick Tomlinson / Volvo Ocean Race

(click on image to enlarge )

 

Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) filled the third spot both on leg 10 and
overall, to close the team¹s account on 98 points.

Bekking said on finishing: “We’re tired and hungry! It has been full on.
Lots of tacking. It was a beautiful leg in that it was sunny. But we have
been a bit unlucky. That¹s how it goes. But well done to the Telefónica
Black boys, they deserved to win. They had a superb leg. Good for them. We
were all very close. It is a very nice feeling to have finished and got all
the boys home safely. We had a podium finish which is nice as well.”

Fourth place finishers tonight and fourth overall with 78.5 points was
Ericsson 3 and Swedish skipper, Magnus Olsson was exhausted.   “I feel so
tired I cannot say anything! Everybody is happy because they have sailed
around the world, but they are also very tired. After a day or two we can
say more intelligent things. You always want to do well in every leg, but
this was special because it was the short one and the last one. We were up
there so we are happy, but we couldn¹t keep up until the finish. They beat
us fair and square.”

Runaway overall leaders, with a final tally of 114.5 points and nine points
clear of PUMA, Torben Grael and his 10 crew of Ericsson 4 finished this leg
in fifth place.  In an interview with Guy Swindells, skipper Torben Grael,
who raced every offshore leg with the same crew, was reflective in his
comments as overall victory in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 finally became a
reality.

“I think it is a mixed feeling because we know this is the end of the story
for the project. It¹s a funny feeling because some of these guys you have
never met before and you become like brothers. Now we go our own ways and
it¹s a strange feeling.

“On the other hand it has been a long race. It was a very long race around
the world. We are completely drained and tired so I think everyone is
looking forward to a nice rest. We have had a wonderful time. We enjoyed our
training time in Lanzarote and the race as well. We have had our ups and
downs, but it has been fun. After we won, it was a bit of a relaxing leg. It
has been so intense and so consuming so I think it is normal that after you
achieve your goals you relax. I am very glad for Telefónica Black and
Fernando and his guys for winning this last leg.”

Green Dragon kept her slender lead over Delta Lloyd to finish the leg in
sixth place, and fifth overall with 67 points.

To conclude the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09, Delta Lloyd, the only generation
one Volvo Open 70 to compete in the race, finished shortly after Green
Dragon to finish the race on a total of 41.5 points. 

Skipper Roberto Bermúdez said: ³We made a good job and everyone enjoyed
their time. Everyone is happy and that is the most important thing. It
started well but then there was some fighting with the Dragons. They did a
fantastic job with the manoeuvres and I say congratulations to them for
that. It has been fun.²

Ian Walker, skipper of Green Dragon, should have the last word:

 ³It is a privilege to sail in this fantastic race and I am very proud to
have had the chance.  I am proud of every member of our team, and I am proud
of what we have achieved together.  We promised to give it everything and to
never, ever give up and that is exactly what we have done.  We haven¹t won
this race, but we have won many battles and achieved more than many dreamed
possible.  It has been a very special year.²

The full story of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 is chronicled in Mark
Chisnell¹s book, Spanish Castle to White Night, published in October.  Order
your copy now: http://www.volvooceanrace.org/multimedia/book/  

Overall Leaderboard (provisional)
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA): 114.5 points
2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA):  105.5 points
3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED): 98.0 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE): 78.5 points
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR): 67.0 points
6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP): 58.0
7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP): 41.5 points
8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 points

Leg Ten Finishing Order St Petersburg
1. Telefónica Black
2. PUMA
3. Telefónica Blue
4. Ericsson 3
5. Ericsson 4
6. Green Dragon
7. Delta Lloyd

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Telefonica Black skippered by Fernando Echavarr

Telefonica  Wins Leg 10 of the Volvo Ocean Race In St Petersburg just minutes ago after a fierce battle  between them and PUMA Ocean Racing for the last miles of the race.

 TELEFONICA BLACK finished at  00:41:25 GMT – Elapsed leg time 1 day, 12 hours, 41 minutes 25 seconds – Total Race Time 87 days, 1 hour, 31 minutes 20 seconds

 

 

In  the final run-in to the finish, Telefonica Black on starboard crosses in front of PUMA by 2.5 boat-lengths, and allows PUMA to carry on out to the south and tack on what looks like a layline to the finish.

Telefonica Black tacks onto port, and now has to maintain enough of their early advantage to cross clear in front as they come back together, as Ken Read has the right of way now PUMA has tacked to starboard.

Telefonica Black crosses in front of PUMA and tacks. Ken Read goes for speed and tries to get through to leeward. Both boats can sail straight to the finish, so it’s all about who has their bow forward. It’s Telefonica Black, quicker, and pulling out to a couple of lengths lead. It’s Telefonica Black, taking Leg 10.

“It’s a prize for all of the crew, all of the shore crew. We have been trying to do it in all the legs but couldn’t; this was our last chance. We had a nice battle with PUMA in the last 100 miles. We are really happy.

“It has been really difficult. We prepared the boat for light conditions and the first 150 miles we had more wind than expected so we suffered a lot. Then it got lighter and we got faster. We have been fighting with PUMA and Blue and Ericsson for the last 250 miles. Really close. It has been like a match race. I don’t know how many tacks we have done! It is a great way to finish the Volvo Ocean Race. I am really proud of everyone in the group. They have done an excellent job.”

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PUMA, who is now assured second place overall, led the Volvo fleet out of Sandhamn, on the outer edge of the Stockholm archipelago today – a spectacular day where conditions were perfect for the start of the tenth and final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 to St Petersburg in Russia.

Sailing confidently in 10 -12 knots of breeze, PUMA, Telefónica Blue and Ericsson 4 were the front runners off the start line and a huge spectator crowd needed no excuse to get out on the water and watch what these ocean greyhounds do best.  A steady breeze and flat water ensured plenty of white water spilled from the bows as the boats started a leg for the last time, fully powered up and under a cloudless sky. 

 

Leading round both buoys marking the traditional ‘sausage’ before heading to out to sea, the crew of PUMA had set the black boat up perfectly and extended their lead, while behind, Bouwe Bekking’s bowmen wrestled with their heavy code zero sail, which had remained furled and unused on the bow and was slowing the blue boat down.  Green Dragon scorched past overall race winner Ericsson 4, who had the pressure put on by sister ship Ericsson 3, while Telefónica Black and Delta Lloyd were in the second string.

Team Russia joined the pack once the racing fleet had completed the inshore loop, to sail, but not to race, homewards to St Petersburg, with owner Oleg Zherebtsov working the bow as he did in the earlier legs of the race. 

 

Although speeds were good as the fleet left Sweden behind, the leg is expected to be predominantly upwind to Russia and race rules allow for Race Director, Jack Lloyd, to shorten the 400-mile course if necessary.  The fleet must arrive in St Petersburg on Saturday morning in order to clear customs and pass through two bridges, which will be raised specially in order to let the fleet into the historic city.

PUMA has now clinched second place overall, their performance improving hugely in the second half of the race.  Telefónica Blue will take third after losing the battle for second when they finished last in leg nine after going aground in Marstrand, while Ericsson 4 is the runaway leader, winning the race with a leg to spare.

Overall Leaderboard
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA): 110.5 points
2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA):  98.5 points
3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED): 92.0 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE): 73.5 points
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR): 64.0 points
6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP): 50.0
7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP): 39.5 points
8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 points

 

TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG TEN DAY 1 QFB:  received 25.6.09 2044 GMT

We just tacked with Ericsson 4 just few minutes after us. The last three hours have been a bit up and down, the wind was shifting quite a bit from something like 20 to 60 degrees TWD. The two Ericsson boats managed to  climb up quite well on us thanks to some lifting puffs and we did the  same thing to PUMA. We’re only 200 metres in front of Ericsson 4, nearly one mile in front of Ericsson 3 and same distance behind PUMA. We’re now all on port for another 30 minutes or so, after that we’ll all tack again towards the channel. Everyone is hiking hard pushing the boat. It’s going to be pretty long.

Gabri Olivo – MCM

GREEN DRAGON LEG TEN DAY 1 QFB:  received 25.06.09 1616 GMT

Here we go again – sailing upwind and slowly losing miles. I will not miss this when the race ends. Fortunately, it cannot last for days, as St Petersburg is less than 300 miles away.

What a great city Stockholm is – it is definitely another place on my list that I will need to come and visit again. That city is built to host maritime events and the Archipelago is built for cruising. After the long but picturesque motor to the start off Sandhamn, we made a good start to the leg and enjoyed holding off Ericsson 4 and others for a leg or two. Now everybody is engaged in a drag race on port tack and we are nearly halfway to Estonia. Hopefully, something will change in the weather at some point to shake up proceedings. For now, it is a question of doing the best we can to stay in touch with the other boats. The conditions are perfect with flat water, medium winds and sunshine – who knows maybe we can get to St Petersburg without getting wet?

Ian Walker – skipper

ERICSSON 3 LEG TEN DAY 1 QFB:  received 25.06.09 1800 GMT

I was a bit pessimistic in the first blog. I guess I was tired and Stockholm was too good to leave without a sad feeling. But once we got outside Sandhamn to the starting area, the mood got better.

Sun, flat water and 15 knots of breeze would make anyone happy.  Unfortunately, we did not come of the start line in a good way. We were stuck with no speed and our poor positioning did not improve by an override with the sheet for the headsail.  But we sorted it out quickly and once we had rounded the last mark, we were just a couple of metres after Ericsson 4, with PUMA and Telefónica Blue a bit further in front.

Now, at 1800, the positioning is pretty much the same. The Russians are behind us to leeward, Delta Lloyd and Green Dragon are straight to leeward. PUMA is still in front and Telefónica Blue and Ericsson 4 are following closely behind.

The most action-filled incident we had so far was when our Finnish guest had to jump overboard.   Mason helped her get the drysuit on, then he led her down to leeward, lifted her up and held her with one arm above the surface until he thought the chaseboat was close enough. Then he let her go. Splash and gone! You really understand why you don’t want to fall overboard from one of these boat. To turn around and pick someone up would just take ages
Magnus has cheered up a bit and is now smiling more. He still tired and he knows this will be though.  “It’s a bit of an anticlimax but we have to fight on and finish this race in a good way”, he says.

On the last legs we have had a big problem with tiredness. People just don’t get enough sleep. This time we are going to use the ‘standby watch’ system a bit more and everyone will get down to rest as soon as they can.

Gustav Morin – MCM

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It was like the end of a school term at the skippers’ press conference in Stockholm today as the Volvo Ocean Race fleet prepares to tackle Leg 10, a final, short, sprint to the overall finish line in St. Petersburg.

With just 400 miles remaining in a race around the world that measures over 37,000 nautical miles, and the leaderboard almost entirely decided, the finish line – the real one – is now in sight.

One leaderboard duel does remain. With a maximum of eight points available to the winner of the leg, PUMA leads Telefonica Blue by 6.5 points in the battle to finish second overall in the race.

The forecast is promising for the start on Thursday afternoon. A light Northeasterly breeze of 8-10 knots is expected. But as the leg progresses, the wind is forecast to ease. It could be a long 400 miles.

“This weather forecast is not perfect for us,” said PUMA skipper Ken Read. “We don’t want it to turn into a light air crap shoot because anything can happen that way. Telefonica can go and win the leg by 100 miles if they want; (but) we just have to beat one boat.”

“I think, realistically, they have sewn it up,” countered Telefonica Blue skipper Bouwe Bekking. “But it’s yacht racing and hopefully they sail the wrong way, come last and we come first. There would be a lot written if that happened. We’ll certainly be pushing hard for a win.”

Also making an appearance at the press conference today was Team Russia skipper Stig Westergaard, who brought the Russian boat, Kosatka, into Stockholm last night. They haven’t competed since Leg 3 and the team is now engaged in a race against time to get rule compliant ahead of the start.

With Ericsson 4 having mathematically won the Volvo Ocean Race on the leg into Stockholm, the rest of the teams are sailing for pride. And, according to Telefonica Black skipper Fernando Echavarri, that will be motivation enough.

“This is the last chance we have to win a leg and we’ll try to do that,” he said. “It’s more about personal pressure and trying to finish with a leg win, rather than pressure on the overall standing. It’s going to be good (weather) conditions for our boats so we’ll try to do our best to arrive in St Petersburg in the top position.”

Ericsson 4 skipper Torben Grael agreed it will be a competitive race: “We all owe it to our sponsors to get a good result and we are all very competitive people. A win is important to us.”

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