This is the redress: Telefonica Blue claims that the Race Committee and/or Organizing Authority made an improper action or omission by locating the start line and 2nd passing mark of the course (mark d) in an area where at least 1 uncharted shallow area existed.

photo credit: Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race
In a dramatic opening to leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race, minutes before the start gun fired, Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) dropped her sails and returned to port, leaving a fleet reduced to three boats to contest the start in Qingdao.
Telefonica Blue hit one such uncharted shallows that was 0.23 nm from the start mark (and 2nd passing mark) of the course, prior to the start of Leg 5. Furthermore, the Race Committee and/or Organizing Authority failed to supply a port with adequate depth to allow Telefonica Blue back into the harbor. This resulted in a 3 hour delay in getting back to the marina to begin repairs resulting from the grounding. Delays due to the grounding and the delay in returning to port resulted in Telefonica Azul starting leg 5 approximately 19 hours after the start signal.
This delay had direct impact on Telefonica Azul’s position at the New Zealand scoring gate and at the finish.
Signed: Bouwe Bekking, 29 March 2009

This is the comments that the author of the blog: Look to Windward (Rasing Rules of Sailing) made:
Remember rule 62.1? A request for redress shall be based on a claim or possibility that:

• a boats score in a race has been made significantly worse,
• through NO fault of her own
• by an improper action or omission of the race committee or organizing authority

The jury will need to find answer to each of these conditions before it can award redress; Was the 19 hours loss significantly to have influence in the scoring? Or were there perhaps other contributing factors? If the shallow water was uncharted, how can the sailors expect that the RC could know about that? Is it the responsibility of the RC to send out a sounding-chart mapping boat of the start area? Is this an omission, for which the PC can be blamed? Should the OA have provided harbour access with sufficient depth for returning boats ? Could that be seen as an omission? Is hitting something under water something the sailors could have avoided? Was it close to shore and could logically be deducted that something might be there - even only a reasonable assumption? If all these questions lead to a redress: what should that be? For instance if the Jury award redress for 19 hours. The delta between Green Dragon (28/03/09 18:15:40) and Telefonica Blue (29/03/09 03:55:00) is 9 hours 39 minutes and 20 seconds. That would make TB 4th instead of 5th!

I'll keep you updated or you can look for news on the VOR-site.

Περιγραφή του αγώνα
Ο αγώνας ξεκίνησε την Παρασκευή στις 4 το μεσημέρι πρώτα για τα ORCi A & IRC και μετά για τα ORCi N και ORC Club. Υπήρχε σημείο στροφής και μετά τα σκάφη έβαλαν πλώρη για Ύδρα. Ο καιρός ήταν από 8 - 14 κόμβους από νότιες διευθύνσεις, όρτσα. Καλύτερη επιλογή ήταν το πέλαγος, διότι κοντά στην Αίγινα ο καιρός έπεφτε. Όσοι πρόλαβαν τερμάτισαν χωρίς να μείνουν από αέρα, ενώ οι υπόλοιποι τερμάτιζαν μέχρι το πρωί με τα μπαλόνια. Η επιστροφή ήταν πολύ πιο γρήγορη. Τα σκάφη έφυγαν με τον άνεμο στους 8-10 κόμβους από γαρμπή αλλά γρήγορα ανέβηκε μέχρι τους 17, από σορόκο. Όλοι τερμάτισαν νωρίς. Σημαντικότερα στοιχεία του αγώνα ήταν η συμμετοχή των δύο σκαφών της Σχολής Ναυτικών Δοκίμων, η μεγάλη συμμετοχή των 75 σκαφών καθώς και ο τιμητικός κανονιοβολισμός με αυθεντικό κανόνι του 1821 στην απονομή στην Ύδρα.

Αποτελέσματα: http://www.horc.gr/files/hydra09.pdf

Συγχαρητήρια στους πρώτους και καλή συνέχεια σε όσους ακόμα προσπαθούν να φέρουν τα σκάφη τους στο Ρίο.
Και σε αυτό το σκέλος ο Solaris Volos (Γιώργος) έφτιαξε και έστειλε τα αποτελέσματα του group μας.

Σημείωση:
Έχει υπολογιστεί η κατάταξη τόσο με αφαίρεση των τριών χειρότερων ιστιοδρομιών (στη στήλη total-3), όσο και με την αφαίρεση δύο χειρότερων (στη σήλη total-2). Η παρούσα ταξινόμηση αφορά την αφαίρεση των τριών χειρότερων, και η σχετική αρίθμηση βρίσκεται στην πρώτη υπο-στήλη της στήλης "pos", ενώ ακριβώς δίπλα βλέπετε την overall θέση του σκάφους αν αφαιρεθούν οι δύο χειρότερες κούρσες.

VORGame Leg5 Group"ELLHNES ISTIOPLOOI" in pdf
VORGame Leg5 Group"ELLHNES ISTIOPLOOI" in xls

Με τον τερματισμό και των υπολοίπων θα αναρτηθούν τα τελικά αποτελέσματα.

Τελείωσε και το 5ο σκέλος του VOR... Τα σκάφη της Ericsson διέπρεψαν παίρνοντας τις δυο πρώτες θέσεις, με το Ericsson 3 να κλέβει τις εντυπώσεις όχι μόνο επειδή βγήκε πρώτο αλλά κυρίως με τον τρόπο που το έκανε.
Καταρχήν έφθασε στη γραμμή της εκκίνησης με καθυστέρηση οχτώ ωρών, εφόσον πάσχιζε να τερματήσει το προηγούμενο σκέλος, χωρίς να πιάσει στεριά εφοδιάστηκαν για το μεγαλύτερο σκέλος του αγώνα, 12.300νμ, και ξεκίνησαν με σημαντική καθυστέρηση να κυνηγούν τα Ericsson 4, Puma Racing & Green Dragon. Τα έφθασαν και πάνω που όλα τα σκάφη περίμεναν ή προετοιμάζονταν να πάρουν την φυσιολογική Νότια "οδό" το Ericsson 3 έκανε την έκπληξη χωρίστηκε από το στόλο και πήγε Ανατολικά.
Μεγάλο ρίσκο για τον navigator και ίσως μεγαλύτερο ρίσκο για τον κυβερνήτη που αποφάσισε να το ακολουθήσει, αλλά απέδωσε το Ε3 πέρασε πρώτο το Cape Horn και ως το τέλος οδήγησε τον αγώνα. Εύγε!!!
Το Ε4 ακολούθησε πάντα μπροστά και με σωστές επιλογές κυριαρχεί τον αγώνα.
Και τρίτο κατέφθασε στο Ριο το Puma, το οποίο πάντα τερματίζει σε καλές θέσεις αλλά σαν τα του λείπει κάτι ώστε να διαπρέψει, είναι πάντα κοντά, αλλά ποτέ εκεί... ίσως απλώς να είναι θέμα τύχης, πάντως στην βαθμολογία είναι δεύτερο πίσω από το Ε4.
Με τον τερματισμό και των πέντε σκαφών στο Ριο τα γενικά αποτελέσματα έχουν διαμορφωθεί ως εξής:

Overall Leaderboard (Provisional)
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 63.5 points
2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA) 53 points
3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 50.5 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 43.5
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 39.5
6. Telefónica Black 21 (DNS)a
7. Delta Lloyd 12 (DNS)
8. Team Russia 10.5 (DNS)

δείτε πολλά περισσότερα στο http://www.volvooceanrace.org/

27 Μαρτίου 2009

Δελτίο Τύπου

Απόλυτοι Νικητές οι Μάντης- Καγιαλής στο Eurolymp Αθηνών!
Κερδίζοντας τις 6 από της 10 ιστιοδρομίες που πραγματοποιήθηκαν στην κατηγορία 470 Ανδρών το πλήρωμα Παναγιώτης Μάντης- Παύλος Καγιαλής δίκαια μπορεί να χαρακτηριστεί ο απόλυτος νικητής στην κατηγορία του, για το Athens Eurolymp Week 2009, τον 2ο αγώνα πρόκρισης Ολυμπιακών κατηγοριών.
Οι αγώνες διεξήχθησαν με ποικίλες καιρικές συνθήκες αλλά το πλήρωμα από την πρώτη ημέρα έδειξε την υπεροχή του.
Με αυτή την μεγάλη νίκη οι δύο αθλητές είναι πλέον μέλη της Εθνικής Ομάδας ισοφαρίζοντας το καθόλου αντιπροσωπευτικό αποτέλεσμα του 1ου αγώνα πρόκρισης Ολυμπιακών κατηγοριών στη Θεσσαλονίκη.
«Ήμασταν από τα πιο γρήγορα σκάφη του στόλου και τρέξαμε με καθαρό μυαλό» δήλωσε ο Παναγιώτης Μάντης.
Ο Παύλος Καγιαλής πρόσθεσε « Κάθε νίκη για εμάς είναι ένα σταθερό βήμα προς την επίτευξη των στόχων μας.»
Ο ιδιωτικός τους προπονητής Θανάσης Παχούμας, δήλωσε επίσης ικανοποιημένος από το αποτέλεσμα και μαζί με τους δύο αθλητές είναι έτοιμοι να αντιμετωπίσουν την μεγάλη πρόκληση των αγώνων του εξωτερικού.

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες και αποτελέσματα όλων των κατηγοριών επισκεφθείτε το επίσημο site των αγώνων: http://www.eio.gr/euro2009index.htm

Ericsson 4 Takes Second On Longest Leg Of The Course Ericsson Racing Team made it a one/two today in leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race when Ericsson 4 crossed the finish line at 2257 GMT (1957 local time) in skipper Torben Grael’s home port of Rio de Janeiro, to stand second on the podium next to Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) who took line honours earlier today.

photo credit: Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.
Chris the Redeemer otop Corcovado mountain, Rio de Janeiro
Ericsson 4 now extends her overall lead to 63.5 points; 10.5 points ahead of PUMA (Ken Read/USA) who, provided she finishes this leg in her current third position, will retain second place overall. At the time of Ericsson 4’s finish, PUMA had 49.4 nm to run and was making 10 knots of boatspeed. This is the third leg win for Torben Grael and Ericsson 4. They also won both legs one and two as well as taking maximum points for the in-port race series in Singapore and Qingdao.
After being at sea for 40 days 17 hours 57 minutes and 44 seconds, to the delight of the large and noisy home town crowd who had been waiting for this moment all day, the Brazilian skipper, said: “We have been dreaming of this moment all week long and it is great to be home. The reception has been beautiful.”
Ericsson 4 was the leader of the pack when the Volvo fleet was faced with the decision as to how to tackle the islands of Fiji on day 16, 1 March. Skipper, Torben Grael chose the easterly option, along with Ericsson 3 and Green Dragon and led the field across the first scoring gate to earn four points. Ericsson 3 then made her brave move to the north and Ericsson 4 was left to fight for second place with PUMA (Ken Read/USA).
Speaking of Ericsson 3 performance, Grael said, “They made a very great move after the gate and it was clever. They gained a big advantage, but we managed to pull back but they pulled away again and we never had a real chance. They made a fantastic effort all the way from Taiwan.”
British navigator, Jules Salter added, “We needed a break in the weather to get past Ericsson 3 but that never came and the guys sailed very well. We have all sailed together a lot and they learned from us and learned from them, so we have created something great. They sailed really well.”
PUMA (Ken Read/USA) continued to put the pressure on Ericsson 4 and the two teams were close by for much of the leg until day 25, 10 March, when Ericsson 4 pulled out a lead over PUMA that they were never able to challenge. Ericsson 4 followed Ericsson 3 around Cape Horn, gaining a further 3.5 points, and the position remained unchanged until the finish in Rio today.
photo credit: Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race
Ericsson 4, skippered by Torben Grael (BRA) finish second into Rio de Janeiro on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, crossing the line at 22:57:44 GMT 26/03/09
Overall Leaderboard (Provisional)

1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 63.5 points (FINISHED)

2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA) 47 points (RACING)
3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 46.5 points (RACING)
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 43.5 (FINISHED)
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 34.5 (RACING)
6. Telefónica Black 21 (DNS)
7. Delta Lloyd 12 (DNS)
8. Team Russia 10.5 (DNS)

photo credits: Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race
Ericsson 3, skippered by Magnus Olsson (SWE) finish first into Rio de Janeiro on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, crossing the line at 10:37:57 GMT 26/03/09, after 41 days at sea.

Ericsson 3 has finally crossed the finish line in Rio De Janeiro to win Leg 5. After an agonising march to glory, Swedish skipper Magnus Olsson and his men officialy finished at 10:37:57 GMT.

On arrival, a jubilant Olsson, buoyed by the result, said: "It's unbelievable. We had a fantastic strategy when we needed it. Aksel (Magdahl) did a fantastic job on that. We executed that strategy in a very good way.
"We were so tired but we were fighting on with tremendous spirit right to the end, everybody worked well with each other. And, finally, we nursed the boat really well and didn't have any breakdowns."

Ericsson 3 started eight half hours behind the scheduled starters after a pit stop for repairs in Taiwan en route to the leg start in Qingdao. Olsson admitted the victory seemed a long way off at the time.
"We didn't look like a winner then," he said. "Coming there (Qingdao) tired, carbon dust all over the boat and eight hours late and a few guys new in the crew and all that, but we managed to turn it around, it's fantastic, it really is."
In a reference to the gamble on snubbing perceived wisdom and heading north in the Southern Ocean at the scoring waypoint at 36 degress south, he added: "It was the fantastic strategy that convinced us that we take that risk. We all wanted to take it and the execution of that was very good. We sailed very well.
"Aksel said if it's going to work we have to sail really well - a performance of 100 per cent all the time otherwise we're going to be late with the pressure coming there and the front coming there and all that.
"We sailed really hard but we were on the borderline of destroying the boat. But we managed to keep the boat in one piece. That was the key to our success."
Asked about the go-slow towards the finish line when Ericsson 3 fell into a wind hole and almost ground to a halt within sight of the chequered flag, Olsson, ever the comedian, said: "We didn't want to get too far ahead, so we slowed down a bit, in order to control the other boats."
We will bring you more dockside reaction and plenty of photographs of 11 delirious Nordic crew members shortly.

Ericsson 3 In Hiding

It is day 40 of this 12,300 nautical mile jaunt from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in the closing stages, the leading boat, Ericsson 3, has opted to play her stealth card. She has gone into hiding and will only reappear 24- hours later, or once she is within 50 nm of the finish in Rio.
photo credit: Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race
Ericsson 3 dry out their clothes and food bags whilst in Stealth Play, as they close in on Rio de Janeiro, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race
This is the first time on this leg that the stealth card, newly introduced for the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race, has been played. Ericsson 3 began her ‘StealthPlay’ to give it its official title, immediately after the 1000 GMT position report this morning and her position in the fleet and all her onboard data will now be secret.
However, at 1000 GMT this morning, the last position report before she ‘disappeared’ from the world’s radar, Ericsson 3 had 194 miles to run to the finish as was parallel with Sao Paulo. She was averaging a double-figure boat speed of 10.5 knots and had achieved a run of 262 nm in the past 24 hours.
photo credit: Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race
PUMA Ocean Racing, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
Her nearest and deadliest rival, Ericsson 4, with the hugely talented Torben Grael at the helm in what are his home waters, was a safe 103 nm behind her. But, spicing things up in the last hours of the leg, Grael too opted for StealthPlay shortly after today’s 1300 GMT positions were released and now the whereabouts of the man who has five Olympic medals to his name and who knows the waters off Rio like the back of his hand, will be unknown for 24-hours.
photo credit: Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race
Instrumentation showing slow progress, onboard PUMA Ocean Racing, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
At 1300 GMT today, prior to announcing their StealthPlay, Ericsson 4 had 254 nm to run to the finish, with third-placed PUMA a further 86 miles astern.
Yesterday, PUMA’s skipper Ken Read was questioning the motives of the Wind Gods. “Do they really need to play with us like this?” he asked. He answered his own question when he said, “We have a choice. We always have a choice, but now, we really have a choice. We can feel sorry for ourselves and bitch about the weather and the winds and everything else that is preventing us from the ‘all we can eat in Rio’, or we can suck it up and deal with our situation the best we can. Continue to race and continue to do our jobs.”
photo credit: RJ Godfrey/Ericsson 4/Volvo Ocean Race
Ericsson 4, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
Read’s crew clearly chose the latter option and Read is very proud of all involved. “Not a single ‘feeling sorry for ourselves’ comment. We continue to race,” he said.
The top four boats, including the beleaguered Green Dragon have all been set free of the high pressure and are making good speeds towards the finish, while Telefónica Blue is the latest victim of the light spot and her speed is nearly half that of the Dragon’s, at 7.5 nm average over the last three hours.
After closing to within 50 nm of Ian Walker and his men yesterday, Bouwe Bekking’s blue boat has now slipped back to 164 nm, as she too now has to fight her way through the high pressure.
“What could have been a case of just counting down the miles to Rio has become for us an exciting duel to the finish,” declared Telefónica Blue’s helmsman Simon Fisher.
As well as keeping Telefónica Blue at bay, Green Dragon has her own issues onboard. Their fuel situation has become critical as the alternator on the generator isn’t working and crew has to use the main engine, which takes more fuel.
“We have calculated we have six days [of fuel] left,” says skipper Ian Walker, who reckons it will take them the full six days to reach Rio.
Ericsson 3 is expected to complete this leg in the early hours of tomorrow morning, followed by Ericsson 4 and PUMA later the same day. Computer routing software is predicting a finish for both Green Dragon and Telefónica Blue on 28 March, but with 450 nm still to run and the possibility of the wind fading, the finishing order for these two is far from a done deal.

Leg Five Day 40: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)
1. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) STEALTHPLAY
2. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 254
3. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +86
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHI (Ian Walker/GBR) +459
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +623

Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

ΕΤΗΣΙΑ ΣΥΝΑΝΤΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΝΩΣΗΣ ΙΔΙΟΚΤΗΤΩΝ

Το Σάββατο 14 Mαρτίου, στην αίθουσα σχολών που παραχώρησε ο ΝΟΕ, πραγματοποιήθηκε η ετήσια συνάντηση των ιδιοκτητών σκαφών πιστοποιημένων κατά IRC.
Στη συνάντηση παρουσιάστηκαν οι αλλαγές του κανονισμού IRC για το 2009 καθώς και μια περίληψη των αλλαγών των διεθνών κανονισμών ιστιοδρομιών που ισχύουν την περίοδο 2009 – 2012.
Στη συνέχεια έγινε μια αναφορά στη δραστηριότητα του συλλόγου το 2008, τους στόχους για το 2009, το IRC circuit και τους αγώνες που το αποτελούν, τους οποίους παρουσίασαν εκπρόσωποι των διοργανωτών ομίλων.
To κύριο μέρος της συνάντησης αφιερώθηκε στη συζήτηση των θεμάτων που είχαν κατατεθεί από ιδιοκτήτες, διοργανωτές αγώνων και την εθνική αρχή, η οποία οδήγησε σε ενδιαφέρουσες συζητήσεις και στα εξής συμπεράσματα:
• Η εθνική αρχή εξέφρασε με επιστολή της την επιθυμία να μην υπάρχει καμμία διάκριση στην μεταχείριση των σκαφών σε σχέση με το σύστημα ισοζυγισμού τους.
• Οι ιδιοκτήτες αποδέχθηκαν την πρόσκληση της εθνικής αρχής και για το 2009 τα σκάφη IRC θα συνεισφέρουν οικονομικά στην εθνική αρχή με το ποσό των 3 € ανά μέτρο μήκους σκάφους ανά έτος
• Στα πλαίσια της ίσης αντιμετώπισης, η εθνική αρχή θέτει υπό την αιγίδα της την κατάταξη (ranking) των σκαφών IRC. • Οι ιδιοκτήτες επιβεβαίωσαν ότι επιθυμούν να αποφασίζουν οι ίδιοι τον τρόπο υπολογισμού του ranking του IRC. Εμφανίστηκαν δε ευχαριστημένοι από τον τύπο υπολογισμού του ranking που χρησιμοποιούν αυτή την στιγμή και η μόνη αναθώρηση που αποφασίστηκε σε σχέση με το 2008 αφορά στο συντελεστή των ιστιοδρομιών όρτσα – πρίμα που αναπροσαρμόζεται στο 1,3.
Τέλος, εγγρίθηκε το προεδρείο για το 2009 το οποίο αποτελούν οι:
Σταύρος Παπαγιαννόπουλος, ΑΟΝ – πρόεδρος
Νούλης Ιορδανίδης, FEMME FATALE – αντιπρόεδρος
Γεώργιος Ξηνταράκος, ENJOY - αντιπρόεδρος

As leg five draws out even further due to a complete lack of wind, the crews are longing for the finish in Rio and everything that it brings: results, families, cool beers, big steaks, showers, warm beds, and not necessarily in that order.

photo credit: Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race
Ericsson 3 in warmer waters on the home straight to Rio de Janeiro, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
Ericsson 3 still holds her lead (DTF 424 nm) and although there have been a few blips in the last 24 hours, no one has taken any significant miles out of her deficit, and the chasing pair are due south of her. Ericsson 3 has only covered 172 nm in the past 24 hours and while Ericsson 4 has gained seven miles (DTL 65 nm) PUMA languishes a safe 154 nm astern.
photo credit: Guy Salter/Ericsson 4/Volvo Ocean Race
Brad Jackson driving at sunset, onboard Ericsson 4, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
“The light airs are making are lives a mess,” wrote MCM Gustav Morin this morning. For many of the crew, their families will be arriving in Rio, and they wanted to be there to take care of them when they arrived. For others, the chance of returning home for a break are becoming slimmer as time runs out with each windless day.
“Since we are late in, most of the families will arrive before us and all the fathers onboard are talking more often about their kids and wives,” Morin says.
Jules Salter, the navigator on Ericsson 4, has almost lost track of the number of days he has been at sea, and he is frustrated with the weather maps, which only seem to make part sense. “When you expect a gain, you make a loss,” he says.
But, he warns, “inventing weather is ‘bad science’ and expecting to know more than the men and women in beige at the weather centres is pretty dumb, but you have to try and do something.”
“If your hokum theory lines up, you can make a plan for the next few hours. Usually the plan works for about two hours, then the wind shifts and drops and you are back to square one, trying to conjure up another scenario from your onboard observations.”
The real boat race now seems to be between becalmed Green Dragon (DTF 918nm) and the limping Telefónica Blue (DTF 983 nm), who has made a more sophisticated repair to the checkstays on the mast. The team is looking for a surprise ‘comeback’, reckoning that Green Dragon is fighting more current than the maps show.
photo credit: Guy Salter/Ericsson 4/Volvo Ocean Race
Phil Jameson at the clew of the spinnaker, onboard Ericsson 4, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
“Right now they [Green Dragon] are still well ahead, but it will be a good laugh if we could actually manage to pass them,” said skipper Bouwe Bekking, who has closed to within 65 miles.
Unlike the other teams, who are rationing food and diesel, Telefónica Blue has been well provided for by MCM Gabriele Olivo, who even brought onboard a huge bag full of mature, three-year old parmesan cheese to add variety to the daily snacks as well as some grated pieces to make the freeze dried food more enjoyable.
Not a day has passed when leftover food has been thrown away and there is enough food for the team to have extra breakfasts if they want to, something that would be the envy of the rest of the fleet, if only they knew…
They do now!

Leg Five Day 39: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)
1. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) DTF 424 nm
2. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) +65
3. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +154
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHI (Ian Walker/GBR) +494
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +559

Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

Line-up for the starts to take shape 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit.

The 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit starts on May 12th with the City of Alicante Trophy. With the team registration period now open, seventeen teams, both TP52 and GP42, have shown interest in competing on the world's leading regatta circuit, which this year is made up of five events in four European countries.
“A fleet of 17 teams from 10 different countries and the best international crew shows just how much the Audi MedCup has consolidated, and how it has become widely recognised as the Circuit par excellence,” indicates Ignacio Triay, Audi MedCup Circuit Director.

“This can be deemed a success, especially in a year where the current global economic climate is having a negative effect in all areas; sports sponsorship in general and in that of sailing in particular.”

11 TP52 to compete for the City of Alicante Trophy

11 TP52s from nine countries will race for the The City of Alicante Trophy, including a new team: Emirates Team New Zealand, formed by the America’s Cup syndicate and skippered by Dean Barker. For the first time a New Zealand team will compete on the Circuit and have to go up against 10 other teams who have all proved their domination over the TP52.

The three winning boats from the 2008 edition of the Audi MedCup Circuit will compete once again. They will be joined at the start line by a strong international fleet of TP52s. Following on from last year’s final standings, the American Quantum, entrusted to Terry Hutchinson to defend their title as champion; the Spanish boat, Bribón, second in 2008, will be skippered by leading helmsman Thierry Peponnet; Matador, the Argentinian team, will be led by Guillermo Parada; Artemis, will be led by Sweden’s Torbjorn Tornqvist; Spain’s Desafío returns at the hands of the very experienced Paul Cayard; the Italian Audi Sailing Team will be skippered once more by Riccardo Simoneschi; Cristabella, the British entry, will be led by John Cook; Synergy from Russia will have two lead helmsmen, Valentin Zavadnikov and Sergey Pchugin; Afonso Domingos returns to skipper the Portuguese entry, Bigamist; Valars from Russia will be led by Sergei Shetsov. With this spectacular fleet, racing promises to be just as intense as that witnessed in 2008.

The full list of confirmed pre registered entries for the opening event of the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit in TP52s, including nationality and skipper, is the following:

• Artemis (Sweden) - Torbjorn Tornqvist
• Audi Sailing Team (Italy) - Riccardo Simoneschi
• Bigamist (Portugal) - Afonso Domingos
• Bribón (Spain) - Thierry Peponnet
• Cristabella (United Kingdom) - John Cook
• Desafío (Spain) - Paul Cayard
• Emirates Team New Zealand (New Zealand) - Dean Barker
• Matador (Argentina) - Guillermo Parada
• Quantum Racing (United States)- Terry Hutchinson
• Synergy (Russia) - Valentin Zavadnikov/Sergey Pchugin
• Valars (Russia) - Sergei Shetsov

The full list of confirmed pre registered entries for the opening event of the 2009 Audi MedCup Circuit in GP42s, including nationality and skipper, is the following:

• Airis (Italy) – Roberto Monti
• Caser-Quum (Spain) – Javier Goizueta
• Madrid About Sailing (Spain) – José María van der Ploeg
• Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (Spain) – Daniel Calero
• Roma 2 (Italy) – Filippo Faruffini
• Swing (Japan) – Keisuke Suzuki

source: http://2008.medcup.org/home/
(all photos are from 2008 MedCup)

TEAMORIGIN the British challenger for the 33rd America’s Cup skippered by triple Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie will compete on the 2009 World Match Racing Tour having secured the final Tour Card.

Current World Match Racing Tour Leaderboard

(top eight teams after stage one of ten):

1. Adam Minoprio (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand/Black Match Racing, 25

2. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team/ French Team Spirit, 20

3. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, 15

4. Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team, 12

5. Ed Baird (USA) Alinghi, 10

6. Sebastien Col (FRA) French Match Racing Team/K-Challenge, 8

7. Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza, 6

8. Ian Williams (GBR) Bahrain Team Pindar, 4 points

more here

Magnus Olsson and his team of Nordic sailors onboard Ericsson 3 rounded the legendary Cape Horn at 1222 GMT today in pole position and in daylight, gaining maximum points at the scoring gate.

Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) will be the next boat to round the Cape, which marks the border between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. At the time of Ericsson 3’s rounding, Ericsson 4 was 36 miles astern, a gap that has now closed to 18nm.

“It looks like the Ericsson 3 boys have managed to hold us off – and fair play to them – they played a good move early after the last scoring gate, a move which none of the rest of us were brave enough to play,” said Ericsson 4’s MCM Guy Salter.

For every sailor, the achievement of rounding this notorious Cape, which is the tip of one small island with a lighthouse, situated in one of the most remote areas in the world, is never diminished, no matter how many times they do it.Spain’s Guillermo Altadill, who has rounded the Cape six times, describes the experience:

“I can only imagine it must be similar to a marathon runner on arrival at the stadium, with only 400 metres left after his epic 26 miles, to look up and see the public awaiting him. Except that, on that rock there is no public. And when you are lucky enough to get close enough, and on a clear day, you look up at that black rock with its lighthouse and all the legends that surround it, and it makes you think that whatever happens from that moment onwards, you have fulfilled your objective: to arrive in one piece.”

For Ericsson 3, Cape Horn almost lived up to its notorious reputation, producing 25 knot winds and massive seas, but Ericsson 4 is expecting full storm conditions when they round next in line. The crew is looking forward to it.

“There has been a chat about rights earned for passing the Horn: earrings, feet on the table at meal times, and tattoos of tall ships under full sail,” says Salter in anticipation.

All Ericsson 3 has to do now is to turn north and keep the fleet at bay. No easy task, when the skipper of the chasing Ericsson 4, Torben Grael, is one the golden boys in Olympic sailing and close quarter, tactical racing is what he excels at. They now face a long battle of over 2,000 nm to the finish in Rio.

Five Day 32: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions

(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)

1. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) DTF 2264 nm

2. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) +18

3. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +119

4. Green Dragon IRL/CHI (Ian Walker/GBR) +210

5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +746

Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS

Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS

Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

EARLY DELEGATE DISCOUNT EXTENDED TO 1 MAY
Register now for the 2009 World Yacht Racing Forum and receive a 20% early-bird discount until 1 May.
The World Yacht Racing Forum is a must-attend event for anyone involved in, or interested in the business of yacht racing. Meet and network with the sports leading figures and learn how the global sport of sailing can benefit your business. Listen to sponsorship case studies from global events such as the America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race, hear how sailing has generated economic value for major cities and venues, and see how the sport is developing in new markets including the Middle East and Asia, and much more...

Don't delay - register now at the discounted rate.
http://www.worldyachtracingforum.com
James Pleasance
Event Director
Tel: +44 20 8871 2354
E-mail: james.pleasance@informayachtgroup.com

Δελτίο Τύπου

Αγώνας Πρόκρισης Ολυμπιακών κατηγοριών Ντεμπούτο για Μάντη-Καγιαλή στη Θεσσαλονίκη

Το νεοσύστατο πλήρωμα ιστιοπλοΐας κατηγορίας 470 Ανδρών Παναγιώτης Μάντης και Παύλος Καγιαλής είναι έτοιμο να δεχτεί την πρώτη του πρόκληση, συμμετέχοντας στον 1ο Αγώνα πρόκρισης Ολυμπιακών κατηγοριών για το 2009 που, για την συγκεκριμένη κατηγορία, θα διεξαχθεί στον Ν.Ο.Θεσσαλονίκης από τις 11-15 Μαρτίου 2009.
Και οι δύο αθλητές αγωνίζονται πολλά χρόνια στην κατηγορία 470, έχοντας κατακτήσει σημαντικές διακρίσεις, αλλά τον τελευταίο χρόνο βρέθηκαν μαζί ,στο ίδιο σκάφος σαν πλήρωμα.
Οι δύο αθλητές μαζί με τον ιδιωτικό τους προπονητή Θανάση Παχούμα προπονούνται εδώ και μία εβδομάδα στα νερά του Θερμαϊκού για να είναι κατάλληλα προετοιμασμένοι για τις ιδιαίτερες συνθήκες του αγωνιστικού στίβου.
Αν και το σκάφος του πληρώματος χρειάστηκε την τελευταία στιγμή κάποιες επισκευές λόγω παλαιότητας, οι Μάντη-Καγιαλής δήλωσαν πανέτοιμοι να αγωνιστούν και να κατακτήσουν την διάκριση που θα τους εντάξει στην Εθνική Ομάδα.
Ο Παναγιώτης Μάντης είναι αθλητής του Ι.Ο.Πειραιώς και ο Παύλος Καγιαλής του Ν.Ο.Κατοίκων Βουλιαγμένης.

Η πρώτη εκκίνηση του αγώνα θα δοθεί σήμερα Πέμπτη 12 Μαρτίου στις 13:00

Icebergs to Port, Icebergs to Starboard Down at 50 degrees south, Green Dragon has seen ice. Three bergs, that skipper Ian Walker estimated were 100 metres across and the size of a football pitch, were spotted shining in the darkness.

photo credit: Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race
PUMA Ocean Racing at night, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
The boat passed two bergs to windward and one to leeward. “I noticed this morning that a few more people are now wearing survival suits and we have made a point of closing all the water tight doors,” Ian noted.
Daylight came as a relief to the crew who have now gybed north towards the safety of the gate that was supposed to keep the fleet away from ice.
“Whilst I would love to see an iceberg in the daylight, I will be more than happy not to see any more ice in this race,” reported Ian.
Along with rounding Cape Horn, the sighting of an iceberg is something of a highlight of the Southern Ocean. Onboard Telefónica Blue, Spaniard Jordi Calafat is longing to see a berg.
“Cape Horn and seeing an iceberg will make this trip around world complete for him,” said skipper Bouwe Bekking.
For rookery New Zealander Chris Main, a helmsman on Green Dragon, the marathon leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race has been something of an adventure. Having never sailed a Volvo Open 70, Main arrived in Qingdao two days before the start, hoping, at least, to have two days sailing before the start of the 12,300 leg to Rio, but it was either too foggy or too windy.
“The start day turned out to be just right for my first ever sail on a Volvo Open 70, and with 40 days to Rio, the boys reckoned I’d have plenty of time to learn the ropes and be well and truly ready to get off,” Main says.
photo credit: Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race
Ericsson 3, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
Life onboard the Green Dragon has been full of ‘extremes’. “Beforehand you think about the sailing, the speed of the boats big waves and night time sail changes, but the real extreme experience is living in one of these ocean racing beasts while hurtling around the world’s oceans,” he explains.
On PUMA, skipper Ken Read reports that the crew are commenting on how thin each is looking. “It is interesting how you can especially feel your legs getting weaker, being in such a confined space for days and weeks on end,” he said.
According to Rick Deppe, PUMA’s MCM, the crew are devouring all the food he can put in front of them, but still disappearing before his eyes.
“No sooner are the day snacks put out than they disappear up on deck never to be seen again. I’ve witnessed people using a finger to get the last of the spaghetti sauce out of the bottom of the serving cooler,” he observed.
Meanwhile, in the drag race to the ice gate, Ericsson 3 - the freight train at the head of the fleet - is beginning to slow as she too drops off the weather system that abandoned the chasing pack yesterday.
Her average speed is down to 13 knots allowing small gains to be made by Ericsson 4, PUMA and Green Dragon.
photo credit: Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race
Erle Williams checks the trim to leeward, onboard PUMA Ocean Racing, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
“The next week of sailing has the potential to be the most exciting of the whole race,” says Ken Read. “We are in a neck and neck race with Ericsson 4, and, as for Ericsson 3, well anything might happen.”
Read reports that PUMA is blasting along between 18 and 24 knots and that the boat is jumping around and banging in the most violent way imaginable.
Not so for Telefónica Blue who is trapped by light airs in the south. “Another day in paradise. It could have been so nice if we had some boats around us,” said Bouwe Bekking.
Helmsman Simon Fisher adds, “Sadly, it has been another slow day for us and things seem to be set to stay that way as a ridge of high pressure is extending out in front of us, putting up a wall between us and the leaders.”
Telefónica Blue continues her fight, but is averaging only 10 knots and is now nearly 800 nm adrift of the leaders. “Even with all the optimism in the world, it is starting to get a little frustrating now,” Fisher said.
As soon as the leading pack are clear of the ice gate, the race south will begin and with it, for them, will come some tactical options.

Leg Five Day 26: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)
1. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) DTF 4,326 nm
2. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) +259
3. PUMA USA (Ken Read/USA) +287
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHI (Ian Walker/GBR) +565
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +799

Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

March 10, 2009

photo credit: Gabriele Olivo/Telefonica Blue/Volvo Ocean Race Disappointment among the crew (l-r) Xabier Fernadez, Jordi Calafat and Jonathan Swain Telefonica Blue suffered a cruel blow tonight when the Spanish boat broke its forestay while leading the fleet through the Southern Ocean on day 20 of the marathon Leg 5 from Qingdao to Rio.
If it was not hard enough starting the longest leg in the Volvo Ocean Race with a 19-hour deficit, quite what is going through the minds of Bouwe Bekking and his TELEFONICA BLUE team right now is all but impossible to contemplate. Having fought themselves back into contention and, indeed, the lead by the halfway point, Bekking and his comrades now find themselves faced with sailing the second half of the race - including the potentially brutal Cape Horn - with a broken forestay, a crack in the mast and a mainsail that might prove more useful in the galley should anything need a sieve. Is there any good news? "We've got plenty of food on board - enough to eat properly for at least fifty days. This is important because whatever happens it is probably going to take us more than forty days," says Bouwe, who adds, "at least we are still racing. It may only be with a limited amount of sail - so it feels like we're cruising - but we moving in the right direction." Bekking's current tale of misfortune began with the mainsail that started to delaminate before the scoring gate off New Zealand. "We had to sail with a reduced main, which certainly hampered our efforts to go fast and impacted on the tactical decisions at the time." Having answered that problem with glue, sheets of Kevlar cloth and a permanent reef, the headstay (which supports the mast longitudinally) promptly snapped at the top. "It looks like a material failure. We were sailing well within the safe working loads which have, theoretically, a huge margin built in before breaking strain is reached."
photo credit: Gabriele Olivo/Telefonica Blue/Volvo Ocean Race Average Wind Speed over 40Kn, gusts of up to 50Kn apparent, True Wind Speed 30-32Kn. The only protection is the helmet. Telefonica Blue approaching the Southern Ocean, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
COMPROMISED PERFORMANCE Quick reactions from the crew on deck, particularly the helm, saved TELEFONICA BLUE from losing the mast, the ultimate in rig catastrophes. With a jury (temporary) stay in place, comprising strops and halyards, the worst seemed to be over - albeit with some further serious limitations placed on performance, as Bekking describes: "upwind and any reaching closer than an angle of 120 degrees from behind we are truly compromised. Down wind we should be all right, as you don't need a headstay. The difference is huge though, upwind 2 - 3 knots slower and when reaching up to 6 knots slower." With 6,000 nautical miles to go, this is a mighty ball and chain to overcome, made all the more frustrating since to replace a headstay ashore is only a two-hour operation. With the discovery yesterday of the crack in the mast, the salt has been well and truly rubbed into the wounded TELEFONICA BLUE. And, whilst Bekking believes they have managed to get this latest issue under some semblance of control, they are doing their best to avoid any unnecessary risks. "We have had to stop again to rearrange our jury rig as we have discovered a small crack in the mast. It was not an easy job, and above all, it was time consuming. We had to adjust the lengths of strops from which our so-called forestay hangs several times in order to create the right bend in the mast again. The stretch in the rope is difficult to judge and I want to have it perfect. The crack is a concern, but not an overriding worry. With the action we've taken, the mast is better secured. Obviously, we are keeping an eye on it."
ON A POSSIBLE STOP At the moment there are no plans to stop en route, "of course, pulling in Ushuaia to sort out the breakages is an option, but we have to look at a lot of factors. It is a long way up to Ushuaia, then a 12 hour minimum stop and then a long way out of the strait. You could easily lose 400-800 miles depending on the prevailing weather, so we might be better off just heading straight to Rio." Things could be worse. "We almost hit a whale this morning," quips Bekking, who in his daily reports from the boat, reinforces that moral remains high in spite of the problems and a sense of perspective is being kept. Despite the considerable mental strain, no one is being shot at. Added to the physical ailments, TELEFONICA BLUE is suffering from a tactical decision that initially paid dividends, but now is exacting a high level of interest. The Blue boat continued south as the rest of the fleet has headed north and since that point has been steadily bleeding miles at a rate not wholly due to her problems. Bekking is philosophical, "it was a good feeling to lead the fleet and to be going faster than the boats around us. Unfortunately, we were too late anticipating the need to change course to the north for which we are paying. And, even without the damage, we would have lost some miles."

Ο πρώτος αγώνας της χρονιάς θα είναι και για το 2009 ο ημερήσιος αγώνας που διοργανώνει ο Ναυταθλητικός Όμιλος Δελφινάριο στη μνήμη του Γιάννη Καραπέτη την Κυριακή 15 Μαρτίου.

Πληροφορίες στην ιστοσελίδα του ΝΟΔ.

After more days going up wind than anyone in the Volvo fleet cares to remember, the fleet has finally cracked off and is experience ‘proper’ Southern Ocean conditions as the five boats race onwards towards Cape Horn and the second of two scoring gates on this leg of the course.

photo credit: Gustav Morin/Ericsson Racing Team/Volvo Ocean Race
Ericsson 3 trimmer Martin Strömberg and fellow crew on the grinders hoisting a foresail during Leg 5 from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
“What a relief. Finally the breeze has swung enough to let us ease sheets and get the good ship going fast in the right direction,” noted Ericsson 4’s bowman, Ryan Godfrey. “It has been days now that our distance to the finish has not budged, so what a pleasure the past 24-hours were, to be doing 20 knots and heading east,” he said.
Meanwhile, out in front, and averaging a comfortable 18.8 knots, with 3,000 nautical miles to run to Cape Horn is Magnus Olsson and his Nordic team onboard Ericsson 3. Olsson now has a lead of 111 nautical miles over Ken Read and PUMA, with Ericsson 4 a further seven miles in her wake.
As waves roll over the boat, making eyes sting with the salt, four of the five crews are revelling in the speeds and the miles that are steadily clicking off now. The fleet is now split over 400 nautical miles with Ericsson 3 in the north and Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) trapped in painfully light airs in the south.
photo credit: Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race
Waves wash across Green Dragon as Damian Foxall hangs onto the grinder pedestal during Leg 5 from Qingdao, China to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The crew is not happy, but is making the best of it. Although their 24-hour run was a miserable 266nm, compared with Green Dragon’s 491, now they are beginning to pick up speed as the conditions improve. The team broke their forestay two days ago, which although sounds dramatic, is not such a serious a problem on a Volvo Open 70, according to Chief Measurer for the class, James Dadd.
“In these boats, they do little other than stabilise the rig,” says Dadd. “The bolt ropes in the headsails take the load when hoisted, and you could virtually sail without a forestay a lot of the time,” he adds encouragingly. He advises that Telefónica Blue have to consider their tactics in avoiding going hard on the wind, when the risks of not having the forestay as a back up to the boltrope are more concerning.
Earlier in the week, when Ericsson 3 made her bold move to head north, Telefónica Blue’s Simon Fisher commented that the move could be one of genius or madness.
Now he concludes that it was a stroke of genius, and the southern route taken by his team is, “well, not good, would be a polite way of putting it.” As the rest of the fleet heads north and east, Bouwe Bekking and his men have to sit back and watch the rest of the competition blasting along, while they plod upwind.
photo credit: Gustav Morin/Ericsson Racing Team/Volvo Ocean Race
Mastman Anders Dahlsjö on the bow of Ericsson 3 as they approach the first ice gate during Leg 5 from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
For Volvo Ocean Race rookie, Ian Walker in charge of Green Dragon, 23 days is the longest he has ever been at sea, and the fleet has only just passed the half way point on this leg. His Dutch navigator, Wouter Verbraak, was exhausted by all the upwind sailing, and reported that everyone on the boat was miserable. “I find myself having to pull all my will together to get a smile on my face that keeps me going,” he said.
But, as soon as Green Dragon picked up her skirts and began charging towards the scoring gate, and with no prospect of up wind sailing for at least a week, appetites have returned along with enthusiasm.
Kenny Read, skipper of PUMA, however, is just taking it one day at a time. “Nearly every morning, when the sun comes up, I think to myself that the last 24-hours went really quickly and we are one day closer to our destination. To be honest, I couldn’t tell you what day of the week it was or what day it was. I couldn’t say, if my life depended on it, how many days we have been out here. It’s just one day at a time.”

Leg Five Day 23: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)
1. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) DTF 5,743 nm
2. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +111
3. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) +118
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHI (Ian Walker/GBR) +227
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +329

Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

Το Greek Challenge (GC) φαίνεται ότι σκαφιά σκαφιά γίνετε πραγματικότητα. Σήμερα δόθηκε μια συνέντευξη τύπου στο Ν.Ο.Ε. όπου οι βασικοί συμμετέχοντες παρουσιάσαν τόσο την Ελληνική ομάδα όσο και τα μελλοντικά τους σχέδια για το επόμενο America's Cup.

Ο Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος του GC, Σωτήρης Μπουζέας, έκανε μια σύντομη ανασκόπηση των πεπραγμένων τόσο στο προπονητικό camp στη Βαλένθια, όσο και πολύ περισσότερο στο καθαρά αγωνιστικό μέρος στο Ωκλαντ.
Αυτό που κρατάμε είναι η γενικά θετική εικόνα που παρουσίασε η ομάδα μας σε αγωνιστικό επιπέδο και φυσικά οι τρεις νίκες που σημείωσε, έναντι της Ν. Αφρικάνικης ομάδας. Για να δείτε πόσο δύσκολο είναι αυτό φανταστείτε ότι το shosholoza είναι μια ομάδα που συμμετείχε στο 32ο America's Cup και μέχρι να πετύχουν την πρώτη τους νίκη έδωσαν 28 αγώνες, εμείς μόλις στο δεύτερο αγώνα καταφέραμε να κερδίσουμε.
Όλη την κάλυψη και τους αγώνες της ομάδας μας μπορείτε να την παρακολουθήσετε σε παλαιότερα posts της istioselida's με το label Greek Challenge.

Τώρα όσον αφορά το μέλλον ειπώθηκε ότι θα γίνουν οι απαραίτητες ενέργειες ώστε να αποκτήσει η ομάδα μια βάση στη Βαλένθια και να προπονείτε, εφόσον πλέον είναι και επίσημα μια από τους διεκδικητές του 33ου America's Cup.
Μάλιστα πρόσφατα έλαβε χώρα μια συνάντηση, στη Βαλένθια, με όλες τους διεκδικητές , και το GC μαζί, που συζητήθηκαν οι διορθώσεις στον κανονισμό (Competition Regulations), ώστε να οριστικοποιηθεί.
Οι βασικότερες διορθώσεις και εξελίξεις είναι:

• μια αλλαγή στο πρωτόκολλο που θα επιτρέπει την μετακίνηση σχεδιαστών ανάμεσα στις ομάδες
  
• διόρισαν δύο νέα μέλη στην επιτροπή διαιτησίας
  
• Οι 19 ομάδες συμφώνησαν στον διορισμό του Αμερικανού David Pedrick στη θέση του τεχνικού διευθυντή του 33ου America's Cup
• Συζητήθηκε ποιες πόλεις θα φιλοξενήσουν aτις διοργανώσεις (λέτε να δούμε και τίποτα στη χώρα μας; δεν θα το απόκλεια)
  
• Το πλάνο για τις προ-ρεγκάτες που θα γίνουν το 2009 και τον τελικό που θα γίνει το 2010 στη Βαλένθια.
• Συμφώνησαν επίσης ότι οι προ-ρεκγάτες του 2009 θα γίνουν με τα νέα σκάφη ACC Version 5.0 υποχρεωτικά για όλες τις ομάδες. Οι ομάδες θα πάρουν τις βάσεις τους μόλις οριστικοποιήσουν τη συμμετοχή τους.

Όπως φαίνετε τα πράματα προχωράνε και θα έχουμε σύντομα περισσότερες εξελίξεις...

Το Σάββατο 14 Μαρτίου 2009 και ώρα 17:00 θα πραγματοποιηθεί συνάντηση των ιδιοκτητών των πιστοποιημένων κατά IRC σκαφών στην αίθουσα των σχολών του ΝΟΕ (μπλε αίθουσα) στο Μικρολίμανο, εκεί δηλαδή που είχε γίνει και πέρυσι.
Στη συνάντηση θα παρουσιαστούν οι κανονισμοί για το 2008, θα συζητηθούν τα θέματα που θα έχουν υποβληθεί από τους ιδιοκτήτες και θα διενεργηθούν εκλογές για την εκλογή του προεδρίου της ένωσης ιδιοκτητών.
Τα θέματα για την ημερήσια διάταξη και οι υποψηφιότητες για το προεδρείο πρέπει να υποβληθούν εγγράφως στο γραφείο του IRC μέχρι τη Δευτέρα 9 Μαρτίου 2009.
Η λίστα των υποψηφίων καθώς και η ημερήσια διάταξη θα ανακοινωθούν την Τετάρτη 11 Φεβρουαρίου.
Δικαίωμα συμμετοχής στη συνάντηση, υποβολής θεμάτων και υποψηφιότητας για το προεδρείο έχουν οι ιδιοκτήτες σκαφών με πιστοποιητικό IRC 2008 ή 2009 με μία ψήφο για κάθε σκάφος.
Σε περίπτωση που ο ιδιοκτήτης δεν έχει τη δυνατότητα να παραστεί στη συνάντηση, μπορεί να εξουσιοδοτήσει έναν εκπρόσωπο, ενημερώνοντας σχετικά ή, εναλλακτικά, μπορεί να στείλει την ψήφο του με email ή fax μέχρι τις 13 Μαρτίου.
Το προεδρείο αποτελείται από έναν πρόεδρο και δύο αντιπροέδρους. Το 2008 το προεδρείο αποτελούσαν οι:
Σταύρος Παπαγιαννόπουλος (ΑΟΝ) – πρόεδρος
Στέφανος Μεταξιώτης (ALPHA BANK ΒΟΡΑΣ) - αντιπρόεδρος
Ιωάννης Κοψιδάς (JINETERA) - αντιπρόεδρος

περισσότερα στο επίσημο site του IRC Greece

photo credit: Rick Deppe/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race
'The sky at night' onboard PUMA Ocean Racing, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro

A flat-out, pedal-to-the-metal, and don’t-spare-the-horses drag race finally settled the first points for Leg 5.
Ericsson 4 went through the scoring gate at 36 degrees S just after midnight GMT.
Torben Grael and his team picked up the four points by a mere 32 minutes of advantage from their sistership – and second-placed Ericsson 3 was only 10 minutes in front of PUMA.
The gap back to Telefonica Blue was a little bigger, but still only a couple of hours, with Green Dragon just over another hour behind.
photo credit: Gabriele Olivo/Telefonica Blue/Volvo Ocean Race
Telefonica Blue, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro
More on Ericsson 3: Magnus Olsson has cut loose his young gun navigator Aksel Magdahl on E3. As it turns out there was a routing option going clockwise to the north. read here
photo credit: Guy Salter/Ericsson 4/Volvo Ocean Race
Fiji, as seen from onboard Ericsson 4, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro

Leg Five Day 18: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)

1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 7,353 nm
2. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +11
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +11
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHI (Ian Walker/GBR) +60
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +62

Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

more on www.volvooceanrace.org

After negotiating the two islands that make up Fiji yesterday, the pack was split in its decision to go east, west or straight between the islands. Today, as the islands fade into the distance, Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA), who chose an easterly course along with Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) and Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) is back at the top of the pack as the fleet heads south towards New Zealand.

Unfortunately for the New Zealanders in the crew, and there are 10 of them, five of whom make up the Ericsson 4 crew, there will be no stop in New Zealand for the Volvo Ocean Race this time, which is causing some anxiety among the crews. Ian Walker has hidden the passports onboard Green Dragon in case his two, Andrew McClean and Chris Main, make a swim for it.

“There was already some talk of swimming ashore as we sailed through the islands off the eastern tip of Fiji, so we will have to stay out of swimming range of the New Zealand coast,” he said.

Onboard Ericsson 4, the crew are relieved as, once again, they become the southernmost boat in the fleet. A milestone onboard today has been passing the ‘8,000 nm to go’ point. “It’s funny to hear the guys saying ‘only 8,000 miles to go’. Our minds must be bending a little out here as 8,000 nm is still a very long way to go,” wrote Ericsson 4’s bowman Ryan Godfrey. “The breeze is still pretty light and I suspect that we are falling behind all our earlier routing runs. One upside of this is that I am now secretly confident that my Cape Horn ETA bet is looking good, as it is one of the later dates.Throughout the fleet, everyone onboard is happy and relaxed as the breeze has settled and the boats are rolling along on an endless port tack at around 14 knots.

photo credit: www.musketcovefiji.com PUMA Ocean Racing sailing off the North Coast of Viti Levu, Fiji, as they take the lead on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race

Two crew are particularly happy: Magnus Olsson, skipper of Ericsson 3, is happy because he is a coffee addict. All the food bags onboard his boat seemed to contain just pre-packed cappuccinos and small bags with ready mixed coffee and Magnus wanted the ‘real stuff’, with no sugar or anything else added. For days, MCM Gustav Morin rummaged through almost half their food bags, but no real coffee. After 15 days at sea, 18 for most of the crew, Magnus had got used to it, but yesterday, when Gustav opened a bag he hadn’t looked in before, there it was. Magnus celebrated. The other happy skipper is Ian Walker, for almost the same reason, except that he wanted powered milk so he could have a nice cup of tea, and this, at last, has come to light.But, onboard PUMA (Ken Read/USA) in second place, MCM Rick Deppe, is not happy. In fact, he’s pretty grumpy, having been wakened from his nice sleeping place on a beanbag in a cool corner at the back of the boat, when the wind went light and the crew needed to move the weight forward. Rick declined the offer of sleeping on a wet sail forward of the mast next to the rubbish bags and instead thought a cup of tea would be just the thing.

photo credit: Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race
Ericsson 3 hit rough weather, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race
“I head off to the galley only to discover that we are out of tea bags for the next couple of days. In theory, I am the only tea drinker on the boat and I am allocated three bags per day. The problem is that other people tend to become tea drinkers the moment they step on board,” he said. He settled for coffee on deck and, at 0310, he was cheered up by the beauty of the night. “The wind was blowing around nine knots and the sea was perfectly flat, subsequently no splashing at all – a very rare occurrence on a Volvo 70. This fact alone was enough to cheer me up. The coffee was warm and tasted great and I had had a brilliant 45 minutes up on the foredeck, and no-one even knew I was there.”Onboard Telefónica Blue, the team has been celebrating navigator Tom Addis’ 39th birthday with a small bottle of wine and some macadamia nuts. “A small sip of wine was a treat to the palette after water-maker water for so many days for sure,” said helmsman Simon Fisher.The theme of food continues to Ericsson 4, where the crew has been amusing themselves with a ‘pea-throwing’ competition. “We have an abundance of what we thought were wasabi coated peas, but something was lost in our Chinese and we ended up with peas covered in an unknown and flavourless coating,” explains Ryan Godfrey.
The crew is now seeing who can throw a pea and get it through the 30mm mainsail clew ring from a distance of four metres. “It is harder than it sounds as the apparent wind has to be taken into consideration,” says Ryan. So far, only one pea has made it through the ring, thrown by Brad Jackson. “There is some doubt if it went through as he claims it did,” Godfrey added.Onboard Ericsson 3, the crew is preparing for the Southern Ocean and being more vigilant with their eating, sleeping and adhering to the watch system properly. “We can’t afford the guys to be burned out and sick after the first part of the leg and not be 100 per cent when we reach the Southern Ocean,” says Gustav Morin. The team believes they will put in a strong performance in the Southern Ocean, provided they stay in shape.The flat water and medium wind speeds, with few sail changes, is allowing the crews to sleep well on their off watch and recharge their batteries in preparation for what is ahead. “We may have done 5,000 nm, but this leg has hardly started,” said Ian Walker.Ericsson 4 has 570nm to run until she is level with the northernmost point of New Zealand.
photo credit: Gabriele Olivo/Telefonica Blue/Volvo Ocean Race
Jonathan Swain trimming, on Telefonica Blue, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro

They are 780 nm from the northwestern tip and 682 nm due north of the latitude 36 scoring gate. The fleet is currently split across an east/west divide of approximately 45 nm with Telefónica Blue the westernmost boat in the fleet and Ericsson 4 in the east.

Leg Five Day 16: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)

1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 7,841 nm

2. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +18
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +27
4. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +50
5. Green Dragon IRL/CHI (Ian Walker/GBR) +58

Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS

Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS