Volvo Ocean Race, navigando verso l’ignoto
Equipo TelefonicaEricsson RacingGreen Dragon RacingOceanoPuma Ocean RacingTeam Delta LloydTeam RussiaVelaVolvo Ocean Race 12 Dicembre 2008 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic=1082,250,170,,left]Volvo Ocean Race – Cochin – Avrà inizio domani la terza tappa della Volvo Ocean Race, che porterà gli otto equipaggi in gara da Cochin a Singapore. La tappa più breve di tutta la manifestazione; 1950 miglia nautiche che verranno percorse in una settimana o poco più.
Anche questa volta i problemi e i disagi non mancheranno, a partire dai piccoli pescherecci in legno, alle rotte delle navi commerciali, al caldo equatoriale ,all’umidità e alla scarsa intensità del vento, per arrivare, infine, alla pirateria. Particolarmente impegnativo sarà il transito attraverso lo Stretto di Malacca, dove lo scontro tra i monsoni e la zona settentrionale delle calme equatoriali, creano una forte instabilità metereologica.
“Sarà una tappa piena di insidie – ha spiegato lo skipper di Ericsson 4, Torben Grael – e per questo molto eccitante. Il vincitore probabilmente sarà scelto dalla Dea bendata”.
“Non ho davvero alcuna idea di cosa potrà succedere – spiega lo skipper di Green Dragon, Ian Walker – e non voglio fare nessuna previsione. Vivremo al meglio giorno per giorno quello che accadrà”.
“Sono convinto che l’India abbia accolto questa manifestazione a braccia aperte – ha spiegato lo skipper de Il Mostro, Ken Read – e di conseguenza anche noi abbiamo accolto l’India a braccia aperte. E’ stata un’esperienza meravigliosa e mi sento di ringraziare gli organizzatori per aver inserito questa nuova tappa”.
Classifica generale dopo due tappe
1 – Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) pt. 26
2 – Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) pt. 19
3 – Puma Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) pt. 18
4 – Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) pt. 16
5 – Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE) pt. 14.5
6 – Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) pt. 8.5
7 – Team Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) pt. 7.5
8 – Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) pt. 7.5
Per seguire la regata sul web clicca qui.
SAILING INTO THE UNKNOWN
[singlepic=1081,250,170,,left][Press Release] The Volvo Ocean Race fleet is set to sail into the unknown on Saturday when leg three starts from Cochin, India. The finish line is off Singapore, and the fleet is expected to take just over a week to get there.
Following the first ever stopover for the race in Asia, the eight teams are preparing to tackle what is expected to be a light, fluky, upwind leg, with plenty of potential pitfalls along the way.
Leg three is the shortest so far in the race – at 1,950 nautical miles – and takes the fleet around the southern tip of India and west into the Straits of Malacca, which ranks amongst the busiest shipping channels in the world. As much of the route straddles the equator, light, changeable conditions are expected for much of the leg.
“It’s going to be a tough leg, with more upwind than in previous legs, and a lot of hazards along the way, so I think it will be quite exciting,” said Torben Grael, the skipper of the race leading Ericsson 4. “There will be a lot of challenges and it could be decided by luck or a cloud.”
“I have a feeling that we really don’t have any idea as to what might happen,” agreed Ian Walker, the skipper of Green Dragon. “I wouldn’t make any predictions on this leg; we just have to get on it.”
In addition to the commercial shipping hazard, large fishing fleets made up of small, local boats could prove difficult to avoid, while piracy remains a threat on this leg as well. Conditions on board will be extremely uncomfortable, as the equatorial heat and humidity takes its toll on the crews.
For all that, at the skippers’ press conference on Friday, many of the sailors spoke of how much they have enjoyed their brief time in Cochin, a place that few professional sailors expected to encounter in their careers.
“It’s clear that India has taken in this race with open arms and the race has taken India in with open arms,” enthused PUMA skipper Ken Read. “It’s been a wonderful experience here. I think we were all looking forward to it on the one hand but felt slight trepidation on the other hand because we’re venturing into the unknown. But so far, it’s proved to all involved that this could be one of the best decisions ever made in boat racing to bring the race to this part of the world.”
The race start for leg three is scheduled for 1530 local time in Cochin (1000 GMT) and will follow a Parade of Sail as well as a ‘Ceremonial Start’ (at 1400 local) which will take place in the channel alongside the Race Village. Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to gather along the river banks and in the Race Village itself to send the fleet off to Singapore.
There will be live audio commentary of the start on www.volvooceanrace.org, starting at 1515, local time (0945 GMT) as well as a start blog featuring written commentary and photos from the build-up to the start.
General standing after two leg
1 – Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) pt. 26
2 – Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) pt. 19
3 – Puma Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) pt. 18
4 – Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) pt. 16
5 – Ericsson 3 SWE (Anders Lewander/SWE) pt. 14.5
6 – Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) pt. 8.5
7 – Team Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) pt. 7.5
8 – Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) pt. 7.5
To follow the race on the web click here.
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.