Volvo Ocean Race, Telefonica Blue: e adesso?
Equipo TelefonicaEricsson RacingGreen Dragon RacingOceanoPuma Ocean RacingTeam Delta LloydTeam RussiaVelaVolvo Ocean Race 24 Aprile 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic=2347,300,204,,left]Volvo Ocean Race – Oceano Atlantico – “Quanto fatto durante lo Stealth Play è risultato del tutto inutile. La realtà è che non solo abbiamo perso terreno su Ericsson 4, ma siamo stati sopravanzati anche da altri avversari a causa della decisione di strambare troppo presto”. E’ sconsolato Bouwe Bekking ora che il suo equipaggio si ritrova a recitare il ruolo da inseguito a inseguitore. Nel giro degli ultimi due giorni, infatti, le carte sulla tavola di questa sesta tappa sono state rimescolate più volte e ad avere la mano peggiore è sempre stato l’equipaggio spagnolo, senza dubbio meritevole di miglior fortuna.
Una notizia, quella del crollo di Telefonica Blue, che non è certo dispiaciuta alla flotta, visto che andare a riprendere il leader vuol dire aprire nuovamente i giochi per il successo della frazione: “E’ un finale da brivido, non c’è che dire – ha commentato Rick Deppe, MCM di Puma – Sarà una lotta a quattro e sono comvinto che tutto si deciderà in volata, o quasi”.
Momenti di vero trambusto a bordo di Ericsson 4, dove la rottura del dissaltore, indispensabile per creare acqua potabile, sta obbligando i membri dell’equipaggio a pompare a mano su quello di emergenza senza soluzione di continuità. Un’avaria che ha tra l’altro inciso sulle abitudini di bordo: caffè e the, infatti, sono stati razionati.
Il gruppetto di testa, passato attraverso una zona di poca aria, ha ripreso a marciare con passo sostenuto ed è in rotta per Boston. Tutto ciò mentre i tre più attardati, Team Delta Lloyd, Green Dragon e Telefonica Black stanno fronteggiando una burrasca con vento teso e mare agitato, burrasca che Gustav Morin, MCM di Ericsson 3, ha descritto così, quando è toccato ai suoi passarci in mezzo: “Tutti sono in coperta per dare una mano a chi è in turno. La barca sbatte violentemente sulle onde, al punto che a volte, per rallentarla ed evitare danni strutturali, il timoniere è costretto a portarla nel vento.
Anche per i fanalini di coda, quindi, la regata non è certo noiosa, come fa notare Wouter Verbraak, navigatore di Team Russia prima e del Team Delta Lloyd poi: “Sembra proprio che sarà una battaglia di qui all’arrivo. Una battaglia che ci porterà compatti ad attraversare la corrente del Golfo mentre attorno a noi il meteo varierà di continuo. Vedremo il vero volto dell’Oceano. Sono qui che scrivo e mi domando: di che altro abbiamo bisogno?”
Leg 6, day 12, 13.00 GMT, rankings
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 487 nm
2. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magus Olsson/SWE) +36 nm
3. Telefonica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +40 nm
4. Il Mostro USA (Ken Read/USA) +62 nm
5. Team Delta Lloyd NED (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) +116 nm
6. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +125 nm
7. Telefonica Black ESP (Fernando Echavarri/ESP) +131 nm
IS IT ALL OVER FOR TELEFÓNICA BLUE AS ERICSSON 4 TAKES LEAD?
[Volvo Ocean Race Press Release] The gybe onto port yesterday was critical. Bouwe Bekking and his boys on Telefónica Blue were struggling with boatspeed against the powerful Ericsson 4 and both boats went into hiding to keep the moment of their manoeuvre secret for a long as possible.
When they emerged, it became clear that it had been a catastrophic 12 hours for Telefónica Blue, who dropped to third place on the leg leaderboard, and a victory for Torben Grael and Ericsson 4, the runaway leaders in the Volvo Ocean Race. By 19.00 GMT yesterday, Ericsson 4 was 50 miles ahead and Telefónica Blue was down to fourth place.
“The outcome during our stealth period has been really bad,” wrote Bouwe Bekking on his website. Bouwe had warned two days ago that the time of the gybe could be a leg winning call and he admitted that his team had mistimed it and made a huge mistake. “The reality was that we couldn’t hold off Ericsson 4. They were sailing much faster than us last night, but by gybing too early, we lost against the rest of the fleet,” he wrote.
“Heartbreaking for them, but the sweet smell of blood for the Ericssons and ourselves,” wrote PUMA’s MCM Rick Deppe. “It looks like a four-way fight to the finish,” he added.
In the middle of all the cloak and dagger tactics onboard Ericsson 4, the crew had a disaster when they discovered their watermaker was damaged badly.
“We have immediately banned coffee and tea and our meal will be significantly reduced,” explained Guy Salter MCM. “We have decided on a dangerously low 1.5 litres per person to drink, and have separated up each quota into a bottle, which the individual will be responsible for,” he said.
The team has taken out the larger of their emergency watermakers, which are a reverse osmosis, hand operated device. “We are taking it in turns to pump for 30 minutes, which is no mean feat,” Salter said.
Dehydration is one of the biggest problems in this race and the teams are always forcing everyone to drink as much fluid as possible. Even a few per cent of dehydration can result in a significant decrease in brain and physical performance.
The leading four boats, Ericsson 4, Ericsson 3, Telefónica Blue and PUMA have now popped out the other side to the ridge of cold pressure, which has been causing the problems and are into steady breeze again, while the remaining three are still dealing with big seas and 30 knots of breeze. Ericsson 3’s MCM, Gustav Morin, described conditions onboard as ‘organised chaos’ as they struggled to change to a smaller headsail and reef the mainsail in the worst of the weather.
“All hands are on deck. The sea state has quickly become pretty bad. The boat is slamming into the waves and the entire boat is rocking from the sails flapping when the helmsman sometimes has to steer head to wind in attempt to take the boat through this crazy front,” he said.
Right back in the game is Ian Walker’s Green Dragon, who made an excellent crossing of the front and are only nine 11 miles behind Delta Lloyd. Telefónica Black who although made a good job of crossing the front and has a favourable angle to the finish in Boston, has dropped to seventh place, but is only six miles behind the Dragons.
“It looks like the last miles to the finish are going to provide us with ocean racing at its best. Close racing in the fleet, the Gulf Stream, fronts, and a light wind high-pressure system to cross. What more do you need?” asks Wouter Verbraak, Delta Lloyd’s irrepressible navigator.
Leg 6, day 12, 13.00 GMT, rankings
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 487 nm
2. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magus Olsson/SWE) +36 nm
3. Telefonica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +40 nm
4. Il Mostro USA (Ken Read/USA) +62 nm
5. Team Delta Lloyd NED (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) +116 nm
6. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +125 nm
7. Telefonica Black ESP (Fernando Echavarri/ESP) +131 nm
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