Volvo Ocean Race, a Telefonica Blue la In-Port Race di Boston
Equipo TelefonicaEricsson RacingGreen Dragon RacingOceanoPuma Ocean RacingVelaVolvo Ocean Race 9 Maggio 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic=2438,300,204,,left]Volvo Ocean Race – Boston – Due primi in altrettante manche e Telefonica Blue fa sua la In-Port Race di Boston, disputate in condizioni di vento leggero e foschia, tali da obbligare il Comitato di Regata a un ritardo nell’avvio delle procedure di partenza.
Timonato da Iker Martinez, con Bouwe Bekking a far da tattico, lo scafo dell’Equipo Telefonica, secondo in classifica generale dietro a Ericsson 4, ha così consolidato la sua posizione. Dal canto suo, infatti, lo scafo di Torben Grael (3-2) finendo secondo ha contenuto i danni e ha fatto ciò che doveva fare per evitare di vedere il suo margine di vantaggio limarsi eccessivamente.
Chi invece ha deluso le aspettative è stato Puma (4-5), finito a pari punti con Ericsson 3 (3-6) e Telefonica Black (5-4) ma penalizzato dal confronto dei parziali: per gli uomini di Ken Read, padrone di casa che quando ospita non bada a spese in fatto di punti regalati agli avversari, è così arrivato un amaro sesto posto. Piazamento che, a conti fatti, vuol dire cedere il passo a Telefonica Blue di tre lunghezze.
Viste le differenze di rendimento in senso assoluto – il VOR 70 di Bouwe Bekking pare oggettivamente più performante dello scafo statunitense – per gli uomini in rosso forse sarebbe meglio pensare ad amministrare il vantaggio su Ericsson 3, lontano la bellezza di dieci punti, ma che da quando è finito in mano a Magnus Olsson ha lanciato il proprio assalto alle posizioni di testa.
Chi certamente non dimenticherà troppo presto la In-Port Race di Boston è Team Delta Lloyd. Sotto la guida di Roberto Bermudez gli uomini dell’ex ABN Amro One hanno messo le ali e si sono piazzati al terzo posto: davvero niente male, considerando che alle spalle sono rimasti i guà citati Ericsson 3 e Telefonica Black.
Continua il momento no di Green Dragon: ben messo nel corso della prima regata, Ian Walker ha commesso un errore costato una penalità e un pessimo piazzamento che ha finito per segnare negativamente la giornata. I cino-irlandesi difendono comunque agevolmente dal ritorno di Telefonica Black il quinto posto in classifica generale.
Boston In-Port Race, results
1. Telefonica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 4 points
2. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 3.5 points
3. Team Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP) 3 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 2.5 points
5. Telefonica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) 2.0 points
6. Il Mostro (Ken Read/USA) 1.5 points
7. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 1.0 points
Volvo Ocean Race, overall standing
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 81 points
2. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 68.5 points
3. Il Mostro (Ken Read/USA) 65.5 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 55.0 points
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 45.0 points
6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) 31.0 points
7. Team Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP) 24.0 points
8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp, RUS) 10.5 points
TELEFÓNICA BLUE DOMINATES IN BOSTON
[Volvo Ocean Race Press Release] Telefónica Blue ruled the day on Saturday afternoon earning two wins from two starts on in-port race day at the Volvo Ocean Race stopover at Fan Pier, in Boston.
With Iker Martinez on the helm and Bouwe Bekking calling tactics, Telefónica Blue dominated the afternoon, leading from pole to pole in both races.
Racing was postponed for forty minutes in very light conditions before a weak sea breeze developed for the first race. Green Dragon and Ericsson 4 raced off the start line at the pin end and looked good initially, but by the top mark, Telefónica Blue and Team Delta Lloyd had used the right side of the course to their advantage to lead the fleet.
Approaching the top mark, Green Dragon was still holding a good third place position but trouble on their final tack to the mark left the boat floundering on the layline, with Ericsson 4 and Puma roaring past. Upon rounding the mark, Green Dragon compounded their problems when they infringed on Ericsson 3, leaving both boats nearly still in the water. The Dragons acknowledged their mistake with a penalty turn, and trailed the fleet the rest of the way.
At the front, Telefónica Blue was never threatened, while Team Delta Lloyd earned a tremendous second place result with overall Volvo Ocean Race leader Ericsson 4 close behind.
The hometown heroes on Puma were fighting with Telefónica Black for most of the race with fourth place as the goal, and in the end, Ken Read’s men were able to hold off the Black boat. Ericsson 3 never recovered from their incident with Green Dragon and limped home in sixth.
In the short delay between races, cloud and thin fog enveloped the race course, killing the sea breeze, but bringing a stronger gradient wind. Racing started in 10-12 knots.
There was plenty of action on the start line for race two with Telefónica Blue appearing to be danger of starting early just moments before the start gun fired. But Iker Martinez was able to luff up, slow down, and earn some precious room between himself and the pin mark. In the event, Blue had a clean start at the pin with plenty of speed.
Others weren’t as lucky. Puma and both Ericsson boats were unable to scrub off enough speed and were called out for being over the line early. They all had to return and re-start while the others raced away at speed.
For Telefónica Blue, this early advantage was enough. Iker Martinez and Bouwe Bekking never looked back and stormed away to their second race win on the afternoon.
It wasn’t so simple behind. Telefónica Black, in clear air after three boats returned to restart, also sailed a strong first leg. As did Team Delta Lloyd. And Ericsson 4 recovered well from the start line error to round the first mark in fourth place. But Puma and Ericsson 3 remained at the back of the pack for the first lap of the course.
Everything changed on the second beat to windward. A big right-hand shift saw Team Delta Lloyd stranded on the wrong side of the race course and tumble from third to sixth place. Ericsson 3 moved up to fourth place, while Puma clawed their way past Green Dragon and Team Delta Lloyd.
On the final run, both Ericsson boats gybed inside Telefónica Black to make a pass and set up some complicated math for the race committee in determining the overall standings on the day.
In the final accounting, Telefónica Blue was the runaway winner, with Ericsson 4 clear second and Team Delta Lloyd holding on for third place. A three-way tie for fourth was decided in favour of the stronger position in the second race; terrible news for the hometown favourites on Puma. It meant Ericsson 3 would grab fourth, Telefónica Black fifth while Puma was left in sixth place. Green Dragon, with two seventh place finishes, brought up the rear.
On the overall leaderboard, Telefónica Blue creeps half a point closer to Ericsson 4, but more importantly opens up some margin over Puma in the battle for second place.
The next in-port race day is in Galway on 30 May. But to get there, the fleet will race from Boston beginning next Saturday, 16 May.
Boston In-Port Race, results
1. Telefonica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 4 points
2. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 3.5 points
3. Team Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP) 3 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 2.5 points
5. Telefonica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) 2.0 points
6. Il Mostro (Ken Read/USA) 1.5 points
7. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 1.0 points
Volvo Ocean Race, overall standing
1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) 81 points
2. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) 68.5 points
3. Il Mostro (Ken Read/USA) 65.5 points
4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 55.0 points
5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR) 45.0 points
6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) 31.0 points
7. Team Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez/ESP) 24.0 points
8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp, RUS) 10.5 points
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