lunedì 16 febbraio 2009
Ericsson 3 corre la Volvo Ocean Race con un equipaggio dei paesi nordici.
La quarta tappa della regata è stata per loro una vera e propria odissea.
Il 27 di gennaio hanno scoperto che una vasta sezione della prua si era completamente delaminata, un danno strutturale gravissimo, la barca faceva acqua nessuna alternativa se non il ritiro.
O per lo meno quello che tutti hanno interpretato come un ritiro...
Hanno fatto rotta su Taiwan dove sono rimasti due settimane per riparare i danni (hanno praticamente sostituito la parte bassa della prua).
Con grande ironia hanno evidenziato sulla barca la zona riparata disegnandoci una forbice da taglio e cucito e poi la decisione di Magnus Olsson:
"Penso di aver partecipato ad alotre 40 tappe tra Whitbread e Volvo Ocean Race e non mi sono mai ritirato. Sono sempre arrivato al traguardo con il mio equipaggio e questa è l'occasione per farlo anche in un'ottima posizione di classifica."
Quindi nessun ritiro, sono arrivati a Quingdao con equipaggio ridotto, due settimane dopo il primo, ma ancora in regata.
La cosa surreale è che mentre loro arrivavano gli altri, freschi freschi, stavano partendo per la tappa successiva che li porterà in Brasile dopo circa 13.000 miglia di navigazione.
Ericsson 3 si è fermata in porto solo per un paio d'ore per fare cambusa, gasolio ed imbarcare altri 3 membri di equipaggio e poi via alla caccia dei fuggitivi.
Una leggenda raccontata dagli amici di Vela Blog narra che Magnus durante la breve sosta in porto si sia fermato in un bar per ordinare una pinta di birra.
Dopo averla bevuta tutta d'un fiato ha tirato un pugno sul bancone, ha mollato un gran rutto e si è rimesso al timone per l'inseguimento ... ;-)
I sui antenati vichinghi avrebbero molto apprezzato!
Ericsson Racing Team’s Nordic crew finished Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race a couple of weeks late and started Leg 5 a few hours late, but that hasn’t diminished skipper Magnus Olsson’s ebullience.
“They saw us,” Olsson said, referring to the three boats that took the scheduled start of Leg 5 at 1300 local (0500 GMT). “And I saw they were sheeting on the sails because they’re afraid we’re going to catch up. I saw how they tried to go faster when they saw us.”
Ericsson 3 started Leg 5 at 1950 local, but having achieved its primary goal of finishing Leg 4. Ericsson 3 crossed the finish line at 1801 to collect the 4 points available for placing fifth. Ericsson 3 has 28 points overall, and trails fourth-placed Green Dragon by 2 points.
The finish completed an odyssey that started on Jan. 27 when the bow forward of the watertight bulkhead was found flooded. Later inspection revealed damage to the outer carbon-fiber skin, as well as delamination of both inner and outer skins.
Ericsson 3 spent two weeks in Taiwan making repairs, and when it arrived in Qingdao it had new graphics on the blue hull and orange bow: a white, dashed line around the new piece of hull with scissors mocking the cut out.
Instead of the celebratory bottle of champagne for finishing a leg, the crew made a beeline for the dock where new sails, a spare fuel tank, extra fuel, a slew of food bags, extra clothing and extra sailors waited. After less than two hours, the crew pushed off to join Leg 5, 12,300 nautical miles to Brazil.
“I feel very confident with the boat. The boatbuilders are fantastic,” Olsson said. “I never felt, even though it was a rush, I never felt they’d rush and send us out if they weren’t happy. There was one day a few things went wrong so they had to redo that. They said it was only 90 percent good and wanted it 100 percent. We were six hours delayed perhaps, but it doesn’t matter.”
The Nordic crew’s deficit to the fleet was minimized because of the light winds the three boats battled for most of the afternoon. But the Nordics still had to complete the 5-nautical-mile circuit along Qingdao’s headlands and beaches before heading out to open sea. And, much to their chagrin, the wind had died away again to 6 knots or less.
That didn’t seem to matter to Magnus and the Nordics, who were happier with their finish than Jason and the Argonauts when they discovered the Golden Fleece.
“I think I’ve done 40 legs in the Whitbread/Volvo and I’ve never abandoned one. I’ve always finished. And this feels like the best finish I’ve ever made,” Olsson said dockside.
“We are fifth and pick up 4 points, and the reason is our fantastic boatbuilders and shore team,” Olsson continued. “They never gave up when it was very hopeless. They were battling on and wanted us to finish in time for the next start. We almost made it. It feels bonus to be here. I’m so happy to be here.”
Ericsson Racing Team’s Nordic crew finished Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race a couple of weeks late and started Leg 5 a few hours late, but that hasn’t diminished skipper Magnus Olsson’s ebullience.
“They saw us,” Olsson said, referring to the three boats that took the scheduled start of Leg 5 at 1300 local (0500 GMT). “And I saw they were sheeting on the sails because they’re afraid we’re going to catch up. I saw how they tried to go faster when they saw us.”
Ericsson 3 started Leg 5 at 1950 local, but having achieved its primary goal of finishing Leg 4. Ericsson 3 crossed the finish line at 1801 to collect the 4 points available for placing fifth. Ericsson 3 has 28 points overall, and trails fourth-placed Green Dragon by 2 points.
The finish completed an odyssey that started on Jan. 27 when the bow forward of the watertight bulkhead was found flooded. Later inspection revealed damage to the outer carbon-fiber skin, as well as delamination of both inner and outer skins.
Ericsson 3 spent two weeks in Taiwan making repairs, and when it arrived in Qingdao it had new graphics on the blue hull and orange bow: a white, dashed line around the new piece of hull with scissors mocking the cut out.
Instead of the celebratory bottle of champagne for finishing a leg, the crew made a beeline for the dock where new sails, a spare fuel tank, extra fuel, a slew of food bags, extra clothing and extra sailors waited. After less than two hours, the crew pushed off to join Leg 5, 12,300 nautical miles to Brazil.
“I feel very confident with the boat. The boatbuilders are fantastic,” Olsson said. “I never felt, even though it was a rush, I never felt they’d rush and send us out if they weren’t happy. There was one day a few things went wrong so they had to redo that. They said it was only 90 percent good and wanted it 100 percent. We were six hours delayed perhaps, but it doesn’t matter.”
The Nordic crew’s deficit to the fleet was minimized because of the light winds the three boats battled for most of the afternoon. But the Nordics still had to complete the 5-nautical-mile circuit along Qingdao’s headlands and beaches before heading out to open sea. And, much to their chagrin, the wind had died away again to 6 knots or less.
That didn’t seem to matter to Magnus and the Nordics, who were happier with their finish than Jason and the Argonauts when they discovered the Golden Fleece.
“I think I’ve done 40 legs in the Whitbread/Volvo and I’ve never abandoned one. I’ve always finished. And this feels like the best finish I’ve ever made,” Olsson said dockside.
“We are fifth and pick up 4 points, and the reason is our fantastic boatbuilders and shore team,” Olsson continued. “They never gave up when it was very hopeless. They were battling on and wanted us to finish in time for the next start. We almost made it. It feels bonus to be here. I’m so happy to be here.”
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6 commenti:
fico
Qualcuno ha visto ieri sera la penosa trasmissione su yacht and sail dove erano presenti persone a noi note?
Alla domanda sui falsi gruppo 1 l'armatore di matrix (MELEGARI) si e' fatto una bella risata..mentre gli altri ospiti( Negri,D'Ali e Magni) rimanevano in silenzio.
Che tristezza!
Io ho visto una trasmissione diversa, sempre su Yacht& Sail, dove in realtà si è ironizzato parecchio sui falsi Corinthian...
Ma mi sembra che non c'entri nulla con questo bellissimo post.
Qualcuno trovi uno sponsor per Pietrino!
Il problema caro Giacomo e' che bisogna ricordare al signor Melegari che sul M32 i pro ammessi sono 3(tre)e non 7(sette),non basta ironizzare sui falsi corinthian!!
Insomma rispetto per i vichinghi!!
Chissenefrega di Melegari e dei suoi 7 PRO
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