Date:03/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/03/stories/2008120356781800.htm

Sport - Sailing

Team Russia struggles in light winds

KOCHI: While all the other teams are home and dry, taking off to various holiday spots in scenic Kerala, Team Russia is still battling very light and variable winds in the Volvo Ocean Race on Tuesday night.

Russia was still 269 nautical miles away from the finishing point of the second leg at the Willingdon Island here and is likely to arrive only on Thursday.

“The last few days have been pretty uneventful, highlights include managing to swim all the way round the yacht while sailing,” said Nick Bubb, who has been elevated as the watch captain for this leg.

“There have been some pretty serious discussions onboard over whether the ‘professional’ thing to do would be to retire and start motoring towards a rendezvous point for a fuel pick up or a stronger breeze. This has become a consideration due to the seemingly strange rule that you get the same number of points for finishing last as you do for retiring,” he said.

“Anyway, personally I’ve been very anti about this idea and thankfully this was the decision of the crew too.”

Close finish

Meanwhile, Ken Read’s Puma, Delta Lloyd and Green Dragon, in that order, touched the finishing point of this 4,450-nautical mile leg virtually in a small procession last night to take the fifth, sixth and seventh spots.

Delta Lloyd, led by Spain’s Roberto Bermudez, came seven minutes after Puma while Ian Walker’s Green Dragon came 26 minutes later. — Principal Correspondent