Date:04/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120461091800.htm

Sport - Sailing

Team Russia makes it

KOCHI: Maintaining a fine sense of humour despite the dead wind, Team Russia finally crossed the finish line in the Volvo Ocean Race here on Wednesday night, a little more than two days after the last competitor came in.

“We are on the emerald highway home and nothing is going to stop us from enjoying our last few days at sea,” said Mark Covell, the media crew member on board, a few hours before touching the finish to mark the end of the second leg.

“We have been catapulted forward by huge waves of the Southern Ocean and stopped dead in our tracks by Indian fishing nets on a stop-start of a leg that still has yet to stop.”

Team Russia was trapped in a fishing net late last night which delayed its arrival further.

All the eight teams have now finished the second leg. They will take off for the next leg, Kochi to Singapore, on December 13. — Principal Correspondent