Volvo Ocean Race - Gustav Morin describes Ericsson 3's 'hit and run'

11:59 AM Sun 15 Feb 2009 GMT

'Ericsson 3 skippered by Magnus Olsson (SWE), finishes Leg 4 on start Day for Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Qingdao, China, to Rio De Janeiro.' Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race &copy

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ERICSSON 3 LEG FIVE DAY 2 QFB: received 15.2.09 0322 GMT

'Hit and run'

That is what the police call it when bandits break into buildings with a big car to steal everything in just a couple of minutes, and then take off again with full throttle.

Yesterday we did what is the probably the closest you can come to a hit and run in a yacht race.

We hit the dock in Qingdao at 2000 local time. That was seven hours after the start of leg five and we were pretty keen on leaving as soon as possible. Richard Mason, who is not sailing the next leg due to a back injury, flew to China while we were sailing to prepare for our arrival together with the shore crew.

We got quite a welcome.

We reached the near coast of Qingdao early afternoon in what most people would call beautiful conditions. And it was, for sure. We had about five to 10 knots plus and the sun was shining. But, there was absolutely no wind for a couple of hours. It has been a long time since I last saw Magnus Olsson that frustrated.

But the breeze did eventually pick up and we reached the massive skyscrapers with their neon shining fronts and we were welcomed by heavy fireworks and an energetic shore crew.

As soon as we hit the dock the boat was full of people running around. They checked the bow and the fix, installed a fuel tank went through all the safety gear with Volvo, loaded the boat with new sails, a huge amount of food, extra clothes and three new crewmembers.

Everyone in both the sailing team and the shore crew were working like crazy and from when we hit the dock until we were about to hoist our new main can't have been more than 90 minutes.

So, we managed to reach our first goal. We have crossed the start line of leg 5, prepared to sail to Rio. Only problem was that we were already 70 miles behind the others. Except Telef?nica Blue who hit a rock and had to suspend racing for repairs.

During the night the breeze picked up pretty quickly and we were soon reaching along in 20 knots of boatspeed. The boats in front were still in the light air and in just a couple of hours we had gained more than 30 miles.

Now, at 9.00 local time, the breeze has picked up even more and we are sailing in between 21 to 25 knots, still reaching. We really have to fight the cold in these speeds. It is really tough when the freezing water is spraying us all the time. Fortunately the sea is flat and we are cutting through the water very smoothly. According to our navigator Aksel Magdahl's calculations, we are only two hours behind. Incredible thinking about what we have been through.

A big thanks to our shore crew for all the help making this happen. I think you should get some well deserved time off while we make the best of your effort and 'battle on', as Magnus always says, to catch up even more.

Gustav Morin - MCM

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TELEF?NICA BLUE LEG FIVE DAY 2 QFB: received 15.02.09 0350 GMT

At least the Chinese have a better charted area of Qingdao, good advertising for the city of sails. I spoke yesterday with one of the Chinese officials, and he said there are lots of rocks, what a hiccup, not informing us.

We are away, and having good breeze, nearly too much for an easy transition, Xabi (Xabier Fernandez/ESP) for example got seasick. In the first hour we had four sail changes and we had our first snowflakes.

A huge thanks to the shore crew, they did a fantastic job. It is good for our minds to know that we don't have any issues. Of course we have to play catch-up, and it will take a long time before we even will get close to the other boats, it is unbelievable but true, but luckily a long way to go, we will never give up fighting.

Cheers,

Bouwe Bekking - skipper

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PUMA LEG FIVE DAY 2 QFB: received 15.02.09 0720 GMT

We are finally off. An amazing send off that you had to be there to understand. The drums, the crowds, the music, the costumes...it all added up to a send off that none of us will ever forget.

And the send off for the race itself is one which none of us will ever forget. Eight boats are entered in this contest, one of which supposedly is somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, out for at least this leg for financial reasons, two are on a ship heading for Rio, broken from the last leg. Only four of us went out to start, and one went back in, supposedly broken in three knots of wind before the starting gun was even fired. And the eighth boat passed us going the other way about five hours after our start, still trying to finish the previous leg! Unreal.

We got off the line well and led out of Qingdao, only to be becalmed soon thereafter. We were in on the shore and Ericsson 4 and the Dragons were offshore. Initial gains to them, but finally the shore came good and we stretched out to a four-mile or so lead going into last night.

During the night we had to head east to meet up with a front that is now catapulting us towards the southern tip of Japan at breakneck speed. As I glance up the speedo is reading steady 30 knots in 27 knots of wind. The boys on deck are a little moist, and the temperature fortunately is a bit warmer than last night. I think the water is actually a bit warmer. But neither the air nor the water are warm per say. Just warmer...

I will elaborate further on the leg, our emotions, our chances and of course life on board, but to be honest it is pretty tough typing right now. I will get back to you when things settle down to a dull roar.

Kenny Read - skipper