Broken boom does not prevent team fighting back
January 29, 2009 – Fighting their way back up onto the podium in incredible style, PUMA's il mostro today crossed the finish line in Qingdao, China at 16:17 local time, 08:17 GMT. Finishing the epic fourth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 in second place without a boom, a vital part of their boat, the PUMA Ocean Racing team has shown an extraordinary level of seamanship, courage and competitive spirit. Pulling back over 200 miles during the past three days to overtake Ericsson 4 last night, PUMA held their lead to the end, in stunning display of impressive sailing. The city of Qingdao gave the team a heroic welcome, with drumming, fireworks and a six gun salute.
After a marathon leg taking the teams 2,500 nautical miles from Singapore to Qingdao, the PUMA team, led by Skipper Ken Read (USA) were elated to reach the dock in China safely and in second place. After taking an early lead out of Singapore, the team were bitterly disappointed to break their boom in half partway through the leg. PUMA had to physically stop and anchor their boat in bay off the Philippines to ride out a huge storm, and then fight their way back into the race through further bad weather. Negotiating what felt like never-ending squalls and big seas as they made their way north to China, PUMA had an incredible end to a marathon leg. Finishing the leg almost an hour ahead of their arch-rivals, Ericsson 4, the PUMA team proved that with hard work and determination they have the ability to compete at the highest level, even after major setbacks.
Speaking upon his arrival in Qingdao, Skipper Ken Read (USA) commented: “During this leg, our crew officially became a real team. I could not be more proud of the guys aboard il mostro. It’s been a spectacular journey to get here today. We always knew this leg was going to be tough, but I don’t think any of us ever dreamt of this. There were times when I was sitting down below just looking to see where the next safe port would be. Where we could stop, if we needed to.”
“Last night, we were stuck in yet another tight duel with Ericsson 4. We were within three boat lengths at one point. It's unbelievable that after three storms on that race course the boats would be within 100 miles of each other, let alone 100 feet of each other. It was our best night of sailing of this race so far. We were fast, and the guys did a spectacular job of dodging between the millions of fishing nets we came through.”
“Stopping off the Philippines turned out to be one of the best things we ever did. We had our weather guys studying the forecast carefully before the start, and we knew there a potential weather window for a boat to stop, and then start again and still be in the race. So we had stopping as an option in our plan right from the start. It’s great to be here in one piece – sort of. That’s the last thing I said when we left Singapore, we have to get here in one piece. We have an amazing team, our comeback would not have been possible without a great crew, and we’re very grateful to our shore team, for making sure the boat could get through this too. It’s been a spectacular journey and we’re glad to be here, especially to this amazing Chinese welcome. I love China already!”
The top three boats, PUMA, Telefonica Blue and Ericsson 4 now have seven points separating them. The Qingdao In Port race takes place on Saturday 7th February. PUMA are currently flying a new boom to China, and plan to be ready for the racing, which will take place in Fushan Bay.
The Volvo Ocean Race is made up of ten legs, finishing in June 2009 in St. Petersburg, Russia. By joining the race, PUMA has entered a new premium category and is the only Sportslifestyle company to participate in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. For more information about the race, team and the PUMA Sailing collections, please visit www.pumaoceanracing.com
Alongside PUMA’s entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, PUMA has launched a full range of marine clothing and apparel, from offshore sailing gear to onshore lifestyle fashion. The PUMA Sailing Performance collection was developed and tested by the PUMA Ocean Racing team itself, and is worn by the team throughout the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. The PUMA Sailing Lifestyle collection takes inspiration from the sport.
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