- Local News for Southern Sailors - April 2002 Next Story
Volvos drag race into Florida
By Doran Cushing
The Volvo Ocean Race
sailed into Florida waters March 27 with the top finishers separated by minutes after the 4,450-mile drag race from Brazil to Miami. It all came down to the final ten miles off Miami as ASSA ABLOY overtook race leader illbruck Challenge on the edge of the Bahamas and struggled to the finish after fighting wispy winds and the Gulf Stream in the final predawn hours. The winning margin was less than 61 minutes after 17-1/2-days at sea. That lead was less than five minutes as the boats approached the Gulf Stream's four-knot/north-flowing river in the western Bahamas. Team Tyco finished third, less than 13 minutes behind illbruck.
illbruck still maintains an eight-point lead for the race around the world with four legs remaining, but ASSA has steadily climbed through the eight-boat fleet and is the only campaign to best illbruck, winning two of the five completed legs.
While in Miami, the fleet will be based at the AmercanAirlines Arena near the cruise ship terminals. The Volvo Ocean Race village will offer a public viewing of these hybrid one-design 60-foot raceboats, along with a venue for charity events, an antique car parade, concerts, and the full gamut of related sailing (and title sponsor Volvo car) exhibits. A "parade of sail" is set for April 9, and the awards ceremony for this fifth leg is scheduled for April 11 (along with a concert at the arena).
The Volvo Ocean Race resumes its circumnavigation of the globe April 14 at 1 p.m. with the restart from Miami. The racers will again have a sprint north, but this time the distance will only be 875 miles with a finish at Baltimore expected April 17. After a stay in Baltimore and Annapolis, the race resumes April 28 headed for France, then Sweden, and to a finish June 9 at Kiel, Germany.
|
While this ocean race—formerly known as the Whitbread, lacks a large fleet and a U.S.-based team, the competitors include American sailors in key roles. John Kostecki is the team leader aboard illbruck. Mark Rudiger is the navigator aboard ASSA ABLOY with Chris Larson working the tactics. Larson grew up racing in the Tampa Bay area before settling into the Annapolis area. The all-women's team Amer Sports Too has Lisa Charles McDonald as the skipper and Katie Pettibone and Melissa Purdy on the roster.
The VOR began Sept. 23 last year in England, and the racers will have covered some 32,700 miles over eight-plus months by the time they step off the boats in Germany. For the whole scoop, see www.volvooceanrace.org.
|