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9:08 PM Fri 3 Apr 2009 GMT
 | | 'Her Royal Highness Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, visits the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Rio de Janeiro. The Princess will be racing onboard Ericsson 4 with Torben Grael for the Light In-port Race in the Volvo Ocean Race on Saturday 4th April'
Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race © |
The Volvo Ocean Race fleet returns to sea this weekend for the 'Light In-Port Race' on Guanabara Bay, just off the Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro.
Two races are scheduled on Saturday, beginning at 13:00 local time (16:00 GMT), and they will be scored as a series. The winner on the day will be awarded four scoring points towards the overall Volvo Ocean Race leaderboard.
A light to moderate sea breeze is forecast for Saturday afternoon, with conditions clearing, following what has been an overcast and wet week in Rio.
Torben Grael, the skipper on the overall race leader, Ericsson 4, is a man with plenty of experience on Guanabara Bay. The Brazilian Olympic medallist says it will be a tricky place to sail and he hopes to use his local knowledge to his advantage.
'It's not an easy place to sail normally,' he said at a press conference on Friday. 'It's not a place with the same pattern every day. It looks like we're going to have a sea breeze which is the best we can have for the race here. The rain is going to clear up and we'll have perfect conditions for the race.'
That's good news as Ericsson 4 is scheduled to have a very special guest on board: Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of V?sterg?tland. She has been visiting the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Rio today, and will sail with Grael and his team, tomorrow.
Ken Read, the skipper of the il mostro, is the closest challenger to Ericsson 4. He said they'll be looking to sail their own race, while acknowledging Torben is surely going to be feeling at home on the water here.
'We have to go and try to teach the master his own game,' he said. 'It's not easy sailing against somebody who's sailed so much in this area. We'll have one eye on them and one eye on trying to win a boat race.'
The 'Light In-Port Race in the Volvo Ocean Race' also sees the return of Telef?nica Black and Team Delta Lloyd, both of whom arrived in Rio by ship, missing the leg from Qingdao after suffering damage during Leg 4 of the race. Both teams are eager to make up for lost time.
'The 'new' Delta Lloyd has a new bow, a new mast, and a few new good sails too. We've spent two weeks testing everything and I think we're ready for the in port and next leg,' said skipper Roberto Bermudez. The team has also added three new crew members, all with Volvo Ocean Race experience.
Similarly, Telef?nica Black expects a boost for the in-port race from the addition of double Olympic Gold Medallist Luis Doreste, who will sail as tactician.
'It was disappointing to miss the leg, but now we are coming back,' said skipper Fernando Echavarri. 'I think the boat is healthy now and we are trying - as always - will do our best.'
CREW LIST FOR THE LIGHT IN-PORT RACE IN THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE RIO DE JANEIRO 4 APRIL 2009
DELTA LLOYD
1. Roberto Berm?dez de Castro ESP, skipper
2. Wouter Verbraak NED, navigator
3. Andre Fonseca BRA, tactician
4. Sander Pluijm NED, media
5. Stu Wilson NZL
6. Nick Bice AUS
7. Ben Costello NZL
8. Ed van Lierde NED
9. David Pella ESP
10. Gerd-Jan Poortman NED
11. Morgan White AUS
12. Marcelo Ferreira BRA
13. Dave Miller NZL
ERICSSON 4
1. Torben Grael BRA, skipper
2. Jules Salter UK, navigator
3. Guy Salter UK, media
4. Brad Jackson NZ
5. Stu Bannatyne NZ
6. Horacio Carabelli BRA
7. Tony Mutter NZ
8. Joca Signorini BRA
9. Ryan Godfrey AUS
10. Phil Jameson NZ
11. Dave Endean NZ
12. Joe Spooner NZ
13. Brian McInnes CAN
ERICSSON 3
1. Magnus Olsson SWE, skipper
2. Magnus Wox?n SWE, navigator
3. Rasmus Kostner DEN, tactician
4. Gustav Morin SWE, media
5. Arve Roaas NOR
6. Richard Mason SWE
7. Thomas Johanson FIN
8. Eivind Melleby NOR
9. Martin Str?mberg SWE
10. Anders Dahlsj? SWE
11. Jens Dolmer DEN
12. Martin Krite SWE
13. Jann Neergaard DEN
GREEN DRAGON
1. Ian Walker GBR, skipper
2. Ian Moore IRL, navigator
3. Guo Chuan CHN, media
4. Neal McDonald GBR
5. Damian Foxall IRL
6. Christopher Main NZL
7. Anthony Merrington AUS
8. Tom Braidwood AUS
9. Andrew McLean AUS
10. James Carroll IRL
11. Freddie Shanks GBR
12. Johnny Mordaunt IRL
13. Julien Cressant FRA
PUMA OCEAN RACING
1. Ken Read USA, skipper
2. Andrew Cape AUS, navigator
3. Rick Deppe GBR, media
4. Sidney Gavignet FRA
5. Rob Greenhalgh GBR
6. Rob Salthouse NZL
7. Justin Ferris NZL
8. Casey Smith AUS
9. Michael Muller GER
10. Kimo Worthington USA
11. Joe Fanelli USA
12. Andrew Taylor NZL
13. Shannon Falcone ANT
TELEF?NICA BLUE
1. Iker Martinez ESP, skipper
2. Bouwe Bekking NED, tactician
3. Simon Fisher GBR, navigator
4. Gabriele Olivo ITA, media
5. Jonathan Swain RSA
6. Laurent Pages FRA
7. Jordi Calafat ESP
8. Xabier Fernandez ESP
9. Pablo Arrarte ESP
10. Daryl Wislang NZL
11. Pepe Ribes ESP
12. Federico Giovanelli ITA
13. Carlo Castellano ITA
TELEF?NICA BLACK
1. Fernando Ech?varri ESP, skipper
2. Luis Doreste ESP, tactician
3. Pedro Campos ESP, helmsman
4. Roger Nilson SWE, media
5. Gonzalo Araujo ARG
6. Jaime Arbones ESP
7. Pablo Iglesias ESP
8. Javier de la Plaza ESP
9. Maciel Cicchetti ARG
10. Antonio Cuervas-Mons ESP
11. Michael Pammenter RSA
12. I?igo Losada ESP
13. Anton Paz ESP
www.volvooceanrace.org
by Volvo Ocean race media
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