Telefonica Blue stops racing for gear repairs
Telefonica Blue officially suspended racing having reached landfall near Gibraltar last night to undertake repairs to the steering gear they damaged soon after the race start in Alicante.
'Telefonica Blue Leg 1 - Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009'
Dave Kneale / Volvo Ocean Race Click Here to view large photo
Bouwe Bekking and his crew notified race HQ at 18:53:26 GMT that they had stopped at the port of Algeciras in the Bay of Gibraltar.
They now have to serve a 12-hour penalty under the pit stop rule before re-starting.
It is particularly gauling for Bekking who's 2005-06 race as skipper aboard movistar was beset by breakages before he and the crew eventually abandoned ship on the transatlantic leg from New York to Portsmouth.
The Dutchman had started the campaign as he meant to go on with back-to-back wins in the Alicante in-port race series just over a week ago.
Meanwhile at the business end of the fleet, the Ericsson stablemates continue to battle it out for the overall lead. Both are through the Straits of Gibraltar.
Green Dragon, Telefonica Black and PUMA are squabbling over third place some 25 miles further back as they make the slow approach to the Straits entrance in 8-10 knots of shifty breeze.
by Volvo Ocean Race media 
Paynesville, VIC
