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12:18 AM Tue 2 Dec 2008 GMT
The give and take that has occurred is like no other race I have ever been a part of. First off, huge credit again to our team for fixing what looked like a very grim situation, when our longitudinal frames broke - twice. Sure it cost us miles, but we got ourselves back into the game.
We didn't do the doldrums well, but we keep talking about it and we aren't really sure where we went wrong. We got dealt on by a few clouds that ate up our mileage while others were chugging along. We entered the doldrums just ahead of the pack that we have been duking it out with since then, but the fact is we were within striking distance of E3 for third. We didn't pull it off. We need to get better.
Since the doldrums it has been like - well the doldrums. Big black wind sucking clouds have ruled the day all the way across the Indian Ocean. And as this morning unfolded, we were just behind the Dragons and just ahead of Delta Lloyd with T-Black tucked away pretty well. And we sailed really well today. We just snuck by Delta Lloyd right here at the end and put the Dragons away pretty nicely. But, just as our luck has gone this leg - while putting away our nearest competitors, Telefonica Black somehow smoked us right up the beach. We put them over the horizon this morning behind us. This afternoon they are going to cross the line about five miles in front of us. Unreal.
Another fact is that we are now very used to having boats right next to us over an entire leg. Literally we crossed Delta Lloyd by about 100 metres just 20 miles prior to the finish. We see Telef?nica Black on the bow and the Dragons off our transom. It has been incredibly close racing - and this is after 4000 miles!
My college coach, Skip Whyte, used to say 'win your side of the race course'. We won our side. The two boats that were with us, sailed really well and we had to exert more energy than I can remember in the 'sail changing world championships' to beat them. We nursed an injured boat into the finish without having to take more drastic measures like stopping for repairs. We sailed really hard. We learned more about ourselves and our boat. We learned that we have to get better especially in the doldrums.
All in al,l we will take this small set back in our stride and work like hell to be 100 per cent in a couple of weeks when we hit the starting line for Singapore. I always knew this was going to be hard work, but the competition out here is phenomenal. We simply have to keep getting better.
Congrats to the podium finishers for the leg, as it will be the first time il mostro won't be on the podium. We can't make that a trend though.
Ken Read - skipper
Forty miles from the finishing line. What a leg! Sidney Gavignet - watch captain writes
Forty miles from the finishing line. What a leg! Hard one and bad one for us... but all is not negative at all. The crew has been doing a great job and every sailor knows that in our sport, you do not always control all the aspects. Saying that, once again, the strongest have won and I use the opportunity to congratulate them. They put together a great job to win this leg and create a significant lead on the scoreboard. Ericsson 3 and her Scandinavian crew are also very impressive and are giving a great response to their 'older brothers'.
Anyway, as Bouwe said after finishing second, this race is far from finished and lot will still happen, as we know in this Volvo Ocean Race.
As I write, we still don't know if we will finish fourth, fifth or sixth. We are still fighting against 'Black Betty' (ex ABN ONE, actual Delta Lloyd). I am pleased to see this boat being part of the fleet and giving a hard time to the new generation boats. It is a good signal for 'short budget campaigns' in the future. The different in speed between the 3rd generation Volvo 70 will be insignificant and very small with the second generation.
This hard leg is a good test for our team, the way to handle the 'hard moments' either gives more strength or destabilises a team. It is an important period for us.
We are four boats on an even line to the finish, fighting for 4th place...or 7th, after more than 2 weeks sailing. I guess it is a great leg!
Sidney Gavignet - watch captain
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Cape Byron, NSW
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