Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Delta Lloyd update Volvo Ocean Race


Delta Lloyd update

HEADING north is the order of the day for the yachts in the Volvo
Ocean Race fleet as the jostling for positions continues in earnest.
Racing is keen amongst the fleet as the Irish yachts of Team Delta
Lloyd and Green Dragon continue to do battle as they clock off the
miles in leg four that has them bound for Qingdao in China.
Positioned as the most westerly boat of the seven remaining yachts,
Delta Lloyd, clawed back an overnight six mile gap between them and
Green Dragon to lead skipper Ian Walker and his crew by over eight
miles at the first report this morning.

The tactical manoeuvres of new navigator Frits Koek and skipper
Roberto Bermudez onboard the Ger O'Rourke lead campaign has now
positioned Team Delta Lloyd in fifth, ahead of their fellow Irish
entry and overall race leader Ericsson 4 skippered by Olympian Torben
Grael and very much in the shake up of leg four.

A gap of just 16 miles keeps Delta Lloyd astern of Puma Ocean Racing
on the distance to the finish, but their westerly position would
suggest a more favourable standing on the race course.

The procession that kept the boats heading northwest for the early
stages of the leg has somewhat dissolved as they now plot courses to
maximise the conditions, sea state and freezing chill that lies north
of Borneo. - Andrew Carey