Volvo Ocean Racers Set Up For Light In-Port Races On Guanabara Bay, Just off the Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro

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 Västergötland. 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 Telefónica 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, Telefónica 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.”

The ‘Light In-Port Race in the Volvo Ocean Race’ will be broadcast live with English commentary on www.volvooceanrace.org. The site will also carry live English and Spanish audio commentary, and of course, we’ll have full reports and reaction along with photos from the race course.

CREW LIST FOR THE LIGHT IN-PORT RACE IN THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE RIO DE JANEIRO 4 APRIL 2009

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  Woxén   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 Strömberg SWE
10. Anders Dahlsjö 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

TELEFÓNICA 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
TELEFÓNICA BLACK

1. Fernando Echávarri 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. Iñigo Losada ESP
13. Anton Paz ESP