The Hindu Business Line : Volvo Race team reaches Kochi

The arrival of Volvo Ocean Race fleet at the stopover of Kochi has, for the first time in history, featured an Asian stopover in the itinerary of the Race.

Our Bureau

Kochi, Nov. 30 Ericsson racing team has won the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race when Ericsson 4, skippered by Olympic gold medallist Torben Grael of Brazil crossed the finish line at Kochi on Sunday early morning.

The yacht had completed the 4,450 nautical mile leg from Cape Town, South Africa, in 14 days, 11 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds. The crew earned 12 points on the leg – 8 points for the leg win and 4 points for the first at the scoring gate.

It has now 26 points and retains the fleet lead. The arrival of the yacht to the port, which reached very early, was delayed due to wind conditions.

Addressing media persons in Kochi, Mr Grael said that it was a very tough leg with so many different conditions. The first week was spent in rough conditions and the weather took a toll on both the crew and the gear. The sails were damaged and the crew suffered from lack of sleep. The yacht, however, did not suffer any significant damage.

An Asian first

The arrival of Volvo Ocean Race fleet at the stopover of Kochi has, for the first time in history, featured an Asian stopover in the itinerary of the Race.

The 2008 edition of the race has 11 ocean legs, seven in shore races and Kochi is the only destination in India. The race began in Alicante in Spain October 4 and will cover a total of 39, 325 nautical mailes over nine months and end in July 2009 at St Petersburg.

Mr N. Ramachandran, Chairman of the Cochin Port Trust said that the stopover facilities are stretched across two acres on Willingdon Island and the infrastructure in the area has been given a serious upgrade. The race has arrived three days ahead of schedule.

Considering the terrorist attack on Mumbai, the Chairman said that the port has stepped up the security in the port area. It was decided to provide additional security measures for the smooth conduct of the race by installing CCTV in all parts. All boats and vehicles approaching Willingdon Island will be kept under close watch. “We want to ensure that people who come to see the race will go back safely”, he said.

To augment the security preparedness, he said that the port had also deployed 2 high speed boats imported from US at a cost of Rs1 crore. These boats will be used for patrolling in the backwaters and the port occupied areas during the race.

The port is fully equipped to meet any emergency situation by roadways and through the waterfront, he added.

More Stories on : Events | Shipping/Ports | Kerala

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Mormugao port expansion: Proactive role for private sector

Hunt for talent in logistics sector

‘Container business in India bullish’

Volvo Race team reaches Kochi