http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/ en lucy.harwood@intotheblue.biz Copyright 2009 2009-07-08T12:55:34+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/welcome-home-the-dragon-at-the-volvo-dun-laoghaire-regatta/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/welcome-home-the-dragon-at-the-volvo-dun-laoghaire-regatta/#When:12:55:34Z Sunday 12 July 2009 Dun Laoghaire’s west pier will be on standby to welcome home Ireland’s entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, Green Dragon which completed 37,000 nm around the world over the last 9 months. Green Dragon one of four boats in the race to complete all legs in the ‘Everest of sailing’ visited ports including Alicante, Capetown, Kochi, Singapore, Qingdao, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Maarstrand, Stockholm and finishing in St Petersburg at the end of June.  Sunday 12 July 2009 Dun Laoghaire’s west pier will be on standby to welcome home Ireland’s entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, Green Dragon which completed 37,000 nm around the world over the last 9 months. Green Dragon one of four boats in the race to complete all legs in the ‘Everest of sailing’ visited ports including Alicante, Capetown, Kochi, Singapore, Qingdao, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Maarstrand, Stockholm and finishing in St Petersburg at the end of June. Partner sponsored by www.discoverireland.com Green Dragon raised the profile of Ireland as a tourist and maritime destination and the stopover in Galway has been acknowledged as one of the highlights in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race where the fleet of Volvo Open 70’s were greeted by over 500,000 people. The VDLR, Ireland’s largest regatta, runs from Thursday 9th July to Sunday 12th July and will see an armada of some 450 boats and 3,000 sailors from the UK, Ireland, France and Spain descend on Dublin Bay. Thousands of visitors are also expected to take part in a weekend of free, fun activities, including funfairs and street entertainment. The VDRL will conclude the festivities by playing host to Green Dragon and skipper double Olympic medalist Ian Walker when they are officially welcomed back to Ireland. From 12 noon on Sunday 12 July festivities will begin at the Band Stand on the East Pier with TV’s funnyman Hector O’Heoghagain hosting the event just back from the British and Irish Lions rugby tour of South Africa. In addition there will be entertainment for all the family including street theatre and music by Superfly. At 1300 Green Dragon will enter the harbour accompanied by the RNLI and guns will be fired from the East Pier. Ian Walker will be welcomed onto the band stand at 1330 by by Cathaoirleach Marie Baker. Festivities will be provided courtesy of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and will continue until 1500. So come along and show your support for Irish sailing and the Green Dragon Team and join in the festivities on Sunday 12 July. Further details available from www.dlregatta.org 2009-07-08T12:55:34+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/a-fast-start-out-of-stockholm-for-the-final-leg/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/a-fast-start-out-of-stockholm-for-the-final-leg/#When:14:27:39Z The fleet set sail today for Leg 10 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09.  It is the final leg of a 37,000 mile journey around the planet. It was an early start for the crews as they left the dock in Stockholm in front of a large crowd at 0730 local time (GMT +2).  The fleet set sail today for Leg 10 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09.  It is the final leg of a 37,000 mile journey around the planet. It was an early start for the crews as they left the dock in Stockholm in front of a large crowd at 0730 local time (GMT +2). The seven boats motored for several hours to reach the start line off Sandhamn a small Island in the Swedish archipelago. Team Russia who arrived late on Tuesday afternoon will sail with the fleet to Russia but not as part of the race, and will just shadow the fleet to St. Petersburg. Racing kicked off at 1400 with a perfect 10 – 12 knot breeze.  PUMA, Telefonica Blue and Ericsson 4 had the best start off the line, with Green Dragon chasing hard behind Ericsson 4 as they approached the first mark. The Dragon made gains on the first run and slipped inside to take third place as they rounded the mark. Flat water and a stable breeze meant prefect conditions for the fleet to stretch their legs and power up over the short start course. Ken Read and his crew who are now assured a second place overall in the race, took control and charged out into open water after leading the fleet round both buoys before heading to out to sea. Telefonica Blue held second whilst Green Dragon had a strong start rolling Ericsson 4 and taking third. Ericsson 3, Telefónica Black and Delta Lloyd were left playing catch up in the second string. The good conditions for the start are not expected to last for the whole leg, as the fleet face upwind sailing for the 400 miles to Russia. Within 24 hours the breeze is expected to die and light, shifty conditions will see the fleet into the finish. Race rules allow for Race Director, Jack Lloyd, to shorten the 400-mile course if necessary.  The fleet must arrive in St Petersburg on Saturday morning in order to clear customs and pass through two bridges, which will be raised specially in order to let the fleet into the historic city. You can keep up to date with the latest news from the water through the Volvo Ocean Race twitter feed - http://twitter.com/volvo_oceanrace Overall Leaderboard 1. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA): 110.5 points 2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA):  98.5 points 3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED): 92.0 points 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE): 73.5 points 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR): 64.0 points 6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP): 50.0 7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP): 39.5 points 8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 points 2009-06-25T14:27:39+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/the-final-leg/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/the-final-leg/#When:09:52:58Z The fleet will set sail from the city of Stockholm for the 400 mile leg to St Petersburg in Russia tomorrow afternoon (25/06/09) at 1400 local time (GMT +2).  It will mark the final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09 and the final opportunity to claim crucial points for teams wanting to secure their overall place on the leaderboard.  The fleet will set sail from the city of Stockholm for the 400 mile leg to St Petersburg in Russia tomorrow afternoon (25/06/09) at 1400 local time (GMT +2).  It will mark the final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09 and the final opportunity to claim crucial points for teams wanting to secure their overall place on the leaderboard.  Whilst the 400 miles should be a short leg, current forecasts suggest light and tricky conditions, which will make the final miles of the race a frustratingly slow time for the crews onboard. With Ian Moore back in the UK waiting the impending arrival on his second child, Jean-Luc Nelias who joined the crew for the In Port racing, will remain onboard for Leg 10. “We have someone fresh, new and motivated to do a good job onboard, which I think is what we need right now. It would be very easy to get caught just going through the motions, so I’m hoping Jean-Luc will help to keep us on our toes.  The forecast is upwind and for conditions to become increasingly lighter, as we get to the finish.  Hopefully we won’t park up and we’ll get there in time, we are all looking forward to getting to St Petersburg,” Ian Walker.  Also stepping onboard will be Sander Vander Borch who is a guest of Bwin one of Green Dragon’s principal sponsors. Under race rules all teams are allowed to take a guest onboard for every leg, they are prohibited from sailing the boat in anyway but can live with the crew and ultimately experience life on these extreme racing machines. Ericsson 4 are also taking a guest in the form of double Olympic gold medalist Shirley Robertson Leg 10 will see the fleet sail across the Baltic Sea and then east down the Gulf of Finland to St Petersburg. “The forecast shows good conditions for the start out of Stockholm with a north easterly 8 – 12 knots and this should last for the first couple of hundred miles, but it will be an predominantly upwind leg with conditions become increasingly lighter as we approach St. Petersburg. The leg will see us dealing with shifty conditions and some tactical options such as whether to sail south or north of the Gulf of Finland. It has the potential to be an interesting leg which may throw us some surprises along the way, at present the leg should take approximately 48 hours, with an eta into St. Petersburg on Saturday afternoon,” Jean-luc Nelias. For the first time since Singapore the fleet is back up to eight boats as Team Russia returns to the race after arriving into Stockholm late yesterday afternoon. This 400 miles will be the culmination of 37,000 miles of ocean racing for the eight Volvo 70’s and their crews.  “This next leg will mark the completion of an epic journey for our whole team. It has been three years in the planning and we have had many highs and lows along the way. I am incredibly proud of the whole team both on shore and the crew on the boat and I am sure it will be a special moment when we cross the finish line into Russia” Skipper Ian Walker Listen to the latest interview with Watch Captain Damian Foxall here For latest information on the start course, visit the official Stockholm Stopover website - www.oceanracestockholm.se For more information on the Petersburg stopover site, visit www.petersburg2009.ru The Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea that extends between Finland (to the north) and Estonia (to the south) all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn. The eastern parts of the Gulf of Finland belong to Russia and some of Russia’s most important oil harbours are located farthest in, near Saint Petersburg (including Primorsk). As the seaway to Saint Petersburg, the Gulf of Finland has been and continues to be of considerable strategic importance to Russia. Some of the environmental problems affecting the Baltic Sea are at their most pronounced in the shallow, cul-de-sac gulf. St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject (a federal city) of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city’s other names were Petrograd (1914–1924) and Leningrad (1924–1991). Founded by Tsar Peter I of Russia on 27 May, 1703, it was the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years (1713–1728, 1732–1918). Saint Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917/8.  It is Russia’s second largest city after Moscow with 4.6 million inhabitants, and over 6 million people live in its vicinity. Saint Petersburg is a major European cultural centre, and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea. Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Western city of Russia.[9] Among cities of the world with over one million people, Saint Petersburg is the northernmost. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Russia’s political and cultural centre for 200 years, the city is sometimes referred to in Russia as the northern capital. A large number of foreign consulates, international corporations, banks and other businesses are located in Saint Petersburg. GREEN DRAGON 1. Ian Walker/GBR - skipper 2. Jean-Luc Nelias/FRA - navigator 3.  Guo Chuan/CHN - MCM 4. Neal McDonald/GBR – watch captain 5. Damian Foxall/IRL – watch captain 6. Anthony Merrington/AUS – helmsman/trimmer 7. Phil Harmer/AUS – helmsman/trimmer 8. Andrew Mclean/NZL – pitman/trimmer 9. Justin Slattery/IRL – bowman 10. Freddy Shanks/GBR – bowman 11. James Carroll/IRL - trimmer On: Jean-Luc Nelias/FRA - navigator Off: Ian Moore/GBR - navigator 2009-06-24T09:52:58+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/the-last-in-port-race/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/the-last-in-port-race/#When:17:28:39Z It was a long sail out to the start line for the last In Port race of the Volvo Ocean Race 20089, the seven boat fleet motored out in the early hours to a two mile course approximately 30 miles from Stockholm located in the Swedish archipelago. It was a long sail out to the start line for the last In Port race of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09, the seven boat fleet motored out in the early hours to a two mile course approximately 30 miles from Stockholm located in the Swedish archipelago. The forecast held as the 10 knot easterly allowed racing to start on time at 1300 local time (GMT +2). With Telefonica Blue back in action a good result today would be key in order to stay in any contention for second place overall from Puma. But it was the big cat who took control of race one.  Green Dragon headed off alone on the port side for the start of race one, and PUMA are soon to tack across to join them. The gamble paid off for Ian Walker and his crew as they hit the mid way gate, PUMA also make gains on the chasing pack and take the lead. Green Dragon saw the rewards of the port side hold at the top mark as they cut in front of Ericsson 4 to sneak into fourth. Puma led with the Telefonica twins in hot pursuit.  On the downwind run the breeze soon shifted left forcing Green Dragon to tack, PUMA benefitted the most for the shift and held their lead to the bottom mark, with local boys Ericsson 3 in second and then Telefonica Black in third. Telefonica Blue who suffered badly after the wind shift on the downwind leg made some impressive gains to pull back fourth position as the fleet once again rounded the top mark. Green Dragon, Ericsson 4 and Delta Lloyd were all chasing behind. With the big chute up it was a race for Ken Read to lose, but he held onto pole to take first on race one, the Nordic crew on Ericsson 3 held off the Spaniards on Telefonica Blue who made a phenomenal comeback to secure third place.  Race two kicked off on time at 1400 local time with the breeze building to 12 – 14 knots, whilst a dense fog started to set in over the course. It was Bouwe Bekking and his men who took charge, they stretched their legs from the start and never let anyone get in the way of full points. Whilst the fleet took the committee boat end of the start line, the Dragon and Ericsson 4 took their own route and headed out at the pin end. PUMA tacked to the right soon after the gun and the fleet was split with PUMA, Telefonica Black, Green Dragon and Ericsson 4 all on starboard, leaving Delta Lloyd to drag race on port. The fleet remained tight barring Ericsson 3 who had been spat out at the back of the fleet as they approach the mid way gate. At the windward mark, Telefonica Blue accelerated to grab the lead away from PUMA who were pushed to second, Telefonica Black and Green Dragon were left battling it out for third. By the bottom mark, Telefonica Black had slipped inside of PUMA to steal second and potentially vital points from the big cat. Ericsson 4 was fourth from Green Dragon, Delta Lloyd and Ericsson 3. The whole fleet then moved to port tack for the second beat as the wind once again shifted to the left. Telefonica Blue led the fleet around the final top mark, their sistership Telefonica Black in second with PUMA still chasing hard in third. Ericsson 4 were soon to round in fourth, followed by Delta Lloyd, Green Dragon, and finally Ericsson 3. Telefonica Blue manage to hold on and sail a perfect race to take first place on race two. With this result and a third on race one they equal Puma on points, but as they have the highest score on the last race they take full points for the day. The Spanish team has closed the gap to 6.5 points behind PUMA on the overall leaderboard, with one more leg of the race still to come and a maximum of 8 points to play for. “It was a great days racing, and great way to round off the In Port racing for the race.  The spectator fleet was huge, as far as the eye could see.  Full credit to Telefonica Blue, they have had a hard week for both the shore and sailing team, so this is a great result for them today, I am sure they would have liked PUMA to be further down the field but a good result none the less. We sailed well today and it was some close racing, but we suffered on some of the wind shifts and found ourselves closed out on the other side of the course. It is frustrating but we sailed our best and we are looking forward to the final leg.” Skipper Ian Walker Race One Stockholm In-Port Race Finish Position 1. PUMA 2. Ericsson 3 3. Telefónica Blue 4. Ericsson 4 5. Telefónica Black 6. Green Dragon 7. Delta Lloyd Race Two Stockholm In-port Race Finish Position 1. Telefónica Blue 2. Telefónica Black 3. PUMA 4. Ericsson 4 5. Delta Lloyd 6. Ericsson 3 7. Green Dragon Stockholm In-Port Race Results (Provisional) 1. Telefónica Blue 4.0 points 2. PUMA 3.5 points 3. Telefónica Black 3.0 points 4. Ericsson 4 2.5 points 5. Ericsson 3 2.0 points 6. Delta Lloyd 1.5 points 7. Green Dragon 1.0 points Overall Leaderboard 1. Ericsson 4 (Turban Grael/BRA): 110.5 points 2. PUMA (Ken Read/USA):  98.5 points 3. Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED): 92.0 points 4. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson/SWE): 73.5 points 5. Green Dragon (Ian Walker/GBR): 64.0 points 6. Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri/ESP): 50.0 7. Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bermudez/ESP): 39.5 points 8. Team Russia (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT): 10.5 points Green Dragon Crew List Stockholm In Port Race IAN WALKER (GBR) - Skipper JEAN-LUC NELIAS (FRA) – Navigator NEAL McDONALD (GBR) - Helm DAMIAN FOXALL (IRL) - Mainsheet/Strategy PHIL HARMER (AUS) - Trim ANDREW MCLEAN (NZL) - Pit ANTHONY MERRINGTON (AUS) - Trim JUSTIN SLATTERY (IRL) -Bow FREDDIE SHANKS (GBR) – Bow JAMES CARROLL (IRL) – Pit Assist JOHNNY MORDAUNT (IRL) – Grinder HENRICK NORBEG (SWE) - Grinder GUO CHUAN (CHN) - Media Crew Member 2009-06-21T17:28:39+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/green-drgaon-announces-crew-changes-for-in-port-race/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/green-drgaon-announces-crew-changes-for-in-port-race/#When:14:23:43Z Green Dragon has announced their crew for the In Port race this Sunday 21st June in Stockholm, Sweden. The team will feature a new line up including an additional grinder in the form of Swedish America’s Cup sailor Henrik Norberg and French navigator Jean-Luc Nélias.  Also onboard will be Green Dragon shore team regulars Johnny Mordaunt and James Carroll.  Green Dragon navigator Ian Moore has returned to the UK to be with his wife ahead the impending birth of their second child. Green Dragon has announced their crew for the In Port race this Sunday 21st June in Stockholm, Sweden. The team will feature a new line up including an additional grinder in the form of Swedish America’s Cup sailor Henrik Norberg and French navigator Jean-Luc Nélias.  Also onboard will be Green Dragon shore team regulars Johnny Mordaunt and James Carroll.  Green Dragon navigator Ian Moore has returned to the UK to be with his wife ahead the impending birth of their second child. “This was my final leg aboard the Dragon as my wife is due to have a baby during Leg 10, so I will be hanging up my boots for a few months.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us over the last 9 months and to the Green Dragon team, it has been a pleasure sailing with you all and I wish them every success in the final In Port and last leg of the race”. Ian Moore “Tomorrow is still a race and we still want to do well in it. Ian Moore has left to go home for family duties! So we have Jean Luc joining us onboard, who is a very experienced offshore and inshore navigator, and I’m looking forward to sailing with him.  I think he will bring something fresh and different onboard and I’m hoping he can bring something new to the team for the last push to Russia,” Skipper Ian Walker, listen to an interview with Ian here The latest forecast for Sunday suggests an easterly 10 knot breeze, there is potential for the breeze to build to the low teens as the conditions move to the south east. This will be the last In Port race, with some of the final points up for grabs.  The course will be a windward-leeward, with a mid-course gate and triangular viewing area. The bottom mark will also be a gate giving the yachts a choice of either mark to round for the next lap. Each leg will be two nautical miles long and the race committee will be hoping to fit in two races, with the first start kicking off at 1300 local time (GMT + 2). Henrik Norberg (SWE) Henrik has been sailing professionally since he was 14 years old. He has made his name of the Swedish Match racing circuit and at Victory Challenge during the America’s Cup. America’s Cup 2007 - United Internet Team Germany 2005 - Victory Challenge 2002 - Victory Challenge Jean-Luc Nélias (FRA) A rigorous, well-organised and hard-working sailor. Jean-Luc has a straightforward approach and likes to get involved in every domain of his trade, a trade he mostly learnt while crewing big multihulls with the likes of Paul Vatine, Jean Maurel or Serge Madec. He then skippered the Belgacom trimarans on the ORMA circuit, Jean-Luc is an expert in terms of navigation and weather routing, he was also behind Roland Jourdain’s winning strategy during the 2006 Route du Rhum. Sailing CV OPEN 60 (IMOCA) 2007– Barcelona World Race with Roland Jourdain on Veolia environnement(60’ Imoca) ORMA TRIMARANS 2003 – 2nd Trabsat Jacques Vabre on Belgacom (60’ trimaran) 2002 – Winner of the Fécamp ORMA 60 Grand Prix on Belgacom(60’ trimaran) 2001 – 3rd ORMA Championship on Belgacom (60’ trimaran) 1989 – Winner of the transat Québec St Malo on Elf Aquitaine(60’ trimaran) 1997 – 2nd Transat Jacques Vabre on Chauss’Europ (60’ trimaran) FIGARO 2006 – 4th in the 2-handed AG2R Figaro Transat with Roland Jourdain(Figaro) 2004 – 7th overall and 1st rookie in the Solitaire du Figaro(Figaro) 1999 – Winner of The Tour de Bretagne(Figaro) “I am looking forward to sailing onboard Green Dragon for the final section of this epic race. The In Port should provide some close and fast racing and the final leg to Russia will have its fair share of navigational challenges in store.  The Volvo Ocean Race holds a lot of interest for me so it will be great to step onboard and get a taster for what it is all about!”Green Dragon navigator Jean-Luc Nélias. You can view the In Port racing live through Volvo Ocean Race TV here The Stockholm in-port race takes place on Sunday 21 June 2009 at 13:00 local time.  English audio coverage is available from the Volvo Ocean Race homepage from 12:15 local time (10:15 GMT) Green Dragon Crew List Stockholm In Port Race IAN WALKER (GBR) - Skipper JEAN-LUC NELIAS (FRA) – Navigator NEAL McDONALD (GBR) - Helm DAMIAN FOXALL (IRL) - Mainsheet/Strategy PHIL HARMER (AUS) - Trim ANDREW MCLEAN (NZL) - Pit ANTHONY MERRINGTON (AUS) - Trim JUSTIN SLATTERY (IRL) - Bow FREDDIE SHANKS (GBR) – Bow JAMES CARROLL (IRL) – Pit Assist JOHNNY MORDAUNT (IRL) – Grinder HENRIC NORBEG (SWE) - Grinder GUO CHUAN (CHN) - Media Crew Member 2009-06-19T14:23:43+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/sjoo-sandstrom-announced-as-official-time-keepers-to-green-dragon/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/sjoo-sandstrom-announced-as-official-time-keepers-to-green-dragon/#When:15:14:35Z Green Dragon announces Sjoo Sandstrom as official time keepers to the Green Dragon Racing Team.  The independent watch maker based in Stockholm Sweden, presented the Royal Chronograph watch to Green Dragon skipper Ian Walker after his arrival into Stockholm. Green Dragon completed Leg 9 of the Volvo Ocean Race race on Monday 15th June, after racing the 525 nm from Marstrand.  The fleet will be based in Stockholm for the next 9 days, until the start of the final leg to Russia on the 25th June. Green Dragon announces Sjoo Sandstrom as official time keepers to the Green Dragon Racing Team.  The independent watch maker based in Stockholm Sweden, presented the Royal Chronograph watch to Green Dragon skipper Ian Walker after his arrival into Stockholm. Green Dragon completed Leg 9 of the Volvo Ocean Race race on Monday 15th June, after racing the 525 nm from Marstrand.  The fleet will be based in Stockholm for the next 9 days, until the start of the final leg to Russia on the 25th June. . Sjoo Sandstrom the watchmakers were established in 1996 and have grown to be one of the few independent watch makers in the world.  Sjoo Sandstrom have been actively involed in the sailing industry with events including Antigua Classic Race Week and the 2001/02 edition of Volvo Ocean Race. In 1989 the idea of the Chronolink was born and the development began, In order to achieve the accuracy that was needed, Sjoo Sandstrom initiated a collaboration with the Swedish Defence Industry, once owned by none other than Alfred Nobel.  In 1993, Sjoo Sandstrom proudly introduced thier first model, Royal Steel Automatic, in 1000 numbered pieces. Two years later it was awarded the distinction “Excellent Swedish Design”. In 1997, eight years after the idea was born, the Sjoo Sandstrom Chronolink was introduced.  Designed to meet the rigourous and precise demands of the Swedish Defence Industry, the Chronolink turned out to be one of the world’s most accurate electronic movements. The Royal Steel Chronograph is constructed to be the perfect tool for someone dedicated to business or adventure. Every watch is assembled by hand and engraved with a unique serial number. Editor notes Sjoo Sandtrom is one of the few independent watch makers in the world.  Alll of our timepieces are hand assembled , one by one, with great attention and carte. Our small workshop is situated in the heart of Stockholm, in Gamla Stan, a part of the city that stems from the 13th century.  Here, we combine old traditions of handicraft with high technology and innovative attitudes. Sjoo Sandstrom’s manner of assembly watches originates from a rich Swedish tradition of horology, and is an expression of Swedish culture, nature and handicraft. The pure beauty of Swedish and Scandinavian design is manifest in all of our products.  Every watch from Sjoo Sandstrom will continue its journey for generations to come. Connecting the stories of the past with a prosperous future. http://www.sjoosandstrom.se/ 2009-06-16T15:14:35+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/fifth-place-for-the-dragon/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/fifth-place-for-the-dragon/#When:21:55:38Z Leg 9 has been a 24/7 battle for the all the crews as they fight for the final points on offer on the penultimate leg of the race. After a close fought battle over the final 12 miles between Telefonica Black and Green Dragon, Ian Walker and his crew had to settle for fifth place in Sweden tonight Leg 9 has been a 24/7 battle for the all the crews as they fight for the final points on offer on the penultimate leg of the race. After a close fought battle over the final 12 miles between Telefonica Black and Green Dragon, Ian Walker and his crew had to settle for fifth place in Sweden tonight.  The battle for second was set to play out between PUMA and Telefoncia Blue during this leg, but after a run in with some rocks just outside of Marstrand Telefonica Blue were forced to suspend racing and have not competed in the leg, as a result second place could be in the bag for Ken Read and his crew.  After two podium finishes in succession, fifth place on Leg 9 adds four points to Green Dragon’s overall total.  Ericsson 3’s second placing means an 8.5 point difference between the two boats with 12 points left to play for until the end of the race.  The fleet remained close from the start, never more than 15 miles from front to back. Whilst the battle at the front between the Ericsson twins and PUMA was being fought, Green Dragon found themselves in a close match race with Telefonica Black and Delta Lloyd.  The three boats stuck together like glue for the 525 nm leg, and the Dragon pushed hard until the end to chase the Spaniards. Tactical decisions once again proved key as they fleet raced along the coast of Sweden, south and then north towards the capital Stockholm.  It was a strong start for the crew onboard Green Dragon as they led the fleet from the bay, but the downwind conditions favoured by Ian Walker and his crew were soon replaced with the more challenging reaching conditions.  Eight hours and in the fleet had covered a third of the distance of the leg and it was clear that if conditions held it would be a fast and furious race to the finish.  The fleet kept up consistent speeds of over 15 knots, with the final miles providing a straight drag race to the finish off Sandham a small Island on the eastern end of the archipelago approximately 2 hours hours from the capital Stockholm. With 12 miles to go at Almagrundet lighthouse the Dragon and Telefonica Black were caught in a duel to the finish.  PUMA managed to hold off Ericsson 3 with just a few hundred metres separating the two boats as they crossed the finish line, this marks the first win for PUMA on a leg so far and a crucial 8 points for the team.  Ericsson 4 finished shortly afterwards to take third and secure six points, this potentially wraps up the overall win for the race. With just a few miles to go, Telefonica Black hooked into stronger winds and allecerated away from Green Dragon, they managed to hold them off until the line to take fourth place. “We knew it would be similar to the previous leg and we were prepared to push hard all the way to Stockholm. This leg has been fast and furious. The coastal sailing is good fun but very demanding in these boats. I think we have moved more sails on this leg than any other! We have had a good match race between Telefonica Black and Delta Lloyd, and we tried to hold onto fourth but it just wasn’t possible this time around.” Ian Walker Leg 9 (provisional results) (boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish) 1. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) 2. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) 3. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) 4. Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) 
 5. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) 
 6. Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermúdez/ESP) Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) SUS 
 2009-06-15T21:55:38+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/a-sprint-to-stockholm/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/a-sprint-to-stockholm/#When:18:58:40Z It was a strong start for Green Dragon as Leg 9 of the Volvo Ocean Race kicked off in Marstrand this afternoon. This leg at 525 nm is the second shortest of the race. The fleet will sail south from Marstrand down the west coast of Sweden, and then north up the east coast to the finish at the capital Stockholm. It will be another full on sprint for the fleet and a list of tactical and navigational challenges as they take on the sea breezes and shipping, as well as the bands of high and low pressure that are common along the shoreline and islands during this leg. It was a strong start for Green Dragon as Leg 9 of the Volvo Ocean Race kicked off in Marstrand this afternoon. This leg at 525 nm is the second shortest of the race. The fleet will sail south from Marstrand down the west coast of Sweden, and then north up the east coast to the finish at the capital Stockholm. It will be another full on sprint for the fleet and a list of tactical and navigational challenges as they take on the sea breezes and shipping, as well as the bands of high and low pressure that are common along the shoreline and islands during this leg. The shifty conditions on the race course caused lots of issues for the seven boat fleet as they raced a short course before heading off into open water. Green Dragon had a rocky start off the line alongside Ericsson 4 as they both found themselves in dirty air and parked up soon after the start. PUMA took the best start and were soon holding a 10 length boat lead over the chasing pack. The fleet were seen off by a flotilla of boats, one of the biggest the race has seen so far but it was this spectator fleet that caused the Volvo 70’s some addiotnal issues as they left the confines of the spectator area and on occasion sailed into the race course itself. Green Dragon were the only boat to have the Code Zero furled and ready to go and it paid dividends after finding some solid breeze on the left hand side of the course, they soon made progress and gained on the pack ahead.  By the first turning mark they had taken pole from Telefonica Blue and led the fleet back downwind towards the spectator fleet. It was a battle at the bottom mark, the Dragon was left exposed after holding the right hand side of the course and allowed Telefonica Blue to sneak in front, Ericsson 3 paid dearly after an issue with their spinnaker, which saw PUMA slide through to take second.  But the close mark rounding for both boats allowed Green Dragon to roll them as they sail past on the inside line at pace. Telefonca Black and Delta Lloyd were next to round as they managed to hold off Ericsson 4 who were still recovering after a rocky start off the line. Speaking at the skipper’s press conference Ian Walker commented, “It is going to be tricky, lots of coastal sailing and the crew could get very tired again, but it isn’t as long as the last leg. The weather is complicated and I’m sure most of the crew will be on deck a lot and we will push hard all the way to Stockholm.  We are in good shape, we had no job lists so we are ready to go.  We have two thirds and Ericsson 3 have had two lasts, but it’s not easy they are one of the fastest boats in the fleet and it is hard to wriggle away from them, but we are going to give it our best shot” Listen to the interview in full here Navigator Ian Moore talked through the forecast for the start: “I don’t think it will be as exciting as the exit from Galway but current forecasts suggest 10 – 18 knots from the north west.  The position of the low which is driving the breeze will allow the wind to wrap around the southern tip of Sweden and and it will continue to be downwind until the boats reach the Island of Oland on the east coast of Sweden.  This is where things look like they will get really tricky as the wind is forecast to decrease for up to 12 hours.  There is every chance that the fleet could compress and re-start at this point with a fight to the finish in some extremely light and tricky conditions”. The fleet are now sailing south, but with one boat less in the pack.  Shortly after heading into open water Telefonica Blue ran aground, they have suspended racing and have returned to port in order to assess the damage. For more information click here. Skipper Ian Walker updated us from the race course: “We are all sailing down the channel off Copenhagen and the sun is setting over the city behind us. We are back past Delta Lloyd after they had a very scrappy spinnaker drop - getting the spinnaker halyard caught over the top of the mainsail. They seem to also be trapped behind a large ship in the channel”. Leg Nine Day 1: 1900 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions (boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish) 
 1. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) + 422 2. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) + 2 nm 3. Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) + 3 nm 
 4. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) + 3 nm 
 5. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) + 6 nm 
 6. Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermúdez/ESP) + 7 nm 
 Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) SUS 
 2009-06-14T18:58:40+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/a-podium-finish-for-green-dragon/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/a-podium-finish-for-green-dragon/#When:11:38:02Z It was celebrations onboard Green Dragon this morning as they held onto a podium spot taking third place on Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Galway to Marstrand. This marks two successive podium finishes for the Dragon and saw the seven boat fleet complete the 1,200 mile leg with 1 hour and 19 minutes splitting the fleet from front to back. Ericsson 4 managed to hold off a determined PUMA and Green Dragon to win Leg 8, taking them ever closer to winning the race overall. They now hold a 15-point lead with just three scoring opportunities left (for a maximum 20 points) before the finish in St. Petersburg. It was celebrations onboard Green Dragon this morning as they held onto a podium spot taking third place on Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Galway to Marstrand. This marks two successive podium finishes for the Dragon and saw the seven boat fleet complete the 1,200 mile leg with 1 hour and 19 minutes splitting the fleet from front to back. Ericsson 4 managed to hold off a determined PUMA and Green Dragon to win Leg 8, taking them ever closer to winning the race overall. They now hold a 15-point lead with just three scoring opportunities left (for a maximum 20 points) before the finish in St. Petersburg. This leg was one of the shortest so far but it was unrelenting on the crews as they tacked and gybed their way from Ireland to Sweden, there was no end of manoeuvres pushing the crews to exhaustion, Green Dragon skipper Ian Walker commented after the finish, “These shorter coastal legs are harder, from the moment we left Galway until the time we got here there was no time at all. We were constantly making decisions or changing sails or planning stuff.  There was one short period in the middle where we managed to rest up and without that we would have been in real trouble.  When we went through the Rotterdam loop and then it was windy downwind we were getting really tired at that point. I guess we recovered a bit and then it was very tiring again for the last 24 hours.” Green Dragon battled to the end after sailing an excellent leg, which saw them in pole position on many occasions, but PUMA made a last minute pass in the early hours of this morning and crossed the line to take second just 50 seconds ahead of the Dragon.  Green Dragon sailed with the front runners from day one, leading the fleet around the Fastnet Rock and on many occasions held pole throughout the leg as they tussled with Ericsson 4 and Telefonica Black for the lead “We sailed pretty much a perfect leg, so there’s no point in being upset,” Walker said. “This leg, there were a lot of big tactical gains. We sailed a very different route to everyone else in the race. It clearly paid. It was only at the end when we were all straight-line reaching that they all came smoking past us.” Securing third place along with Ericsson 3 completing the leg in seventh place, means the battle for fourth place overall continues for Green Dragon with just 5.5 points separating the two boats with three scoring opportunities left, including an In Port race in Stockholm.  The teams are on a restricted regime now in Marstrand as it is classified as a ‘pit-stop’ and not a stopover.  AS a result, any repairs or maintenance have to be made by the crews, and no new sails, or food, or other material is permitted to be brought on board. Crew substitutions are allowed however and Huang Jian who filled in for Leg 8, will step off and Guo Chuan will step onboard again in his role as Media Crew Member for the remainder of the race. Leg 9 kicks off on Sunday (14/06/09) at 1300 local time (GMT + 2 hours). Listen to all the reaction dockside with the crew here View the latest images from the arrival here 2009-06-11T11:38:02+00:00 http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/fight-to-the-finish/ http://www.greendragonracing.com/en/news/article/fight-to-the-finish/#When:16:37:54Z With just over 131 miles remaining on this leg the fleet are facing their final night onboard as they plot the route towards Marstrand in Sweden.  The fleet has undergone a compression throughout the day as the back of the fleet closed in on the front runners, but the re-shuffle continues and it will be a fight to the finish into the early hours of tomorrow morning. With just over 131 miles remaining on this leg the fleet are facing their final night onboard as they plot the route towards Marstrand in Sweden.  The fleet has undergone a compression throughout the day as the back of the fleet closed in on the front runners, but the re-shuffle continues and it will be a fight to the finish into the early hours of tomorrow morning. The battle for pole position continues and the lead has changed hands again today with Green Dragon edging back in front in the early hours of this morning, only for Torben Grael and his men to sneak ahead once more. The Dragon is still holding onto second just 3 miles from Ericsson 4, with Telefonica Blue edging ever closer and are now just 2 miles from the stern of Green Dragon. PUMA has seen the biggest gains and losses of the day, clawing back over 20 miles since this morning and moving up to third, only to once again find themselves at the back of the fleet 19 miles from the leader. Defending second place onboard Green Dragon will be hard for Ian Walker and his crew, conditions will stay light and tricky for the remainder of the leg and another tense finish awaits both the teams onshore and those onboard.  It could be a long night and morning in Marstrand and a replay of the Leg 7 finish could be on the cards, this one really is too close to call. The fleet have spent all day trying to dodge the centre of the low pressure system and get into the Baltic Sea as fast as possible. It was clear that hitting the centre would not have a happy ending as Ericsson 3 discovered earlier in the leg they were caught in the light air in the centre of the low, costing them 40 miles on the fleet yesterday morning. Green Dragon and Ericsson 4 started the day stuck to each other like glue and still remained the most inshore of all the boats, until later this afternoon when they both tacked out to make their way around the northern tip of Denmark. PUMA still remains the furthest offshore after finally escaping the centre of the low and breaking out through the west side a move which may still pay off for them. Volvo’s Race expert Mark Chisnell filled us in on the problem the navigators faced onboard today, “The forecast at that stage had the low pressure heading for Denmark on more or less the same path as the remaining six boats. Everyone was expecting to end up on the western side of the centre, in the same northerly breeze as PUMA. The real trick was to do it in such a way that the centre of the low pressure ovetook them to the north, so the wind just shifted through the west into the north-west and then the north, rather than enduring the hours of light wind that PUMA had suffered by getting caught in the centre of the low.” But it wasn’t an easy escape, Green Dragon skipper, Ian Walker, confirmed they were becalmed in this email late yesterday, “This is where we remain but as we sit becalmed as the wind transitions back the other way it is only a matter of time before we get caught from behind. Sailing can be cruel and although we have sailed a good leg so far it counts for nothing until we get to Marstrand. ”It is clear this leg although short, has taken its toll on every crew member, “You can tell when people are really tired as they don’t bother to try and get in a sleeping bag, they just collapse in their wet kit wherever they can. This has been life onboard the Green Dragon for the last 2 days. Non stop manoeuvring and double stand-by watches means a maximum of 2 hours sleep in 8 if you are lucky”. Read the blog in full here Ericsson 4 and Green Dragon were thrown some extra work as they had no place to go but north due to their position so far inshore, and as a result they were forced to gybe down the beach in order to round the tip of Denmark. Telefonica Blue, Delta Lloyd, Telefonica Black and Ericsson 3 –took another option and stayed offshore, battling the centre of the low, but with the potential of sailing a better angle to the tip of Denmark once through the other side. The fleet are now in a role reversal as Green Dragon and Ericsson 4 find themselves offshore, whilst the Telefonica twins, Delta Lloyd and Ericsson 3 stay inshore and negotiate their way along the shoreline.  The first finishers into Marstrand are expected at 0100 GMT tomorrow morning. For regular update leading to the finish click here Leg Eight Day 5: 1600 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions (boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish) 1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) 332 DTF 2. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) + 3 nm 3. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) + 5 nm 4. Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) + 7 nm 5. Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermúdez/ESP) + 11 nm 6. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) + 15 nm 7. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) + 19 nm 2009-06-10T16:37:54+00:00