Game, set and match to ABN AMRO ONE

by Sacha Oswald on 18 Jun 2006 Today, ABN AMRO ONE crossed the line in last place. But who cares? With a total of 96 points, the team has won the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 with two legs to spare, but it gives a certain piquancy that the team, which has been so dominant for so long, should come last in the last leg.

'It’s my Everest, my Olympic rings, my childhood dream,' said Mike Sanderson (NZ), the skipper of the Dutch boat the ABN AMRO ONE team affectionately call Black Betty, when he won leg seven in Portsmouth. This was the point in the Volvo Ocean Race when the team knew they could not be beaten, but they still had two more legs to complete before they could finish the race in Goteborg.

As Mike Sanderson held aloft Fighting Finish, the striking Waterford Crystal winner’s trophy, presented to him and his team by HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, surrounded by 120,000 people who had watched the final stage of leg nine unfold, the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 concluded.

'Who cares about this leg', said Sanderson on the dock. 'We have won the Volvo Ocean Race and that is what it is all about. There is nothing wrong with today and the result, I promise you that. Gothenburg is the home of the Volvo Ocean Race and it is just great to be here. It was a bit slow getting in, but being here is just fantastic.

'This is the best dream for all of us. We wanted to win the Volvo Ocean Race, but unfortunately it was a bit of slow bus to get to the party. It is a dream come true for us at ABN AMRO and we are just over the moon with the result.

'I am not going to make any promises now on the dockside, but the Volvo Ocean Race is a wonderful race. We all love it and there is a good chance that we will all be back. '

And with that Mike Sanderson was ceremoniously thrown in to the water by the shore crew, swiftly followed by the rest of the team.

OVERALL LEADERBOARD (points not ratified)

TEAM	FINISH TIME	ELAPSED TIME LEG NINE	COMBINED ELAPSED TIME	TOTAL RACE POINTS	POSITION OVERALL
ABN AMRO ONE	17/06/06 16:26:57	002d 05h 26m 57s	097d 11h 15m 39s	96.0	1
The Black Pearl	17/06/06 13:44:06	002d 02h 44m 06s	106d 17h 44m 17s	73.0	2
Brasil 1	17/06/06 14:32:15	002d 03h 32m 15s	102d 12h 36m 33s	67.0	3
ABN AMRO TWO	17/06/06 13:48:56	002d 02h 48m 56s	101d 15h 50m 40s	58.5	4
Ericsson	17/06/06 16:10:20	002d 05h 10m 20s	105d 22h 44m 48s	55.0	5
movistar	-	-	-	48	6
Brunel	17/06/06 15:26:48	002d 04h 26m 48s	115d 16h 55m 37s	15.5	7

LEG NINE FINISH POSITIONS (points not ratified)

Leg Standing	Yacht Name	Leg Points	Finish Time	Elapsed Time	Total Elapsed Time	Race Points	Race Standings
1	The Black Pearl	7.0	17/06/06 13:44:06	002d 02h 44m 06s	106d 17h 44m 17s	73.0	2
2	ABN AMRO TWO	6.0	17/06/06 13:48:56	002d 02h 48m 56s	101d 15h 50m 40s	58.5	4
3	Brasil 1	5.0	17/06/06 14:32:15	002d 03h 32m 15s	102d 12h 36m 33s	67.0	3
4	Brunel	4.0	17/06/06 15:26:48	002d 04h 26m 48s	115d 16h 55m 37s	15.5	7
5	Ericsson	3.0	17/06/06 16:10:20	002d 05h 10m 20s	105d 22h 44m 48s	55.0	5
6	ABN AMRO ONE	2.0	17/06/06 16:26:57	002d 05h 26m 57s	097d 11h 15m 39s	96.0	1