Volvo Ocean Race - Puma victorious in final In-Port race

by Lisa Ramsperger on 8 Jul 2012 In the Volvo Ocean Race, the Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg team closed out the 2011-12 edition on a high note, winning the Discover Ireland In-Port Race on Saturday, July 7, in Galway, Ireland. Puma crossed the line with a time of 53 minutes, 12 seconds, 1:19 ahead of second-place Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand. With the win, Puma also captures the overall In-Port Race Series.

'We wanted to go out with a bang,' said skipper Ken Read. 'We took a little risk off the starting line and it paid off for us. It was such a short first run that starboard tack was going to have a huge advantage if everything was equal.

'Winning anything is fun, whether it's an In-Port Race or a game of checkers. And, it's fun to compete against the best sailors in the world,' Read said. 'We definitely waited pretty long for an In-Port win, but consistency paid off. We’re really pleased, and I’m happy for the whole program – it’s a great way to finish.'

Puma’s Mar Mostro docked off in Galway with the crew wearing the official Puma Irish Rugby Football Union jerseys. Off the start, the fleet split and Puma headed down the left side of the first run. A small left-hand shift combined with starboard tack advantage and slightly better pressure gave Puma the lead at the first mark, a position they never relinquished on the 8.2 nautical mile course. Camper and the Groupama Sailing Team swapped places behind Mar Mostro multiple times throughout the race, while Puma gradually expanded the lead. Team Telefónica ended in third place, passing Groupama near the finish.

The win marked Puma’s first trip to the top of the podium for an In-Port Race in this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. Puma finished on the podium in nine of the 10 In-Port Races, collecting 45 total points to win the overall In-Port Race Series. The crew was tied with Camper going into today’s final race and won the series by one point.

'It’s a pretty ecstatic feeling, and a huge sense of accomplishment,' said media crew member Amory Ross. 'It was a long trip, but it’s already starting to sink in and we’re getting a little sentimental. This was a great note to end on today.'

Puma finished third overall in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 and closes out the race with 226 points. Groupama took home the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 trophy with 253 points, and Camper was second at 231. The Puma crew notched two leg wins – Leg 5 from Auckland, New Zealand, to Itajaí, Brazil; and Leg 6 from Itajaí to Miami, Florida, USA – and they were on the podium after seven of nine legs.

Puma set out on the around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race on November 5, 2011, from Alicante, Spain. Early Tuesday morning, July 3, they completed the journey they started when Puma’s Mar Mostro crossed the line in Galway, Ireland – the final port of 10 stops across the globe. The crew traveled approximately 39,270 nautical miles.

Ken Read: 'At the end of the race there were some big hugs, some big handshakes. Everyone understands what we’ve done and are proud of it. We’ll always have this bond of what we’ve accomplished.'

Amory Ross: 'Any kind of sporting event like this you participate to find your limit. Challenging yourself is a big part of why guys sign up to do this race over and over again. I know both professionally and personally I’ve grown through the process.'

RESULTS

Discover Ireland In-Port Race

POS        TEAM        TOTAL        TIME
1        PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG        6        53:06
2        CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand        5        54:26
3        Team Telefónica        4        55:03
4        Groupama Sailing Team        3        55:36
5        Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing        2        57:07
6        Team Sanya        1        57:39

Overall Standings:

POS        TEAM        OVERALL
1        Groupama Sailing Team        253
2        CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand        231
3        PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG        226
4        Team Telefónica        213
5        Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing        131
6        Team Sanya        51

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG scoring:

POS        RACE/LEG        PTS        TOTAL
2        Alicante In-Port Race        5        5        
--         Leg 1*        --        5
3        Cape Town In-Port Race        4        9
3        Leg 2, Stage 1        16        25        
4        Leg 2, Stage 2 (3rd in Leg 2 overall)        3        28                
4        Abu Dhabi In-Port Race        3        31
2        Leg 3, Stage 1        5        36
4        Leg 3, Stage 2 (4th in Leg 3 overall)        12        48
2        Sanya In-Port Race        5        53
2        Leg 4        25        78
2        Auckland In-Port Race        5        83
1        Leg 5        30        113
3        Itajaí In-Port Race        4        117
1        Leg 6        30        147
3        Miami In-Port Race        4        151
3        Leg 7         20        171
2        Lisbon In-Port Race        5        176
3        Leg 8        20        196
3        Lorient In-Port Race        4        200
3        Leg 9        20        220
1        Galway In-Port Race        6        226

* Retired from leg

Puma Volvo Ocean Race website