Starting the journey from Taiwan due to serious hull breakages in the previous stage or crossing the starting line 8 hours later than the rest did not prevent the young Swedish crew of Ericsson 3, led by the veteran Magnus Olsson, from winning the queen stage of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 after applying a masterful strategy in their approach to the mythical Cape Horn.
As stated on the [Volvo Ocean Race->http://www.volvooceanrace.org/] website by the skipper of Ericsson 3, who has six circumnavigations under his belt, "while we were sailing between Taiwan and Qingdao we couldn't even think about a result like this. We didn't look like winners then. Arriving there tired, with the boat covered in carbon dust, eight hours after the start, and with new crew members and all that... but we managed to turn the situation around... It's fantastic, it really is".
The strategic decision of the Norwegian Aksel Magdahl, 30 years old and navigator of Ericsson 3, was crucial for the outcome of the longest stage in the history of the race. His unorthodox bet to attack Cape Horn via an unprecedented route through the Northeast instead of the classic South, provided the "little brother" of the Swedish racing team that trained for a year in Lanzarote with a solid advantage that they have been able to manage until the end, despite the strong pursuit of the other Ericsson, number 4, which is increasingly strengthening its candidacy for victory in the overall standings.
Torben Grael's Ericsson 4 came in second place and consolidates its leadership after being benefited by the breakages in the rigging of Telefónica Azul that forced it to sail at a slower pace during the second half of the stage.
The American Ken Read's Puma was third ahead of Green Dragon and Telefónica Azul, which completed the participation in the longest stage of the Volvo, with 12,300 miles traveled and around 40 days of sailing.
After the race in the port of Rio on April 11, the sixth stage between Rio de Janeiro and Boston will begin.
General Classification after the 5th stage
TEAM POINTS
1 Ericsson 4 63.5
2 PUMA Ocean Racing 53.0
3 Telefónica Azul 50.5
4 Ericsson 3 43.5
5 Green Dragon 39.5
6 Telefónica Negro 21.0
7 Delta Lloyd 12.0
8 Team Russia 10.5
