GOTHENBURG, Sweden - After dominating the Volvo Ocean race for nine months, German yacht illbruck finds itself only five points clear of the fleet as they prepare for the final leg starting today.
Pre-race favourites illbruck had looked set for victory after winning four of the eight legs but three fourth
place finishes and good results for Assa Abloy means illbruck needs a good result in the final 250 nautical mile leg.
The three occasions when illbruck missed the podium were on short legs and Thursday's sprint from Gothenburg to Kiel is the shortest yet.
"It will be tough," skipper John Kostecki told reporters after the finish of the eighth leg. " We always knew it would be tough.
"Looking back at the eight legs, we've done well at the long ones and had to struggle more in the shorter ones. These have been our strengths and our weaknesses. But we've learned from them and we're getting better going into the last leg.
"Rather than finishing first in Kiel it's better to finish first overall, those will be in our tactics."
Assa Abloy, skippered by Neal McDonald, has consistently beaten illbruck over the shorter course and its win in the penultimate leg from La Rochelle to Gothenburg has kept alive its hopes of overhauling the German boat.
"In terms of the race, the door is not shut," McDonald told reporters. "We're going into the next leg with a realistic, but obviously hard chance of catching up."
Winners of each leg take eight points, down to one for the last boat home.
If there is a tie for first place the crew who won the most legs will be favoured. If the tie remains the number of second place finishes will be decisive.
Further back in the standings Amer Sports One, Team News Corp and Team Tyco all have 40 points so a straight race between these three crews will determine their overall results.
Sixth placed SEB, on 29 points, could be overhauled by djuice on 25 but the all-female crew of Amer Sports Too will finish in last place as they have 11 points.
- REUTERS
About the round-the-world race
Competitor profiles
Current standings
Previous winners
Volvo Ocean Adventure
