Foxall heading for home waters in ‘Volvo’

IRELAND’S Damian Foxall is racing in home waters today as the six boats of the Volvo Ocean Race pass the south and west coasts as part of the 1500-mile Leg 8 from Portsmouth to Rotterdam.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner by Satellite phone from the navigation station on board Ericsson, the Kerry sailor reported excellent weather close to the rigs of the Kinsale Gas field.

“We’re 40 miles off Cork and enjoying flat water and boat speed is improving,” he said. The fleet has been virtually becalmed since starting this leg on Friday evening.

“We expect to tack off Skibbereen around midnight when the wind will go light again. We should be passing close to Dursey, my home place, on Monday.”

Ericsson is in very close contact with Brasil 1 and Pirates of the Caribbean at the front of the fleet while the overall race winner, Mike Sanderson and his team on ABN AMRO ONE trails astern, less of a threat in the light conditions.

Just this leg, an In Port Race and the final sprint to Gothenburg in 10 days time remain in the race though the leader has already sewn up the overall result.

The other five boats are concentrating on securing a podium result and for Foxall and the others on Ericsson, a late improvement in form with a second place in the storm lashed and tragic Leg 7, has boosted their chances at third place.

Meanwhile, the light winds resulting from the high pressure system means that the six boats will make relatively slow progress up the Irish coast. “This is a classic route, very scenic and we’ll pass close to the coast as we head towards St Kilda and around the Scottish coast,” said Foxall last night.

Spectators can follow the fleet’s progress at www.volvooceanrace.org.