The Mumbai shores were graced by an interesting visitor in the longest of times, yesterday.
This beauty has come 51,000 kms across the oceans to romance with the sultry Mumbai waters.
And she gets her own team of strong and suave men wherever she goes. She is none other than the 16.5 tonne, Rs 27 crore Volvo VO70 open yacht, which guided Team Ericsson's to fifth place in one of the world's most gruelling events - the Ocean Race.
THE OCEAN RACE
India is among the new stops in the 11th edition of the Ocean Race and Kochi will play host to the event (covered on our site earlier) in December later this year to 9 month long race.
Such is the nature of the race that preparations of begin one year in advance. It is also heralded as the Formula 1 of sailing.
It will start on October 2008 and finish in the Baltic Sea by June end of 2009. The 11th edition boasts of 10 ocean legs, 7 inshore races and 7 pro-am races and also head to new destinations in Asia.
TEAM ERICSSON
As a prelude to the forthcoming action in India, Ericsson 1, the VO70 boat from the 2005-2006 Volvo Ocean Race is currently docked off the Mumbai coast after visiting Kochi, where for the first time there will be a stop during the Volvo Ocean Race in December 2008.
Team Ericsson which has assembled a crack international team is the hot favorite.
THE CREW
The crew which is visiting India this time is the hospitality crew and not the actual racing crew that will be taking part in the race. Skippered by Brazilian legend Torben Grael who has won 4 Olympic medals besides 5 world championship gold, it also compromises of Ocean race winner Brad Jackson of New Zealand.
In an interaction with mediapersons on board the VO70, the promotional captain of the boat Thomas Blixt said that the team has been in training since October and there will be two teams from the Ericsson Racing Team which will take part in the Race, to begin in October 2008 and will reach Kochi in December 2008. ''We are taking part in the race to win and with a bit of luck we can surely be in the top three spots'', he added, while showing the media persons round the boat.
The seven member crew, comprising 3 Swedes, one Dane, one Englishman and a South African, also had an Indian naval officer, Abhilash Tommy on board, when they set sail for Kochi 3 days ago.
It also has an Olympic aspirant Sille Christensen, who claims to have grown up in a boat, since her parents were avid sailors. The 29 year-old had to eventually forego her trip to Beijing as it wasn't financially viable.
OCEAN RACE SIGNIFICANCE
Former Olypian Malav Shroff, feels the World Ocean Race will be a 'wake up call for Indian sport'. The 32-year-old, one of the Indian sailors to have made it to the Olympics, says, "We are not locally accustomed to world standards. This event will make people understand the enormity of fitness."
Hoping that this Volvo has a successful drive into the waters of Mumbai.
