DELTA LLOYD EMAIL: 'A real close boat to boat fight'

Monday, 8 June 2009, 08:06 GMT

Delta Lloyd - Sander Pluijm (Media Crew Member)

From the gunshot at the start this leg, it has been a real close boat to boat fight and it will probably stay that way till the finish line. All Volvo Open 70's can see each other with the naked eye. Watchleader and 5 times Volvo veteran Stu Wilson says it's always like this at the end of the race. The big differences in between the boats and teams are not that big anymore. Eventually everybody ends up in the same corner.

All the sails look alike, the teams are all as experienced, the big gaps in training is closed and the crew all know the boats and each other very well. All teams and boats are optimized, so the differences are really small in the end. And of course the final legs are all simply a bit shorter. So that makes it a lot harder for the boats to get away from the fleet. Especially in a coastal leg like this one.

So that's why we are racing in really close order to Rotterdam. With no sleep for the boys due to all the sail changes and maneuvers. Really close battles are fought and everybody is extremely focused because every mistake costs miles and that could cost you the leg.

And so the fleet is racing to Rotterdam where we are going to have a great event on the coast of Hoek van Holland. We still don't have an accurate ETA but is looks like we are going to be there between 08.00 and 20.00 tomorrow. Hopefully by the end of the day we have a more accurate number.

Received 08:06 GMT