25 June 2009: Start Time: 14:00 hrs (local time)
400 Nm ETA: Sat 27 June 2009
Keith Brash
The fleet departed Stockholm for the final 400-mile dash across the Baltic, through the Gulf of Finland to the St Petersburg finish.
In what appeared to be a straight-line parade to the finish line, there were plenty of opportunities for gains and losses with sea breezes and Katabatic or drainage winds thrown into the mix.
In keeping with the overall theme of the 2008-09 race, the competition over the final leg was tight and the finish even tighter. In an absorbing tacking duel for the line, Telefonica Black held off PUMA by a couple of boat lengths to grab their first leg win of the campaign.
Telefonica Blue took the remaining podium place. Ericsson 3 was fourth, just ahead of the sister ship Ericsson 4 while Green Dragon held off a hard-charging Delta Lloyd to finish sixth.
On the arrivals' dock, Telefonica Black skipper Fernando Echavarri's body language said it all. His head was in his hands, eyes aimed at the ground. He looked shattered.
"So hard," he said. The duel with PUMA went on for the better part of 40 miles, sleep countable in minutes. "Nothing is easy."
He and the crew on Telefonica Black had surpassed their greatest expectations. They won the 10th and final leg, a result that by far outranks their often stated target of an "offshore podium finish".
But, the toe-to-toe intensity of 400 miles of coastal racing, combined with nine months of brutal living left them drained. "It's a prize for all of the crew, all of the shore crew," Echavarri said.
"We have been trying to do it in all the legs but couldn't; this was our last chance. We had a nice battle with PUMA in the last 100 miles. We are really happy.
"It has been really difficult. We prepared the boat for light conditions and the first 150 miles we had more wind than expected so we suffered a lot. Then it got lighter and we got faster.
"We have been fighting with PUMA, Blue and Ericsson 3 for the last 250 miles. It's been really close. It has been like a match race. I don't know how many tacks we have done. It is a great way to finish the Volvo Ocean Race. I am really proud of everyone in the group. They have done an excellent job."
"Hats off to Telefonica Black," said Ken Read. "Congratulations to all those guys, they have worked very hard for their first leg win. We will take our second and our second overall.
"The big picture is we finished this race, everyone is safe, the boat has been spectacular. We have everything to be proud of."
Telefonica Blue skipper Bouwe Bekking continued: "When you put two or three years into a campaign, it's always a little bit sad at the end.
"My last words for this quote are for my team onboard. Thanks to you all, we have shown the world what a team is."
Ericsson 4's Torben Grael added: "Some of these guys you had never met before and you become like brothers. Now we go our own ways and it's a strange feeling. It was a very long race around the world. We are completely drained and tired so I think everyone is looking forward to a nice rest."
The physical and mental challenges of the final few sprints, including Leg 10, were regularly as hard as the longest marathon. "The shorter ones, I think, are actually harder," said Read. "But this race is one long battle. There's no way of over-stating that."
So with more than 37,000 miles sailed, 11 ports visited in 10 countries on five continents, and, in the quickest case, it took Ericsson 4 127 days to complete their circumnavigation.
It meant leaving the "bubble", temporarily moving away from the exhilaration, fear, intensity, watch systems, rehydrated powder food, sleep deprivation, and the close confines of a 70-foot boat shared with 10 other people.
You can replay the leg 10 highlights on .TV here
You can also replay the action on the raceviewer by clicking the button below