Onboard Ericsson, skipper Neal McDonald and his crew are in reflective mood. Although there is a good breeze blowing the boat along at a steady 12 knots, there is a quiet atmosphere on board. “There is a general feeling of disappointment. We all wanted to finish higher up the ranks than this,” wrote McDonald this evening. Although they will be the fourth boat to cross the finish line, their win in the inshore race has stood them in good stead and the points they scored then will be enough to ensure that they still hold on to second position overall, tied with Brasil 1 (Torben Grael) who finished the leg this morning. McDonald also said, “We have to remember how much more fortunate we have been than the two boats that had to drop out so early.”

“It’s hard to believe it is December already and when we get off the boat tomorrow we will be in a completely different part of the world from where we go on, some 20 days before. What a strange life we lead,” he added.

Ericsson is expected to finish in Cape Town in the early hours of tomorrow morning, while Sunergy and Friends (Grant Wharington) still has to slog it out for a few more days, albeit in much more exciting sailing conditions than they have experienced so far in the leg of the Volvo Ocean Race.

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