Just how demanding was the new VOR leg to India? Matthew Sheahan and Guy Swindells find out as the crews step ashore in Cochin

First out from the Doldrums the rich just got richer as smart navigation allowed Ericsson 4 to escape the windless zone’s clutches and sail into progressively better conditions. The result was a huge lead over the rest of the fleet come the finish in India and a further stretching of the overall points, scoring 26 out of a possible 28 so far.

Having broken her daggerboard on the same day as her sistership Telefonica Black broke hers too, Bouwe Bekking’s Telefonica Blue pulled a rabbit out of the hat in the closing stages of the leg to take second place.

But perhaps the performance that surprised most was that of the Nordic team aboard Ericsson 3 who proved that their earlier behaviour on Leg 1 was no coincidence as they crossed the line in India third.

In this month’s Shoretalk, Matthew Sheahan talks to watch leader Richard Mason as he steps off the boat and describes the team’s experiences, the crash and burn ride and their prospects for the future.

At the back of the fleet, Team Russia were experiencing the opposite after becoming strapped in the Doldrums that refused to let them go and forced them to finish days after the rest of the fleet. Leg 2 was team owner and crew member Oleg Zherebtsov’s first experience of the race. How did he feel and would he continue?

In addition, Guy Swindells talks to other key sailors and takes stock of a fascinating leg during a remarkable stopover.

Shoretalk from Cochin.

Shoretalk Special: Hear skipper Bouwe Bekking and navigator Simon Fisher (Sci-Fi) describe the ups and downs of a roller coaster leg.

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Yachting World’s weekly podcasts are available every Friday afternoon, but watch out this week for specials as the boats arrive in India after a punishing second leg.