Ericsson 4 wins Volvo yacht race

06-17-2009 | AFP

The VO70 yacht skippered by Brazilian Torben Grael came in third

Panama Star The VO70 yacht skippered by Brazilian Torben Grael came in third in the ninth and next-to-last stage between the Swedish port of Marstrand and Sandhamn, an island near Stockholm, and cannot now be caught in the overall standings.

The short 525-mile leg was won by US entry Puma Ocean Racing, which recorded its first stage victory in the event.

Puma came in at 10:40 pm (2040 GMT) Monday, snatching victory on the finish line from the other Swedish entry, Ericsson 3, desperate for a win in front of its home crowd. Ericsson 4 arrived about 15 minutes later.

"We made a few errors on the leg, but we got what we wanted so we're pretty happy," said Grael. "We were very close in Marstrand, but now it's done. It's finished. We can really enjoy it.