Green Dragon's success comes at a price

Fourth on the water but third highest points scorer, Ireland's Green Dragon, skippered by British double Olympic medallist Ian Walker and partnered by China, took over the third-placed spot overall after finishing the opening leg of the Volvo round the world race yesterday. There was a price.

The 6,500-mile run from Alicante has cost them two shredded spinnakers and damage to the swinging keel after hitting a still unidentified object at speed.

Both kites were repaired and it was all smiles as they made a sunny morning entrance into the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront which hosts the eight 70-foot yachts for a fortnight.

The points table, which has the Dragon with 13 behind Ericsson 4's 14 and Puma's 13, makes the race look closer than it is and it is Telefonica Blue, completing the top half of the table with 10, that could upset things on the next leg to Kochi, south-west India. Finishing fifth yesterday, skipper Bouwe Bekking pointed to the early rudder problems, which cost them a 12-hour stop in Algeciras, and a ripped spinnaker as the reasons behind playing catch-up all the rest of the leg.

E4 has a rolling programme of development which has been running for over two years, while Puma, with the American Kenny Read in charge, is hoping that lots of incremental factors may add up to a jump in performance. As for E3, which has had to suffer a four-point penalty for using an inadmissable keel fin, the new fin, milled in Italy, is ready to be fitted in Cape Town.

The clearly tight-knit Irish team, on the other hand, has the additional problem of a very tight budget. Making new sails is a major decision and, although syndicate boss Jamie Boag reports growing financial support, there are still 31,000 miles to go.

The boat clearly has potential, though its best 24-hour run was 549.5 miles compared with the world record-breaking 602 by E4, and the second half of the next leg will again be highly tactical, something which Walker relishes having beaten the rest of the pack around the scoring gate off Brazil.

Team Russia had an evening appointment with the tavern of the seas yesterday, leaving only Delta Lloyd and the stricken Telefonica Black to complete the arrivals today.

Stuart Alexander talks to Ian Walker Online

Listen to Stuart Alexander's exclusive podcast interview with Ian Walker