Five yachts tied for first place in Volvo race

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2008

MADRID (AFP) — There was a five-way tie Friday at the top of the standings of the Volvo Ocean Race around the world after the yachts passed the first 'scoring gate' en route to the first stop in Cape Town, South Africa.

Team Russia was the last of the eight yachts to reach the island of Fernando de Noronha, off the Brazilian coast, Friday morning.

Chinese-Irish entry Green Dragon was the first to the scoring gate on Thursday, followed by Sweden's Erisson 4 and US entry Puma Ocean Racing.

The four points earned by Green Dragon put it in a five-way tie at the top of the leaderboard with Ericsson 4, Puma and Spain's two Telefonica boats.

On October 4, Telefonica Blue took an early lead in the competition by winning the first of the in-port regattas, in...