Magnus Olsson and his team of Nordic sailors onboard Ericsson 3 rounded the legendary Cape Horn at 1222 GMT today in pole position and in daylight, gaining maximum points at the scoring gate. Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) will be the next boat to round the Cape, which marks the border between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. At the time of Ericsson 3’s rounding, Ericsson 4 was 36 miles astern, a gap that has now closed to 18nm. For Ericsson 3, Cape Horn almost lived up to its notorious reputation, producing 25 knot winds and massive seas, but Ericsson 4 is expecting full storm conditions when they round next in line. The crew is looking forward to it. PUMA became the third boat to round Cape Horn on this marathon Leg 5 when Ken Read's men passed through the iconic toll booth at 20:46 GMT and banked themselves three points. Further back in the fleet, the deficits to the Irish-Chinese entry Green Dragon, seeking something to celebrate on St Patrick's Day, was 98 miles from the waypoint. Telefonica Blue was 654 miles adrift. For every sailor, the achievement of rounding this notorious Cape, which is the tip of one small island with a lighthouse, situated in one of the most remote areas in the world, is never diminished, no matter how many times they do it.
