After leading the fleet out of the Guanabara Bay at the start of Volvo Ocean Race leg six in Rio yesterday, Fernando Echávarri’s bowman, Mike Pammenter from South Africa, had to be taken off the racing yacht by a support boat after injuring his ankle.

Although not broken, the injury to his ankle was serious enough to warrant the evacuation of Pammenter from the boat in order that his ankle would have time to heal fully ahead of the trans-Atlantic leg to Galway from Boston in May.  Pammenter is very disappointed.  “I feel sorry for the guys, I feel I have let them down,” he said.

The accident happened before the top mark as the fleet left Rio yesterday when, during a manoeuvre, Pammenter’s foot became entangled in the genoa sheet, which then flicked him into the mast. 

Meanwhile, out on the race track, the fleet of seven has been trying to make the best of the very light airs, creeping within one mile of the shore.  The breeze has stayed around three to four knots from the north and the keeping close to the shore offers the possibility of more land breeze.  “The latest seven day forecast does not look promising,” noted Roger Nilson, the Swedish navigator onboard Telefónica Black. 

Not even a hundred miles have been chalked up since the start yesterday and at 1300 GMT today, the boats were all still within 10 miles of each other.  Boats speeds are a miserable three knots at best – for Telefónica Blue, which is in the lead and 0.5 for Delta Lloyd, which is bringing up the rear.  Green Dragon is in second place just two miles behind the blue bloat.  PUMA is still in third place with Ericsson 4 on her hip.  A mile back is Ericsson 3.

The whole fleet, except Delta Lloyd has passed the headland of Cabo Frio.  Delta Lloyd is just 0.7nm off the southern tip.  
 
Leg Six Day 2: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)

1. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) DTF 4806 nm
2. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +2
3. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +5
4. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) +5
5. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +6
6. Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) +7
7. Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermúdez/ESP) +10

Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS