Assa Abloy Wins in Close Call

Sweden’s Assa Abloy, the nearest thing to an American entry, led the way into its home port minutes after midnight Wednesday to complete the eighth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race in the closest and most tightly packed finish of any phase of the global races of the last three decades.

Assa Abloy, named for its Sweden-based lockmaker sponsor, was only 2 minutes 16 seconds ahead of Bermuda’s Tyco, then it was 1:40 to Australia’s News Corp, 1:11 to Germany’s illbruck and 1:33 to Italy/Finland’s Amer Sports One--the top five of the eight-boat fleet all finishing within a span of 6:40.

Assa Abloy is sailing with Mark Rudiger of San Francisco as navigator/co-skipper, Mike Howard of Malibu as sail trimmer/helmsman and Chris Larson of Annapolis as tactician/helmsman. The skipper is Neal McDonald of the United Kingdom.

“It was a world-class effort by Assa Abloy all the way,” Rudiger said. The 1,075-nautical mile leg from La Rochelle in France through the English Channel was so close that the crews hardly slept the last 24 hours of the 41/2-day run.

Assa Abloy has won three of the eight legs but still trails American skipper John Kostecki’s illbruck for first place, 54 points to 49. The last leg, down the Baltic Sea to Kiel, Germany, will start June 8.