With the ninth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race complete, Ericsson 4 is the winner of the round–the-world title after winning 5 of the 9 legs. A final leg and an in port race remain to be run; the results of those events will determine second place. For Ericsson 4 skipper Torben Grael, the victory was all the sweeter since he came in third skippering Brasil 1 the last time he participated in the Volvo Ocean Race. Grael is a five-time Olympic Gold Medalist and sailed with the same 11-member crew throughout the entire race.

“We are finishing Ericsson 4′s circumnavigation,” Grael said after finishing leg 9 in Stockholm in third place behind American boat PUMA and Ericsson 3. “The boat was built here and left here nearly a year ago, so she’s back after sailing around the world and winning the race. It couldn’t be any better. We have a wonderful crew with a lot of experience.”