Ericsson 4 secures Volvo victory

Grael's yacht and crew have lived up to their billing as pre-race favourites

Sweden's Ericsson 4 has sealed victory in the 2008-2009 edition of the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race.

The VO70 yacht, skippered by Brazilian Torben Grael, came in third in a short ninth stage between Marstrand and Sandham near Stockholm.

Grael's crew cannot be caught in the overall standings.

The leg was won by US entry Puma Ocean Racing, which recorded its first stage victory, finishing just metres ahead of a second Swedish yacht Ericsson 3.

Ericsson 4 arrived about 15 minutes later, giving double Olympic champion Grael, 48, his first-ever ocean race victory.

He finished third in the last Volvo race in 2005-06 in charge of the yacht Brazil 1.

It is the second time a Swedish yacht has won the event after EF Language triumphed in the 1997-98 race.

Ericsson 4, the favourite when the event began in the Spanish port of Alicante in October, has won five of the nine stages so far.

Still to come is an in-port race in Stockholm on Sunday and a final stage between the Swedish capital and St Petersburg in Russia.