It was the first time the race has made a stop in Asia. Skippered by Torben Grael, Ericsson 4 broke the monohull record between Alicante and Capetown before starting the second leg to Cochin, India.
From the International Herald Tribune:
“In one of the closest ever conclusions to a race leg, four boats crossed the finish line in Cochin, India, within a little over an hour on Monday afternoon despite having raced 4,450 nautical miles from Capetown.”