US skipper Ken Read and Puma overcame a food shortage crisis to win an epic tussle with Telefonica and complete victory on Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race yesterday.

The win was a triumph for Puma’s 50-year-old skipper Read, who held his nerve as 2004 Olym-pic champion Iker Martinez harried him all the way along the Brazilian coastline to the finish in the southern port of Itajai.

Victory earns the American crew 30 points, temporary second place, and is a huge morale-booster after the toughest leg of the race through the Southern Ocean and around Cape Horn, a 7,500-nautical mile marathon which led to five of the six-strong fleet needing to halt for repairs.

That included Spain’s Telefonica who stopped for 17 hours before hauling back the leaders for a classic match-race over the last 24 hours.

“I’ve never done such a tough offshore leg. We ran out of food a day ago so we haven’t eaten. It’s been pretty intense,” said a relieved Read after his victory with 12 minutes, 38 seconds to spare.

Standings: 1. Telefonica (Spain) 147, 2. Puma (US) 113, 3. Groupama (France) 107, 4. Camper (Spain/New Zealand) 104, 5. Abu Dhabi 55, 6. Team Sanya (China) 25.

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