The crew of Ericsson 3 arrived Monday in Cape Town third in the first leg of the around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race, but lost podium position to Green Dragon for sailing with a non-compliant keel.

Green Dragon sped into Cape Town at 9:12am (0712 GMT), just over three hours after Ericsson 3, which arrived at 6:08am, after sailing virtually neck-to-neck over the past few days.

Its eponymous rival Ericsson 4 won the first stage Sunday after a record-breaking haul, followed by Puma Ocean Racing from the United States.

Battling extreme conditions, Ericsson 3 took on Green Dragon through squally conditions, as well as a plastic bag caught on its keel, to arrive in Cape Town as the sun rose.

`I am very proud of the team,` said its Swedish skipper Anders Lewander.

`We have fought really hard and come back with great attitude. All the hours of preparation were worthwhile. We have had a lot of hard work, but we`ve got through and built on our spirit.`

The Chinese-Irish Green Dragon`s hopes of overtaking Ericsson 3 were dashed as its English skipper Ian Walker took it easier after his vessel struck a submerged object last week.

Ericsson 3 nevertheless got only four points for the first leg, with an overall total of five, after being penalised two points for racing with a non-compliant keel.

Its crew was delighted to see their new keel waiting for them in Cape Town, ahead of schedule.

Telefonica Blue, which played the stealth card - an option allowing a team to hide its position - arrived fifth at 1118 GMT, skippered by a motivated Bouwe Bekking whose yacht sunk in the last race around the world.

It was followed by Team Russia whose skipper Andreas Hanakamp said he had `never sailed in a race where the fleet was so close and fighting so hard.`

Teammates Telefonica Black were placed last, expected to arrive after Delta Lloyd. A crash landing off a wave in gale force winds slowed the vessel, which lost a rudder, part of a daggerboard and the bowsprit.

Ericsson 4 became the fastest monohull yacht ever when it broke the world 24-hour distance record on Wednesday, putting it at the top of the leaderboard with 14 points.

In the last five editions of the Volvo Ocean Race, the winner of the first stage went on to win the event, which is decided on points rather than fastest overall time.

Eight yachts from seven nations - the two Ericsson yachts are Swedish - set off on October 11. Formerly known as the Whitbread Race, the `Everest of Sailing` has grown in prestige since its launch in 1973.

The dramatic first leg was the second-longest at 6,500 nautical miles.

Each yacht receives points according to their position in each of the 10 legs. Half-points are also awarded at six scoring gates along the route and for seven in-port races.

Participants depart Cape Town on November 15 for Cochin, India, for stage two. The finish line in the 37,000 nautical mile classic is in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where the teams are expected to arrive in June 2009.

Positions at 1700 GMT Monday:

2. Puma Ocean Racing (USA)/Ken Read (USA) Arrived

4. Green Dragon (IRL-CHN)/Ian Walker (ENG) Arrived

5. Telefonica Blue (ESP)/Bouwe Bekking (NED) Arrived

7. Team Russia (RUS)/Andreas Hannakamp (AUT) Arrived

6. Delta Lloyd (NED)/Ger O`Rourke (IRL) 85 miles behind

8. Telefonica Black (ESP)/Fernando Echavarri (ESP) 230

Provisional leaderboard

1. Ericsson 4 - 14 pts

2. PUMA - 13 pts

3. Green Dragon - 11 pts

4. Telefonica Blue - 10 pts )

5. Telefonica Black - 6 pts

6. Ericsson 3 - 5 pts

7. Team Russia - 4 pts

8. Delta Lloyd - 2 pts