Leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race, which takes the boats out of Cape Town and towards Melbourne, Australia, via the Southern Ocean, began as scheduled at 13:00 on Monday 2 January in front of over one hundred spectator boats, with the start gun being fired from a navy patrol vessel.

Quick out of the starting blocks was Brasil 1 skippered by Torben Grael (BRA) with ABN AMRO TWO hot on their heels. With just five knots of wind it was a game of snakes and ladders as the fleet headed along the shore towards Green Point to the passing mark.

Brasil 1 and the Spanish boat movistar, under the guidance of Bouwe Bekking (NED), led the charge shortly followed by Paul Cayard’s Pirates of the Caribbean (USA) and Ericsson skippered by British sailor Neal McDonald.

Within an hour the fleet order had been turned on its head and ING Real Estate Brunel skippered by Australian Grant Wharington, who recently finished third over the line in the Rolex Sydney Hobart before hot footing it back to Cape Town, had moved up through the fleet and slid into the lead. As quickly as they gained the places, they were robbed as ABN AMRO TWO, Brasil 1 and Ericsson sailed through them.

The next hurdle was to get past the turning mark which proved harder than it looked. Pirates of the Caribbean was first to reach it before the wind died altogether and saw all seven boats in a line waiting for the wind to fill their sails. ABN AMRO TWO skippered by Sebastien Josse (FRA) was the first to sneak past the mark and head out to open seas. In her wake was minor carnage as Pirates of the Caribbean got caught on the mark and duly had to take a 360 degree penalty and ABN AMRO ONE and Ericsson collided, resulting in two penalty turns for Mike Sanderson (NZ) and ABN AMRO One.

With all the boats safely round the turning mark movistar leads the fleet from ABN AMRO TWO. ING Real Estate Brunel, which is flying the CYCA burgee, is currently placed third with ABN AMRO ONE fourth, Ericsson fifth, Pirates of the Caribbean in sixth place and finally Brasil 1 in seventh. With well over 6000 nautical miles still to race this was merely the preamble.

Within 48 hours the conditions will change dramatically as the teams prepare for a wet and wild trip to Melbourne via some of the most inhospitable seas on the planet.

Volvo Ocean Race 2005 / 06, the world’s premier ocean race, features nine offshore legs, starting in Vigo, Spain in November 2005 and finishing in Gothenburg – www.volvooceanrace.org. The Melbourne Stopover is scheduled from 17+ January – 12 February 2006 at Waterfront City, Docklands. Key dates are Leg #2 Finish from 17+ Jan, In-Port Race on Sat 4 Feb and Leg #3 Start on Sun 12 Feb 2006 – www.melbournestopover.com.au

by Volvo media