8f76a1e7-0c60-499c-9dbc-f1a6d03934e4/abouttherace/course/2006-02-20T12:01:20.937About the Race | The CourseAbout the Race | The CourseVolvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 | About the Race | The Coursetrue225988e7-3cd3-42de-9937-c1907b7b4b4dRace TrackDefaultracetrack.xsltc60b7d42-9f09-4614-b9a6-0a7c08a63318Default2008-01-24T09:56:14.7722-08-08 1351 GMTHelloThere8e781103-bf32-4718-879a-120292d47efchello Therecbe9355e-a668-4860-9571-bbd5d26d6f58ImagePrimaryMov8ee28a42-9ce3-47ea-8e86-caeebe703e2aimages/assets/atr_thecourse.pngtrueTHE COURSEatr_thecourse.png.png576052e9f8ef2-7c4b-4786-8a36-dd944d1e3f58images/assets/atr_thecourse_thumb.pngfalseTHE COURSEatr_thecourse_thumb.png{Width=605, Height=5.png910010ContentImageATR Course2006-02-21T12:09:29.633falsefalsefalsefalsedf3d8320-ad48-472e-a793-0f232186dca0ImagePrimaryMovf0a6a1b8-9479-47ba-b4ed-03a9b6365eecimages/assets/thecourse_headerimage.jpgtrueBrasil 1 sailingthecourse_headerimage.jpg.jpg118605002412db-f24e-44f4-966b-e77ce23c81ecimages/assets/thecourse_headerimage_thumb.jpgfalseBrasil 1 sailingthecourse_headerimage_thumb.jpg{Width=605, Height=1.jpg2010010ContentImagethecourse_headerimage,The Course Header Image 605x1182005-11-07T16:05:23.22falsefalsefalsefalsef0bc5a72-a40e-49f9-80ff-97fa7b3f5f46ImagePrimaryMovd5c203dc-26ca-4b4b-816c-6997f8445453images/assets/coursemap.jpgtrueVolvo Ocean Race 2005-06 Course Mapcoursemap.jpg.jpg317440eeba0558-d105-44de-a243-4c6b20e8c60bimages/assets/coursemap_thumb.jpgfalseVolvo Ocean Race 2005-06 Course Mapcoursemap_thumb.jpg{Width=440, Height=3.jpg7210010ContentImagecoursemap,Race Track Map2005-11-07T16:05:23.22falsefalsefalsefalse359f5df3-0204-41fa-bcc6-418b3d8a1e21Race Title5bd0dd30-dbc6-4a2c-b341-bfb4bbd3840cCourse Mapfalsed784ec70-d39c-4f01-b714-a45ce4a8b4eb/images/downloads/routemap_highres.jpg_blankThis link will open a new browser windowFollow link to download the high resolution imaged61b2275-25d3-4275-b7cc-d7fa9d545fd78f37c658-8b3d-4861-bf88-7c9f830a3958Start from Vigo, Spain, go round the world, leave Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leuwin and Cape Horn to port, finish in Gothenburg – oh yes, don’t forget to stop at a few places on the way. Simple reallyfalse28f49805-19b5-4d74-bae4-5384540ec005/abouttherace/raceschedule/_selfThis link will open a new page in your browserRace Schedule49f440a4-586f-40d8-b0f0-6a16595f8871Well, not quite.e45c8bef-93c4-4408-9a62-3c5b0e8c1c6fLeaving aside the In Port races which add to the points, but not to the ocean mileage, the course starts with Leg 1 from Vigo on Spain’s North West coast, via the islands of Fernando de Noronha to Cape Town in South Africa. On the way the boats will probably have to negotiate some rough weather as they leave Europe in winter, deal with the tricky conditions of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone – doldrums to you – and then work out the best way to get to Fernando de Noronha before finding a way around the South Atlantic high pressure system and then heading to Cape Town and the finish, hopefully not too badly affected by the wind shadow of Table Mountain.bce10264-edaa-4824-9b91-bb4be03871a8For Leg 2 the main thing on the contestant’s minds will be about getting as far south as they can in the shortest possible time, before heading along the Southern Ocean, propelled by the strong westerlies, swooping over the massive rollers they generate.  Two Ice Gates have been added to the course to keep the boats out of the worst of the mass of ice bergs that have calved off Antartica thanks to Global Warming. The first gate is a line 400 nautical miles long at 42 degrees south, extending from 45 degrees east to 51 degrees 45 minutes east. The second is a line 500 miles long at 42 degrees south extending from 69 degrees east to 77 degrees east.  Boats have to either pass completely north of each line, or cut each one to pass to the north at some point along their length. The fleet has a scoring gate at the Kergeulen Islands which is Longitude 70 degrees east then, as they close on Australia, they will have to pass north of Eclipse Island at the South west corner of Australia. From Eclipse it’s just a canter to Melbourne.c5854373-6e8c-4a46-a614-d919fbc3c0e2From Melbourne Leg 3 is a mere hop to Wellington, though it does include the often nasty Bass Strait and New Zealand’s Cook Strait at either end.3f3f3f56-73e7-40dc-8b23-1939167adf81Leaving Wellington it’s on with the thermals once again for another battle with the Southern Ocean. This time it’s a long unbroken line of weather systems winging the boats towards Cape Horn. Round the Horn and turn sharp left, through the Straits of La Marie and the Falkland Islands lie ahead as an obstacle before the next port of call, Rio de Janeiro. There are a couple more Ice Gates to put into the Southern Ocean equation.  The first is a line which will be at 48 degrees south, between 148 west and 143 west; the second is a line at 48 degrees south, between 130 west and 125 west. As with the previous Ice Gates, the line will have to be cut at some point or a boat will have to sail north of the line completely. 2dabff28-8578-43b2-affa-269072c58c78If the crews can tear themselves away from Rio, Leg 5 is a tactically interesting one up the South American coast, once more across the equator, find a way through the ITCZ, fiddle your way past – or through – the Caribbean, avoid disappearing in the Bermuda triangle and then struggle up Chesapeake Bay to the finish at Baltimore in the usual light winds and through the crab pot marker minefield.d641326b-efb6-4b54-9ad5-b3ff01e29432Starting from Annapolis on the Chesapeake, Leg 6 takes the boats a mere 400 miles up to New York for a pit stop of a couple of days before the last big one, the Atlantic crossing. Leg 7 will involve some tricky tactics at the beginning as the boats leave America and head north to the Grand Banks. After the Banks the fleet will want to be hooking in to the low pressure weather systems that the jet stream will hopefully be zinging across the Atlantic. Past the scoring gate at the Lizard and then a final sprint up the English Channel to the leg finish at Portsmouth.3c1ccf7c-5811-4efd-a007-1309c7f6c82fThe race finish is almost in sight now as the boats take a detour round Britain and Ireland before looping back to Rotterdam in Holland. An impatient stop here, as the teams will be wanting to get on with it for the last 500 miles to the finish line in Gothenburg. aa29c8f4-7894-4949-a35f-06ce335094b2And suddenly it’s all over, 32,700 miles or so of ocean sailing gone, just like that.376de2dd-f474-4e8e-bd12-ad6ea0a7340aDefault2008-01-24T09:56:14.6922-08-08 1351 GMTRace Guide | The Course | Race Track521d37dc-b85d-4e3b-a98d-ee6b5c5126dccbe9355e-a668-4860-9571-bbd5d26d6f58ImagePrimaryMov8ee28a42-9ce3-47ea-8e86-caeebe703e2aimages/assets/atr_thecourse.pngtrueTHE COURSEatr_thecourse.png.png576052e9f8ef2-7c4b-4786-8a36-dd944d1e3f58images/assets/atr_thecourse_thumb.pngfalseTHE COURSEatr_thecourse_thumb.png{Width=605, Height=5.png910010ContentImageATR Course2006-02-21T12:09:29.633falsefalsefalsefalsedf3d8320-ad48-472e-a793-0f232186dca0ImagePrimaryMovf0a6a1b8-9479-47ba-b4ed-03a9b6365eecimages/assets/thecourse_headerimage.jpgtrueBrasil 1 sailingthecourse_headerimage.jpg.jpg118605002412db-f24e-44f4-966b-e77ce23c81ecimages/assets/thecourse_headerimage_thumb.jpgfalseBrasil 1 sailingthecourse_headerimage_thumb.jpg{Width=605, Height=1.jpg2010010ContentImagethecourse_headerimage,The Course Header Image 605x1182005-11-07T16:05:23.22falsefalsefalsefalsef0bc5a72-a40e-49f9-80ff-97fa7b3f5f46ImagePrimaryMovd5c203dc-26ca-4b4b-816c-6997f8445453images/assets/coursemap.jpgtrueVolvo Ocean Race 2005-06 Course Mapcoursemap.jpg.jpg317440eeba0558-d105-44de-a243-4c6b20e8c60bimages/assets/coursemap_thumb.jpgfalseVolvo Ocean Race 2005-06 Course Mapcoursemap_thumb.jpg{Width=440, Height=3.jpg7210010ContentImagecoursemap,Race Track Map2005-11-07T16:05:23.22falsefalsefalsefalsed5929c49-b723-4c93-9f0f-471cfee95cdbTHE COURSE3780e2d4-9462-4e2d-9e50-40f2e654cdc1Course Mapfalsefc430c73-e556-4ad1-93df-1233eadfba0b/images/downloads/routemap_highres.jpg_blankThis link will open a new browser windowFollow link to download the high resolution imageea25c20f-89ea-41de-934a-2607067b4fddd08e3526-1830-4eac-bc16-ca1a1d7dfd34Start from Vigo, Spain, go round the world, leave Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leuwin and Cape Horn to port, finish in Gothenburg – oh yes, don’t forget to stop at a few places on the way. Simple reallyfalse654802e6-cd08-4d4f-b3bf-7bc6c81251f2/abouttherace/raceschedule/_selfThis link will open a new page in your browserRace Schedulef9389031-68d4-42d4-a83b-ea89915453f1Well, not quite.e5774f1d-4b70-46f5-aa4a-ac3a1a52a1d0Leaving aside the In Port races which add to the points, but not to the ocean mileage, the course starts with Leg 1 from Vigo on Spain’s North West coast, via the islands of Fernando de Noronha to Cape Town in South Africa. On the way the boats will probably have to negotiate some rough weather as they leave Europe in winter, deal with the tricky conditions of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone – doldrums to you – and then work out the best way to get to Fernando de Noronha before finding a way around the South Atlantic high pressure system and then heading to Cape Town and the finish, hopefully not too badly affected by the wind shadow of Table Mountain.876d982d-9c3a-4496-9d2c-28b1e168a907For Leg 2 the main thing on the contestant’s minds will be about getting as far south as they can in the shortest possible time, before heading along the Southern Ocean, propelled by the strong westerlies, swooping over the massive rollers they generate.  Two Ice Gates have been added to the course to keep the boats out of the worst of the mass of ice bergs that have calved off Antartica thanks to Global Warming. The first gate is a line 400 nautical miles long at 42 degrees south, extending from 45 degrees east to 51 degrees 45 minutes east. The second is a line 500 miles long at 42 degrees south extending from 69 degrees east to 77 degrees east.  Boats have to either pass completely north of each line, or cut each one to pass to the north at some point along their length. The fleet has a scoring gate at the Kergeulen Islands which is Longitude 70 degrees east then, as they close on Australia, they will have to pass north of Eclipse Island at the South west corner of Australia. From Eclipse it’s just a canter to Melbourne.0d067247-fbf8-4b1b-aaaa-4b33f02203bcFrom Melbourne Leg 3 is a mere hop to Wellington, though it does include the often nasty Bass Strait and New Zealand’s Cook Strait at either end.fcc4f677-30f1-43d4-aca8-4290b61f303fLeaving Wellington it’s on with the thermals once again for another battle with the Southern Ocean. This time it’s a long unbroken line of weather systems winging the boats towards Cape Horn. Round the Horn and turn sharp left, through the Straits of La Marie and the Falkland Islands lie ahead as an obstacle before the next port of call, Rio de Janeiro. There are a couple more Ice Gates to put into the Southern Ocean equation.  The first is a line which will be at 48 degrees south, between 148 west and 143 west; the second is a line at 48 degrees south, between 130 west and 125 west. As with the previous Ice Gates, the line will have to be cut at some point or a boat will have to sail north of the line completely. a8c4c6a4-9e4e-4edf-a9ab-e7e9d23b2cf9If the crews can tear themselves away from Rio, Leg 5 is a tactically interesting one up the South American coast, once more across the equator, find a way through the ITCZ, fiddle your way past – or through – the Caribbean, avoid disappearing in the Bermuda triangle and then struggle up Chesapeake Bay to the finish at Baltimore in the usual light winds and through the crab pot marker minefield.e3f03ea5-d748-4426-b84b-97a02379150eStarting from Annapolis on the Chesapeake, Leg 6 takes the boats a mere 400 miles up to New York for a pit stop of a couple of days before the last big one, the Atlantic crossing. Leg 7 will involve some tricky tactics at the beginning as the boats leave America and head north to the Grand Banks. After the Banks the fleet will want to be hooking in to the low pressure weather systems that the jet stream will hopefully be zinging across the Atlantic. Past the scoring gate at the Lizard and then a final sprint up the English Channel to the leg finish at Portsmouth.d3b7f612-1fdf-46f3-8831-d7ecfb752aa6The race finish is almost in sight now as the boats take a detour round Britain and Ireland before looping back to Rotterdam in Holland. An impatient stop here, as the teams will be wanting to get on with it for the last 500 miles to the finish line in Gothenburg. 117f847a-c9e1-4e77-87de-748f701ae01cAnd suddenly it’s all over, 32,700 miles or so of ocean sailing gone, just like that.3083cb1d-f451-4f72-850d-f9fd0962d394ImagePrimaryMov408522db-cb28-44d2-82e1-23c72dded927images/assets/undercurrents_2_left.pngtrueheading, Under currentsundercurrents_2_left.png.png69361efeb2a71-a483-412f-8fd5-fe19036d2dfaimages/assets/undercurrents_2_left_thumb.pngfalseheading, Under currentsundercurrents_2_left_thumb.png{Width=361, Height=6.png1910010ContentImageundercurrents_left2006-05-12T14:01:05.447falsefalsefalsefalse2006-02-20T10:35:22Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:35:22 UTC