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Sat, 05 Nov 2005 16:10:00 UTC
1605GMT The finish gun goes, Ericsson crosses well in the lead after a tremendous race. They only just got away with a start very close to the pin end, but with John Kostecki calling the shots, headed out left, got the breeze and just walked away from the fleet. It was a masterly performance which showed the rest of the fleet that, in very light winds at least, this Farr boat has the legs on the rest. For the rest, it was a solid light weather performance from Brasil 1 to take second, but movistar will be disappointed at being rolled by the Pirates at the last mark before the finish, dropping them to fourth. As for the two ABN AMRO boats it can only be a serious worry that they were so poor in the light winds. Mike Sanderson must be hoping that they never meet these conditions again during the round the world race. Official elapsed times are: 1st Ericsson 01:51:29, 2nd Brasil 1 01:54:55, 3rd The Black Pearl 01:56:30, 4th Movistar 01:57:13, 5th ABN AMRO TWO 02:00:07, 6th ABN AMRO ONE 02:04:11. First points are on the board for the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06: Ericsson 3.5, Brasil 1 3, The Black Pearl 2.5, movistar 2, ABN AMRO TWO 1.5, ABN AMRO ONE 1, Premier Challenge 0.
1600GMT At the second windward mark movistar and the Pirates came in behind Brasil 1, neck and neck, with movistar pre-hoisting their asymmetric in stops, but though they thought they were stealing a march, in fact Pirates carried their speed round the mark, came hard on the wind under mainsail and headsail and rolled over movistar. Then the Pirates set and, being to windward, served up vast amounts of dirty wind to the hapless Spanish boat. The Race committee has just announced a shorten course at the end of the downwind leg, so we will have a result in any moment. Confidently we can call Ericsson as the winner.
1550GMT movistar has persevered with the massive headsail that the sailors call a Code Zero. Pirates have sailed this leg with a more conventional set-up of a headsail tacked to the bow, not the bowsprit. Pirates have eaten away at the lead movistar held over them during this leg and now are neck and neck with the Spanish boat. Brasil 1 is well in front of movistar and could have closed on Ericsson. Ericsson is already round the second windward mark and heading back downwind with their asymmetric tacked to the bowsprit - no spinnaker pole in use today.
1530GMT Textbook rounding from Ericsson, conservative, but effective, no mistakes. Five minutes behind, Brasil 1 comes to the mark, having misjudged their line; movistar sees a gap and tries to round inside. They don't quite make it and Brasil 1 staggers off up the windward leg having lost a lot of boat speed, but they haven't lost enough to allow movistar to get past. Pirates are still fourth and the two ABN boats bring up the rear. We don't like to rub it in, but ABN AMRO ONE rounded the leeward mark some 12 minutes and 33 seconds behind. Ericsson started up the windward leg taking the left side and Brasil 1 followed suit. The headsail choice has changed from the first leg, with some boats now using Code Zera's, huge headsails set from the bowsprit end to the masthead. These have to be furled when the boats tack, making the manoeuvre more than a little slow.
1515GMT Ericsson still leads by close to five minutes, having extended their lead by virtually a minute. Brasil 1 has extended by almost a minute over movistar, but the wind looks as though it is dying slightly. ABN AMRO ONE has closed up on the leader by about half a minute, ABN AMRO TWO have fallen back by about 30 seconds. Will the Race Committee shorten the course? The sun is getting low and the mist is creeping in. Surely they can't manage the full 30 miles? Ericsson have a worry now; in light wind races such as these, the wind can shift hugely and die on one part of the course while building on another. Gains and losses can be huge, and until the finish gun goes, nothing is sure.
1500GMT With Ericsson off in the distance it is the battle for the minor places that holds the attention. Torben Grael and Brasil 1 have pulled out some distance on movistar, about ten boat lengths, and Pirates have dropped back after having had problems with setting their asymmetric spinnaker. Brasil seem to be very swift off the wind, but it's still close and there is a long way to go. The boats are gybing now at the wing mark. Still bringing up the back are the two ABN boats. Worrying? The official timings for the boats at the first mark are: 1, Ericsson 15:45 00 2, Brasil 1 15:49 00 3, Movistar 15:50 00 4, Pirates 15:50 30 5, ABN 2 15:54 6, ABN 1 15:56
1443GMT Ericsson hit the port layline to the windward mark - coming to the mark from way out to the right of the course - they make a superb spinnaker hoist and head down the reaching leg, well in front. movistar have made a comeback in the latter stages of the leg, but are prevented from tacking by one of the police boats protecting their passenger, the King of Spain, which allows Brasil 1 to come round in second place. The time difference between first and second is an amazing five minutes and four seconds, Ericsson over Brasil 1, who are just 12 seconds in front of third. Pirates come to the mark on port tack and can't get in front of movistar. ABN AMRO ONE are still having a dire race, they look like being six or seven minutes behind the leader.
1430GMT Ericsson is coming back towards the middle of the course, while Torben Grael and Brasil 1 went miles off to the left, but are now coming back towards the middle. ABN AMRO ONE is having a shocker, they might have daggerboard problems, but this boat, certainly optimised for heavier weather, is the big surprise in being so slow. Paul Cayard is dogging movistar's every move and perhaps assessing their set-up, but now with Eriscsson about half a mile in the lead, Brasil 1 has tacked on top of movistar to defend their second position. It looks as though Kostecki's tactics, Tim Powell's steering and Neal McDonald's captaincy is doing the business for Ericsson.
1425GMT Ericsson leads the fleet, having sailed out on their own to the left side, while a small battle between Brasil 1, movistar and Pirates takes place up the middle of the course. ABN AMRO ONE and TWO seem to be slipping back, the development crew leading the pros. Ericsson have at last tacked back towards the rest of the fleet which is about a mile away.
1215GMT ABN AMRO One is setting a huge headsail from the end of their bowsprit, but don't seem to make any progress. Ericsson has made up the ground they lost at the start and are heading left. Brasil 1 have gone off to the left too, but it's movistar in front at the moment.
1410GMT The five minute signal has been fired and the boats are lining up for the start. It's still very light winds, and the two ABN AMRO boats are looking very sticky in the light conditions. They are after all optimised for big winds. Paul Cayard tipped Torben Grael to win, but who knows! ABN's boats and the Pirates are at the starboard end of the line, the others at the port end.
1400GMT The story goes that they have broken the start cannon aboard the start vessel Gothenburg, causing yet another delay. But things are getting underway any moment now. The race is on! Probable start at 1415GMT.
1340GMT What wind there is seems to be stabilising now so the Race Committee are fiddling about with buoys and things, preparing to set a start line.
Out on the water the spectator fleet is growing by the minute, but their habit of getting up close and personal is causing problems. Just now, a small ferry, intent on getting a good glimpse of King Juan Carlos, almost finished the challenge of movistar before it started, only quick action preventing a somewhat embarassing incident.
According to our intrepid reporter, out there in the thick of things, it's bedlam!
1245GMT The postponement flag still flies from the yardarm on the replica ship Gothenburg, the spectators are taking advantage of the best weather Sanxenxo has seen for weeks, BUT THERE'S NO WIND!
Spectators have taken to the water in just about everything that floats. There are big yachts, small yachts, things that our reporter Riath refers to as barges; powerboats, RIBs, jet skis, even people paddling about in rubber dinghies. BUT THERE'S NO WIND!
Aboard the six Volvo Open 70s - Premier Challenge have decided not to race - the crews are lounging on the decks taking the sun, spotting Spanish beauties; those with celebrities on board have exhausted all their stories of derring-do - apart from, one suspects, Paul Cayard who doubtless will still be regaling Infanta Doña Cristina with some of his more suitable tales of sailing and racing. BUT THERE'S NO WIND!
The Race Committee can't keep everyone hanging about for ever, so rumour has it that a decision will be taken to go or to abandon no later than 1500 local time, 1400GMT. But don't tell anyone we said so, it's not official.
1200GMT Thousands of spectators line the vantage points around the shore at Sanxenxo, over 500 boats are afloat, six Volvo Open 70s are ready to race - but there's no wind.
1145GMT The Race Committee aboard the replica ship Gothenburg have instigated an indefinite postponement and everybody sits in the sun waiting for the new wind to fill in as forecast.
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