Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race
Saturday 15 November 2008
14:10
We'll leave it there for the start blog, as they head south towards the Cape of Good Hope. The Data Centre is now open, and you can find the Race Viewer here. The TEN ZULU will be along in the morning, with a full analysis of the first night's racing.
14:00
The leaders are now approaching Duikerpunt, just off the surf beach of Llandudno. Ericsson 4, Ericsson 3, Green Dragon and Telefonica Blue have converted that inshore route into a lead, as PUMA, Telefonica Black and Delta Lloyd cross behind them and tack on the beach. Team Russia still in a world of pain, badly trailing the rest of the fleet.
13:52
It looks like the inshore route has won out though, Ericsson 4, Ericsson 3, then Telefonica Blue and Green Dragon all look like they could tack out and cross PUMA at the moment. Delta Lloyd and Telefonica Black next in the pecking order with Team Russia bringing up the rear.
13:45
They are all back in the strong breeze, 20 knots plus, except Team Russia - the fleet have a potent south-westerly, and are beating down the coast, PUMA now headed back inshore to stay in touch with the rest.
13:35
Inshore or offshore? That is the question...
Swedish Match famously stole a march on the whole fleet in 1997, by finding the breeze first offshore, she converted it into a lead of hundreds of miles. Small differences can turn into big ones as they sail down the coast here, and these will be anxious moments onboard. Particularly as we've got the two overall leaders - Ken Read on PUMA and Torben Grael on Ericsson 4 - with different views. PUMA holding west and offshore, Ericsson 4 the most southerly and inshore boat.
13:30
Team Russia have got going now, and are headed west, chasing everyone else. Some disagreement on the options here, Telefonica Black have held north, with PUMA leading them west. But Green Dragon, Telefonica Blue, Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4 have all gone south-west, sticking closer to the coast.
13:18
The fleet are now moving, just the Russians stuck in the hole off Green Point. The rest of the runners and riders are more or less in a line north to south, with Telefonica Black to the north in the second row with Delta Lloyd. Then a front row of (from north to south) Telefonica Blue, PUMA, Ericsson 4, Green Dragon and Ericsson 3.
13:08
Team Russia are the casualties of the park up off Green Point, they've been left behind, while the rest of the fleet are now escaping to the west. We have Telefonica Blue, leading PUMA and her sistership in a group to the north.
While to the south, Ericsson 4 leads a group of Green Dragon, Ericsson 3 and Delta Lloyd. They're all trying to get west, and offshore, looking for decent breeze to turn and go south with. They have to round the Cape of Good Hope before they can make any ground to the east, and even then, they may choose to keep going south, to get into the better wind that's down that way.
12:55
Sorry for the break in reports, but a few technical issues here...
We've got all the boats round the third and final mark, they are just off Green Point in Cape Town, headed west to try and get into breeze. Still pretty slow going.
12:17
Plenty of variety with both sails and route choices at the moment. A trickle of wind coming from offshore, and less breeze on the beach.
Still not clear who's going to come out of this best.
12:15
PUMA's biggest problem is that they can't get the Code Zero unfurled, they still have the small headsail up. But they are into the new breeze and are moving again.
12:10
There's no wind on PUMA at all, and no wind at the mark, so everyone has to deal with this problem. The fleet fully compressed, all coming together, but whoever gets out of the hole first will be off again. This is the last mark, so once they are round it and clear of the mark, they can go anywhere to look for the best breeze.
12:05
PUMA have run out of wind, they've hit the Table Bay hole, and are struggling to get more sail area up while Ericsson 4 chase them down - Torben Grael's men will be able to see what's coming and should be ready for it.
12:00 Ericsson 4 go round second, ease the sails and smoke off after PUMA on a reach. Telefonica Blue have had a great leg, they are third round the mark, and set off after Torben Grael and Ken Read. Green Dragon lose a place, but go round fourth. Ericsson 3 have caught the headsail on the rig, and shredded it, the will have to change the sail. Team Russia was fifth, then Telefonica Black in sixth place. 11:55 PUMA lead round the second mark, Ericsson 4 will be second, Green Dragon look to have lost a little by taking a tack in towards the shore. 11:52 Ericsson 4 had to duck the other side of a ship, and have lost out from that. So PUMA extending their lead at the second mark. 11:50 PUMA tacking for the second mark, still holding the lead, and laying the mark at the moment. 11:45 We're on the second leg of a triangle, one more to go before they can head south for the Cape. 11:40 The fleet have split, PUMA still leading, heading towards Table Mountain. Kenny Read steering upwind, as they beat back towards the land. 11:35 The order round the first mark was PUMA, Ericsson 4, Green Dragon, Team Russia, Telefonica Black, Telefonica Blue, Ericsson 3 and Delta Lloyd. 11:30 PUMA outpacing most of the spectator fleet, and most of the rest of the race boats as well, they're into the best of the breeze now, white caps on the water. The wind is still patchy, although there's plenty of it where PUMA are. A mix of sail choices, some with the big masthead gennakers, and some with small fractional spinnaker. The bigger sails look the better choice at the moment. 11:25 A great start from PUMA, perfectly timed, really fast with a big masthead gennaker. No shortage of breeze at the moment, building nicely. PUMA are laying the first mark, with that sail up. 11:20 And that's the start gun, a downwind start, front row are PUMA, Ericsson 4 and Green Dragon 11:15 There is plenty of wind to the south, a low pressure system going west-to-east below the Cape this afternoon, if anyone can hook into the breeze from that they will be off. But the first problem is to get south, using whatever local, thermal breezes they can find along the shore. And there's the five minute gun. 11:10 Most of the fleet with just a mainsail up at the moment, last chance for some real food for these guys, before they get back into the freeze-dried routine. And the ten minute gun has just gone. 11:00 The race committee will give us at least 15 minutes warning of the start, so a five minute heads up to the ten minute gun. A beautiful day, just not enough wind to get us going yet. The forecast is for a southerly breeze - you can read the latest weather update here. Essentially there's a large high pressure zone approaching from the west of the race course, and this has been easing the wind speed steadily back from the 60 knots plus we had a couple of days ago, to er... not enough right now. But if nothing else, we should get some sort of sea breeze or thermal activity to give us something to start in soon. 10:45 We've just heard from the race course that the start has been postponed to give the wind a change to strengthen. The fleet is sailing out to the start, the engine and engine compartments have been sealed, so progress is slow with the light air they have at the moment. We'll bring you an update on the start time as soon as we have one. Click on the button on the right hand side of the home page to get live audio and video. More soon.
12:00
Ericsson 4 go round second, ease the sails and smoke off after PUMA on a reach. Telefonica Blue have had a great leg, they are third round the mark, and set off after Torben Grael and Ken Read. Green Dragon lose a place, but go round fourth.
Ericsson 3 have caught the headsail on the rig, and shredded it, the will have to change the sail.
Team Russia was fifth, then Telefonica Black in sixth place.
11:55
PUMA lead round the second mark, Ericsson 4 will be second, Green Dragon look to have lost a little by taking a tack in towards the shore.
11:52
Ericsson 4 had to duck the other side of a ship, and have lost out from that. So PUMA extending their lead at the second mark.
11:50
PUMA tacking for the second mark, still holding the lead, and laying the mark at the moment.
11:45
We're on the second leg of a triangle, one more to go before they can head south for the Cape.
11:40
The fleet have split, PUMA still leading, heading towards Table Mountain. Kenny Read steering upwind, as they beat back towards the land.
11:35
The order round the first mark was PUMA, Ericsson 4, Green Dragon, Team Russia, Telefonica Black, Telefonica Blue, Ericsson 3 and Delta Lloyd.
11:30
PUMA outpacing most of the spectator fleet, and most of the rest of the race boats as well, they're into the best of the breeze now, white caps on the water. The wind is still patchy, although there's plenty of it where PUMA are. A mix of sail choices, some with the big masthead gennakers, and some with small fractional spinnaker. The bigger sails look the better choice at the moment.
11:25
A great start from PUMA, perfectly timed, really fast with a big masthead gennaker. No shortage of breeze at the moment, building nicely. PUMA are laying the first mark, with that sail up.
11:20
And that's the start gun, a downwind start, front row are PUMA, Ericsson 4 and Green Dragon
11:15
There is plenty of wind to the south, a low pressure system going west-to-east below the Cape this afternoon, if anyone can hook into the breeze from that they will be off. But the first problem is to get south, using whatever local, thermal breezes they can find along the shore.
And there's the five minute gun.
11:10
Most of the fleet with just a mainsail up at the moment, last chance for some real food for these guys, before they get back into the freeze-dried routine.
And the ten minute gun has just gone.
11:00
The race committee will give us at least 15 minutes warning of the start, so a five minute heads up to the ten minute gun. A beautiful day, just not enough wind to get us going yet.
The forecast is for a southerly breeze - you can read the latest weather update here. Essentially there's a large high pressure zone approaching from the west of the race course, and this has been easing the wind speed steadily back from the 60 knots plus we had a couple of days ago, to er... not enough right now.
But if nothing else, we should get some sort of sea breeze or thermal activity to give us something to start in soon.
10:45
We've just heard from the race course that the start has been postponed to give the wind a change to strengthen.
The fleet is sailing out to the start, the engine and engine compartments have been sealed, so progress is slow with the light air they have at the moment.
We'll bring you an update on the start time as soon as we have one.
Click on the button on the right hand side of the home page to get live audio and video.
More soon.