What's the form?

William Hill and various other websites are giving odds on the Volvo Ocean Race. We give our view

Gambling is obviously a pursuit of the wicked and could never be condoned by madforsailing.com. However the Volvo Ocean Race is going to be close to say the least and there are some fascinating odds being produced for it.

At the weekend bookmakers William Hill were offering the following:
7/4 illbruck Challenge
4/1 Team Tyco
9/2 Team News Corp
11/2 Assa Abloy
11/2 Team SEB
11/2 Amer Sports One (Dalton)
8/1 djuice
33/1 Amer Sports Too (McDonald).
The Australian website Centrebet has a different opinion:

3.2 illbruck Challenge
4 Team Tyco
4.5 Amer Sport One (Dalton)
6.5 Team SEB
6.5 Assa Abloy
6.5 Djuice Dragons
8 Team News Corp
50 Amer Sports Too (McDonald)

They are also offering some interesting head to head bets between illbruck and Tyco, Tyco and SEB, SEB and djuice, plus odds on the winner of the first leg.

Here's how we see the form in overall finish order:

illbruck Challenge
Pros: first to announce; bought best training boats (both EFs from the last race) - both identical therefore good for sail development; paid for extra R&D from Farr Yacht Design; skipper John Kostecki is at the top of his business, coming with the similar credentials as Paul Cayard last time.
Cons: few. illbruck are simultaneously running an America's Cup campaign, which may be a distraction.
Team Tyco
Pros: skipper very experienced in Whitbread and America's Cup; good budget, lots of training time, experienced and talented combination of crew
Cons: first occasion for Kevin Shoebridge as skipper, one training boat (the old Merit Cup)

Assa Abloy
Pros: beautifully built and well thought out boat, talented and experienced skipper; Neal McDonald is in the crew; two boat programme for speedy sail development process; same management as winner four years ago
Cons: late to the race

Team News Corp
Pros: has the experience of Ross Field, winner in 1993/4; first Volvo Ocean 60 in the Rolex Fastnet Race
Cons: first occasion for Jez Fanstone as skipper, one training boat (the Merit boat not raced 4 years ago)

Team SEB
Pros: born of Swedish Match campaign from four years ago;
Cons: seemed lame in the Rolex Fastnet Race

Amer Sport One* (Dalton)
Pros: skipper knows a thing or two about this race (won 1993/4 race)
Cons: very late to the race, therefore little time for crew training and sail development

djuice dragons
Pros: big budget; early launch; two boat programme; experienced having raced Innovation Kvaerner four years ago; Jean-Yves Bernot is navigator
Cons: Davidson design may not be up to the Farrs; beaten in the Gotland Runt

Amer Sport Two* ( McDonald )
Pros: much better qualified team than four years ago and brimming with round the world experience; Frers boat is an unknown quantity and could be blisteringly fast
Cons: traditionally women have rarely performed well against the men's team in this event; very late to the race; Frers boat is an unknown quantity and could be a dog.

*This is based on Dalton sailing the Farr boat and McDonald the Frers.