Global Challenge departure

Yachts leave Wellington NZ, for Sydney

Close racing has so far characterised the Global Challenge 2004/05 and yesterday's leg 3 start from Wellington was certainly no exception with Team Stelmar crossing the line first at 14.30 (local time) and the intense close racing providing the highlight for everyone lucky enough to witness the thrilling action on the water.

After an evening of absolutely no wind windy Wellington delivered the goods in the shape of 20 knots of wind from the north. The yachts had an upwind beat to the top of the harbour and then a big spinnaker run out through the entrance.

Thousands turned up to Queen's Wharf to wish the hardy sailors the best of luck for the next leg and many of the crews had painted flags thanking Wellingtonians for their unbelievable hospitality in a country everyone has come to love. Camaraderie across the fleet was also touching with skippers wishing one another luck and crews giving three cheers to yachts as they slipped their mooring to head out to the start line.

Out on the water there were hundreds of spectator boats including a dozen or so dinghies, desperately trying to keep up with their bigger siblings. Overhead there were at least four helicopters carrying photographers and camera crews, eager to get their slice of the action.

Once off the start line, yachts jostled with one another for places but it was Team Stelmar - beset with problems in the last leg - who rounded the first mark, Point Jerningham. Beating to Ngauranga Mark, they took a wide approach and 2nd placed Samsung closed the gap significantly. The pressure was short lived however as Samsung broached after hoisting their 1.5oz race spinnaker and Team Stelmar were temporarily off the hook and still in front.

Samsung recovered and the whole fleet hoisted their race kites for the downwind run towards the entrance of Wellington Harbour, but Team Stelmar's lead had been reduced to less than one boat length.

As the leaders approached Barrett Reef Buoy, Samsung stole the lead and had a 10 second lead on 2nd place Team Stelmar round the mark. An hour and a half into the race 1st place was clearly a fragile place to be; just a few minutes later, reports put Spirit of Sark in the lead, as the first Waypoint, Thomas Rock, became the next target. The buoy had signalled the end of the downwind run, but most teams chose to keep their kites up, sailing a tight reach, except SAIC La Jolla and VAIO, who opted
for headsails early on.

Unfortunately for Team Stelmar, by the time they decided to drop their spinnaker, they were forced to turn off their desired course and head further downwind to do so, losing valuable time on close rivals. They plummeted from 2nd to 11th in an instant.

BG SPIRIT, Me to You and Barclays Adventurer were having a particularly close tussle between themselves at this point, but the next obstacle affected the whole fleet. Sinclair Head cast a wind shadow across the race yachts, which although frustrating for the leaders gave an opportunity for the tail-enders to close the gap and keep the pressure on. As they hit the breeze again, Me to You and Barclays Adventurer came out on
top, in 1st and 2nd respectively. The last visual report put Samsung close behind them in 3rd, with the other Australian skipper, BG SPIRIT's Andy Forbes also keen to arrive in Sydney Harbour first, chasing hard in 4th.

The forecast shows low-pressure systems above and below the fleet, creating an area of potentially light and fluky winds ahead of the teams over the next 24-hours. High-pressure is threatening to steal their thunder and their boat speed after an exciting start. With reduced wind speed comes increased tension as every fraction of a knot counts, especially during a shorter leg.

The scoreboard so-far:

	Yacht	Leg 1 Points	Leg 2 Points	Total Points
1=	VAIO	14	11	25
1=	Samsung	13	12	25
1=	BP Explorer	11	14	25
4=	BG SPIRIT	11	13	24
4=	Spirit of Sark	9	15	24
6	Barclays Adventurer	15	7	22
7	SAIC La Jolla	9	8	17
8	Me to You	6	9	15
9	Team Save the Children	4	10	14
10	Team Stelmar	7	5	12
11	Pindar	5	6	11
12	Imagine It. Done.	7	3	10