Gearing up for the in-port

Big winds for forecast the Volvo Ocean Race's Cape Town in-port racing on Boxing Day

Whilst most people will still be enjoying their leftover Christmas dinners, the seven Volvo Open 70s that make up the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 will be out in Table Bay locked in battle.

The in-port racing is an exciting new feature to the Volvo Ocean Race and allows the race crews to not only showcase their talent and skills around a short inshore course but also to pick up valuable points to add to their overall score.

Glenn Bourke, Chief Executive of the Volvo Ocean Race, explains: “We had it in our minds that we would offer yachts designers the complex challenge of designing a boat which is exciting for close quarters inshore racing and also purpose built to be the fastest and most exciting ocean racing yacht conceived.”

With regard to Monday's in-port race Bourke continues: “Looking at the forecast, with strong winds predicted for Boxing Day, we can expect to see the fastest racing monohulls in the world testing their crews to the limit around a very short and intense two to three hour course. Success and failure will probably depend more on crew work and tactics than it will on relative speed of the boats which gives everyone the opportunity to pick up some vital points and stand on the podium.”

The Cape Town in-port race will take place as near to the shore as possible in Table Bay. Going into it, Mike Sanderson's team on ABN AMRO One is currently the overall race leader, but just one point ahead of Brasil 1, skippered my five time Olympic medallist Torben Grael but points are tight and they hold joint second with British Skipper Neal McDonald and his Ericsson Racing Team.

The in-port race will provide an opportunity for Paul Cayard’s Pirates of the Caribbean and movistar, skippered by Bouwe Bekking to put some much need points on the leaderboard after their retiring from the first leg. They now hold sixth and seventh place
respectively.

The forecast looks set to add a bit of excitement to the day's racing as meteorologist Christopher Bedford explains: “Winds will start to ease on Monday, but there is a chance of some strong 15-25 knots southeasterly gradient winds for the in-port race.”

If the ‘Cape Doctor’ blows, spectators who plan to watch the race (which is scheduled to commence at 13 00 on the 26 December) will get a real sense of the power and speed of the Volvo Open 70s. With the race expected to take place close to the shore off Milnerton, spectators who are not lucky enough to get afloat should have some great vantage points from Milnerton Beach, as well as Table Mountain, Signal Hill and many of the other peaks surrounding the bay.

Schedule of events for Monday 26 December (all times are local GMT +2)
10 30-11 00 Departure ceremony begins from V&A Waterfront (Jetty 1)
11 30 Exclusion zones in place around the race course
12 00 Press boat departure
12 50 Live commentary begins
13 00 In-port race scheduled start
17 00 Estimated finish time of in-port race
17 30 Boats return to race village
18 30 Prize giving in V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre

Leg One finish results
[position/team name/skipper/elapsed time]
1st TEAM ABN AMRO ONE, Mike Sanderson (NZL) 19d 00h 24m 02s
2nd TEAM ABN AMRO TWO, Sebastien Josse (FRA) 19d 06h 56m 34s
3rd Brasil 1, Torben Grael (BRA) 19d 15h 58m 48s
4th Ericsson Racing Team Neal McDonald (GBR) 020d 16h 47m 38s
5th ING Real Estate Brunel, Grant Wharington (AUS) 024d 01h 33m 55s
DNF Movistar, Bouwe Bekking (NED)
DNF Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard (USA)

Current Leaderboard
[position/team name/skipper/race points to date (inc in-port, scoring
gate, leg finish)]
1st TEAM ABN AMRO ONE, Mike Sanderson (NZL) 11.5 pts
2nd Brasil 1, Torben Grael (BRA) 10.5 pts
2nd Ericsson Racing Team Neal McDonald (GBR) 10.5 pts
4th TEAM ABN AMRO TWO, Sebastien Josse (FRA) 9.5 pts
5th ING Real Estate Brunel, Grant Wharington (AUS) 4.5 pts
6th Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard (USA) 3.5 pts
7th Movistar, Bouwe Bekking (NED) 3 pts