Leg three underway

James Boyd reports from glorious Port Phillip Bay

After a short 10 minute postponement leg three of the Volvo Ocean Race got under way today from a start line close into the shore off Melbourne. Conditions could not have been more perfect for the assembled fleet of spectator craft with brilliant sunshine, clear blue skies, flat water, but most of all...15 knots of westerly wind.

The start was a starboard tack reach, the wind just aft of the beam and at the start it was Paul Cayard's Pirates of the Caribbean that confidently powered through with the most pace on. Cayard was just to weather of Brasil 1, also starting well closest to the pin, while to weather of Pirates was Ericsson, ABN AMRO Two, ABN AMRO One and movistar, some way apart from the others. Crossing the line movistar promptly popped open a kite, the first to do so while the others remained under solent. Within minutes of the start the other crews were preparing to hoist too. Following movistar in breaking out the big gear was Pirates of the Caribbean followed by Brasil 1 and ABN AMRO Two, then Ericsson. Last to deploy was ABN AMRO One. However there seemed some variation between the boats, Brasil 1 setting a masthead genniker on a furler.

As a result there was some variation in both boat speed and course. Despite flying a kite and starting from the windward end of the line, movistar seemed to be sailing low and slow, noticably off the pace compared to the competition. ABN AMRO Two was fairing little better. Conversely Pirates of the Caribbean were trucking pulling out an early six boat length lead over Brasil 1.

All bets were off however once the front runners feel into a dying breeze, the sea breeze cancelling out the gradient. Pirates seemed to suffer as they changes back to a genniker and headed up allowing both Ericsson and Brasil 1 to overhaul them. Pirates fell in in third place ahead of ABN AMRO One. Meanwhile movistar and ABN AMRO Two had sailed deep disappearing off to the shore. As the wind dropped below 5 knots and the kites began fluttering, so the shore route appeared to pay and movistar was able to draw level and then into the lead.

At this point with the fleet all but becalmed we stopped following the boats. The sea breeze took just over an hour to fill in allowing the boats to get underway again.

First around the Mornington mark (still within Port Philip Bay) we understand was Pirates of the Caribbean followed by ABN AMRO 1 and movistar. We are awaiting to hear the times of the boats as they passed through Port Phillip head, but we believe ABN AMRO One is currently leading.

With 25-30 knots forecast and 40-45 suspected as the boats leave Bass Straight over the course of tonight (local time) we keep our fingers crossed that there are no dramas...