Volvo Ocean Race

What are the  the chances of 3 or more boats making the finish of the first leg??......first night over and 3 boats heading for shore......

....bet this isn't the sort of reliability publicity that Volvo want to be associated with........and some of the guys still out there must be bricking it!........

......roll on the Southern Ocean 

Ragging across the southern ocean in something with the power to weight ratio of an 18ft skiff was always going to be nothing short of suicidal but its worrying the kind of damage being picked up already...

It will certainly make for interesting veiwing (or at least reading) and im sure it will confirm the volvos status as 'the' toughest yacht race in the world but Im undecided on how it will affect the sponsors reputations.. at the moment it doesnt look good for them IMHO

Has anyone checked out the websites of the teams in this race.

My 2 favourites are

1. First and by a long way (don't forget to put the sound on) Pirates of the Caribean http://www.blackpearlracing.com/

2. Ericsson - well I do work for them in a round about way. http://www.ericssonracingteam.com/

Originally posted by Stefan Lloyd Originally posted by Bumble This kind of things been going on since the race started True: Lawrie Smith's hideous maxi ketch only made it a couple of hundred miles before the mast fell down. I can't say I remember so many of the fleet succumbing so quickly before though.

And they are quality highly funded entries as well. You would not expect entries such as Moviestar and Pirates to fail in such spectacular fasion.

i'm not up for mechanical movement in a critical component.

I thought the previous boats could have done a couple more runs, but then agian it is about innovation and the Open 60s have been showing some level of reliability in these systems

BTW the new 79er from Bethwaite and Bulloch is a kanter so far. 8knts up wind.....OK for an inshore boat. Give me solid metal nicely bolted on or several hulls for oceans!