Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard brokerage
Product Feature
McLube HullKote Speed Polish - 7880
McLube HullKote Speed Polish - 7880

Volvo Ocean Race - Leg 2 Start

by Volvo Ocean Race media 2 Jan 2006 19:03 GMT
Pirates of the Caribbean departs Cape Town on the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 © Daniel Forester

Calm before the storm as leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race gets underway

It was the calm before the storm as leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 got underway today in light north westerly winds.

The departure dock this morning was a mixture of emotions as the teams loaded their final personal items onboard and said their farewells to family and friends. Wives waved goodbye to their husbands and children blew kisses to their dads making for a tearful scene as the seven Volvo Open 70’s headed out to the start line in Table Bay.

Leg two, which takes the boats out of Cape Town and towards Melbourne, Australia, via the Southern Ocean, began as scheduled at 13 00 in front of over one hundred spectator boats, with the start gun being fired from a navy patrol vessel.

Quick out of the starting blocks was Brasil 1 skippered by Torben Grael (BRA) with ABN AMRO TWO hot on their heels. With just five knots of wind it was a game of snakes and ladders as the fleet headed along the shore towards Green Point to the passing mark.

Brasil 1 and the Spanish boat movistar, under the guidance of Bouwe Bekking (NED), led the charge shortly followed by Paul Cayard’s Pirates of the Caribbean (USA) and Ericsson skippered by British sailor Neal McDonald.

Within an hour the fleet order had been turned on its head and ING Real Estate Brunel skippered by Australian Grant Wharington had moved up through the fleet and slid into the lead. As quickly as they gained the places, they were robbed as ABN AMRO TWO, Brasil 1 and Ericsson sailed through them.

The next hurdle was to get past the turning mark which proved harder than it looked. Pirates of the Caribbean was first to reach it before the wind died altogether and saw all seven boats in a line waiting for the wind to fill their sails. ABN AMRO TWO skippered by Sebastien Josse (FRA) was the first to sneak past the mark and head out to open seas. In her wake was minor carnage as Pirates of the Caribbean got caught on the mark and duly had to take a 360 degree penalty and ABN AMRO ONE and Ericsson collided, resulting in two penalty turns for Mike Sanderson (NZ) and ABN AMRO One.

With all the boats safely round the turning mark movistar leads the fleet from ABN AMRO TWO. ING Real Estate Brunel is currently placed third with ABN AMRO ONE fourth, Ericsson fifth, Pirates of the Caribbean in sixth place and finally Brasil 1 in seventh. With well over 6000 nautical miles still to race this was merely the preamble.

Within 48 hours the conditions change dramatically as the teams prepare for a wet and wild trip to Melbourne via some of the most inhospitable seas on the planet.

To follow the ride through the Southern Ocean log onto www.volvooceanrace.org

Current Leaderboard: [position/team name/skipper/race points to date]

1st TEAM ABN AMRO ONE, Mike Sanderson (NZL) 15 pts
2nd Brasil 1, Torben Grael (BRA) 12.5 pts
3rd TEAM ABN AMRO TWO, Sebastien Josse (FRA) 12 pts
4th Ericsson Racing Team Neal McDonald (GBR) 11.5 pts
5th Movistar, Bouwe Bekking (NED) 6 pts
6th Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard (USA) 5 pts
6th ING Real Estate Brunel, Grant Wharington (AUS) 5 pts

Related Articles

The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board. Posted on 8 Jul
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2025 overall
A weekend marked by strong winds, demanding seas, and top-level racing in Cascais The 6th edition of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy came to a close this Sunday after a weekend marked by strong winds, demanding seas, and top-level racing in Cascais. Posted on 7 Jul
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2025 Preview
International sailing & ocean conservation unite in Cascais From July 4 to 6, Cascais hosts the biggest sailing regatta of the year with a strong focus on sustainability. The Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy celebrates six years of diversity, competition, and environmental commitment. Posted on 30 Jun
Tschüss 2 - Transatlantic Titans
Line Honours for Christian Zugel's Volvo 70 in the Transatlantic Race 2025 Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA), owned by Christian Zugel and co-skippered by Johnny Mordaunt, has taken Line Honours in the West to East Transatlantic Race 2025 in an elapsed time of 07 Day 15 Hrs 29 Mins and 10 Secs. Posted on 26 Jun
Tschüss 2 powers ahead in Transatlantic Race
Her nearest rival, some 300 miles astern, is Oliver Kobale's VO65 Sisi Six days into the West-East Transatlantic Race, Christian Zugel's Volvo 70 Tschüss 2, co-skippered by Johnny Mordaunt, has raced over 2,000 miles and is the clear leader for both Monohull Line Honours and the overall IRC win. Posted on 23 Jun
The Ocean Race will return to Itajaí, Brazil
During the 2027 and 2031 around the world races The Ocean Race confirms Itajaí, in Santa Catarina state, in Brazil will once again host the world's most iconic around-the-world yacht race in April, 2027 and again in 2031, in a two-edition hosting partnership. Posted on 16 Jun
Pip Hare joins Canada Ocean Racing
Sailing alongside Canadian skipper Scott Shawyer for The Ocean Race Europe Canada Ocean Racing is excited to announce that British offshore sailor Pip Hare will join their Be Water Positive campaign for the 2025 edition of The Ocean Race Europe. Posted on 30 Apr
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy returns
With the introduction of the high-performance TP52 class The prestigious Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy is set to return for its sixth edition from July 4-6, 2025, promising a thrilling weekend of top-tier sailing in one of Europe's most scenic and challenging maritime locations, Cascais. Posted on 24 Mar
The Ocean Race Europe to make stop in Nice, France
Visiting the Mediterranean coast of France for the first time this summer The Ocean Race Europe, the premiere fully-crewed, offshore sailing race for the foiling IMOCA Class, will visit the Mediterranean coast of France for the first time this summer. Posted on 13 Mar
The Ocean Race Europe will race into Portsmouth
Back in the game for the IMOCA race in the summer of 2025 The Ocean Race Europe, an offshore sailing race for the foiling IMOCA class, will include Portsmouth on the south coast of England, among its six stopovers. Posted on 16 Sep 2024