And they're off - JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race

7:44 AM Sat 20 Jun 2009 GMT
And they're off. The first start of the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race got away on time. ICAP Leopard led off the line hoisting her Code Zero straight away.

Sebastien Josse and Ellen MacArthur were next in the Open 60 BT with Tony Todd's Performance Yachts 100 Liara third. The J/133 Jeronimo was doing well on the Island side.

Light conditions are prevailing for the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. In 8 knots of wind, Ben Ainslie on the Extreme 40 JPMorgan Asset Management/TEAMORIGIN was producing a boat speed of 12 knots, followed by Oman Sail.

At 0830 ICAP Leopard was off Fort Victoria in Hurst Narrows, heading for The Needles. She had a crew member up the mast astride the spreaders checking for the breeze. BT (Open 60 - Sebastien Josse/Ellen MacArthur) continued in second place with Liara (Tony Todd - Performance Yachts 100) third followed by Atomic.

The start sequence continues until 09:10. The breeze has picked up from an initial 5 knots to 8 knots north-westerly.

by Flavia Bateson