Portimao Global Ocean Race Leg 3 Week 1 Review

7:07 AM Tue 3 Mar 2009 GMT

'Race tracker on the final day of Leg 3, Week 1 - Portimao Global Ocean Race' Portimao Global Ocean Race

Portimao Global Ocean Race Leg 3 Week 1 in review.

After a flying start from Wellington, New Zealand, the Portim?o Global Ocean Race fleet remained tightly packed as the boats forged eastwards into the Pacific Ocean at the beginning of the 7,500 mile Leg 3 to Ilhabela, Brazil.

Start Day: Saturday 21st February
At 1515 local time (0115 GMT), the four boats shot across the start line in Wellington Harbour in 25-30 knots of SSW breeze. Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme were first across the line on Beluga Racer, followed by solo sailor, Michel Kleinjans, on Roaring Forty with Felipe Cubillos and Jos? Mu?oz on Desafio Cabo de Hornos in third and Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson on Team Mowgli in fourth. Opting to carry a large reaching gennaker, rather than a Solent headsail, Desafio Cabo de Hornos take the lead before the fleet enter Cook Strait.

Day 2: Sunday 22nd February
Herrmann and Oehme on Beluga Racer take the lead, shadowed closely by Cubillos and Mu?oz on Desafio Cabo de Hornos. Salvesen and Thomson on Team Mowgli make a break for the south, moving into the lead late in the day and Kleinjans on Roaring Forty takes the northerly option. Desafio Cabo de Hornos collide with a shark and Cubillos and Mu?oz are forced to manoeuvre backwards to free the animal from their keel fin, but no damage is sustained on board.

Day 3: Monday 23rd February
Team Mowgli lose the lead early as the British Class 40 passes 45 miles north-east of the Chatham Islands. Beluga Racer takes pole position, under a mile ahead of Desafio Cabo de Hornos as the two boats match race south-east. Team Mowgli climbs north-east, crossing behind the leading duo.

Day 4: Tuesday 24th February
Desafio Cabo de Hornos and Beluga Racer remain separated by under one mile, trading pole position frequently. Team Mowgli and Roaring Forty remain 90 miles north of the leading two boats, with Kleinjans trailing the British double-handed team by 15 miles. Beluga Racer and Desafio Cabo de Hornos split with the Chileans heading north. The German team lead initially, but Cubillos and Mu?oz soon move into pole position. Overall speeds in the fleet begin to decrease. Team Mowgli report structural damage to their boom and undertake repairs to the vang fitting.

Day 5: Wednesday 25th February
Desafio Cabo de Hornos continue to lead heading north-east and the southern option taken by Beluga Racer begins to prove risky. Making the best speed in the fleet at 10 knots in the north, Team Mowgli move up to second place.

Day 6: Thursday 26th February
Michel Kleinjans on Roaring Forty leads the fleet overall in the morning. Herrmann and Oehme on Beluga Racer - lying third in the double-handed fleet - drop back to 40 miles behind the leader, Desafio Cabo de Hornos. Jeremy Salvesen on Team Mowgli celebrates his birthday and the German team begin to pick up speed to the south.

Day 7: Friday 27th February
The northern option begins to pay for Team Mowgli and the British team move up into the lead. Beluga Racer reduces the distance to leader to 30 miles as the German team climb north to regroup in the approach to the western end of the Pacific Ocean ice gate.

www.portimaoglobaloceanrace.com

by Oliver Dewar

Newsfeed supplied by

#News #Sailing #North

Portimao Global Ocean Race Leg 3 Week 1 Review

Sports/News

Weather Forecasts & Live Reports

Buy & Sell/Classifieds