In global offshore sailing terms that is as tight as it gets and Briton Ian Walker, the skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, knows he cannot rest on his laurels for a moment with a paper-thin 18-mile advantage over Dutch boat, Team Brunel.
Denmark’s Team Vestas Wind are closing rapidly in third spot on a more windy, easterly course than their rivals as they head for the Southern Ocean, just over halfway through the opening stage. The boats are due to complete the first leg from Alicante to Cape Town around Nov. 6, depending on sailing conditions in the meantime.
The fleet also includes boats from China, U.S./Turkey, Spain and Sweden. The latter, Team SCA, are the first team of women to enter the race in 12 years. They were in bottom spot but still in touch, some 120 miles off the lead at 0940 GMT (10.40 a.m. BST) on Saturday.
The race, generally reckoned to be global offshore sailing’s toughest test, takes nine months to complete, visits 11 ports around the world and covers 38,739 nautical miles. It finishes in Gothenburg on June 27, 2015 having begun in Alicante on Oct. 11.
(Editing by Rex Gowar)
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