(Alicante, Spain)- Charlie Enright and Team ALVIMEDICA have
started the Volvo Ocean Race off Alicante, Spain and they are now five
days into their first 6,500+nm Leg #1. They successfully navigated the
Straits of Gibraltar and, needless to say, they are enjoying a real
one-design race with dramatic swings taking place nearly hourly as the
duel with the six other contenders for the race lead. They’ve gone from
1st to 5th, then back to 1st more times than you can remember. Epic,
drama-filled days, creating enormous anxieties for the navigators making
new “calls” just about every hour (often less!). It’s turning into a mind-numbing game of nerves as each crew “bobs & weaves” through the fleet and whatever the wind Gods deliver to them as they play gybing angles downwind off the coast of Africa. For many, it’s been a maddeningly frustrating start to the race as they are now past the Canary Islands and sailing on a southwest course along the African coastline towards their next mark off Recife, Brazil. Unlike the last race, this time the whole fleet took the “classic” trading ship route down along the coast of Africa before going hunting for the offshore tradewinds. Also sailing fast is the J/80 superstar sailor from Spain, Iker Martinez on MAPFRE and J/24 ace Ian Walker from Great Britain leading Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing! Follow the Volvo 65s racing “J/One—Design style” around the world here on the live tracker.
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