Photos: L © David Branigan R ©David Branigan
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Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:30:00 UTC
Results
1st movistar, Bouwe Bekking, NED (2h 21m 32s) 3.5 pts
2nd Brasil 1, Torben Grael, BRA (2h 26m 07s) 3 pts
3rd Pirates of the Caribbean, Paul Cayard, USA (2h 26m 57s) 2.5 pts
4th Ericsson Racing Team, John Kostecki, USA (2h 29m 17s) 2 pts
5th ABN AMRO TWO, Sebastien Josse (FRA) (2h 29m 49s) 1.5 pts
6th ABN AMRO ONE, Mike Sanderson (NZ) (2h 35m 18s) 1 pt
7th Brunel, Grant Wharington (AUS) (2h 35m 50s) 0.5 pts
1930GMT Ericsson crosses in a safe fourth, cemented by the escape of the tack of the ABN AMRO TWO spinnaker from the down thingy on the bowsprit in a gybe, but the light winds were not the best conditions for the JK boat. So it's a Farr clean sweep again in the light wind, and a superb win for the Spanish boat. We must all wonder, as Bouwe Bekking will for the rest of his life, just what might be the overall race situation if his black boat had not broken down twice.
1925GMT movistar wins! Paul Cayard has instituted a gybing battle with Brasil 1, trying to force a mistake from Torben Grael's team and to get on their wind, but Torben has defended well and maintains a lead that he should take across the line. The wind has almost gone entirely. Ericsson are holding on to the fourth place they stole from ABN AMRO TWO. Brasil 1 corss ahead of Pirates. Sixth is ABN AMRO ONE, seventh Brunel, by no means disgraced if they can stay this close to the overal leader of the race.
1920GMT Postitions at the last mark was movistar leading after two hours and 20 seconds, Brasil 1 three minutes and 21 behind, losing almost another minute on the leader. Pirates was 56 seconds astern of Brasil 1, with Ericsson getting past ABN AMRO TWO to the tune of one minute 40 seconds - though they were two minutes and two seconds behind Pirates. ABN AMRO ONE have had a slow cruise 12 minutes behind the leader and four minutes behind the kids, Brunel still about 40 seconds in last. movistar is about 500m from the finish.
1915GMT At last Ericsson seems to be moving again and could have got in front of ABN AMRO TWO on this last leg to the finish. The shortened course is official. Nothing looks as though it can take the win from Bouwe Bekking's boys, while Torben Grael and the Brazilian team seem posed for a magnificent podium finish.
1905GMT Pirates don't seem to have closed on Brasil 1, and Torben's boys are still holding on to a solid second place over Paul Cayard and Miss USA - who seems to be attracting much attention from the spectators. ABN AMRO TWO and Ericsson are closing on the buoy from opposite directions and there is still a good fight left for this fourth place. movistar looks set for a famous win as it apears that the course will be shortened.
1900GMT It seems as though the race officers are thinking about finishing the race at the end of the next leeward leg. movistar rounds the windward mark with a good lead. Brasil 1 is still holding off Pirates as these two approach the mark on oposite tacks.
1855GMT Torben Grael has taken Brasil 1 further to the right than movistar and as usual Torben seems to be happy taking more chances than most of the others skippers. The tactics for this windward leg are exactly the same as before - bang the right corner as hard as yu can and then go for the buoy. There is not a lot of chance for initative. Indeed, Brasil 1 is the only boat to have done anything different, in the first leg they went left halfway up, but since then it's been a procession with only the vagries of wind pressure or the slipperyness of your boat making the difference. As the fleet comes towards the windward mark - which was shifted due to the wind changing direction - there is no apreciable change in positions or distances between boats, although Ericsson is gaining on ABN AMRO TWO.
1840GMT Top five times at the second downwind mark are movisiar leading after one hour, 33 minutes and 12 seconds of racing, having done the last leg in 20 minutes - the fastest leg so far dispite the wind now dropping to about six knots. Brasil 1 lost 58 seconds on the leader and was two minutes 35 seconds behind at the mark. Pirates was 33 seconds back, and ABN AMRO TWO a further 57 seconds behind. Ericsson was 19 seconds after ABN AMRO TWO, having lost 11 seconds on that leg. ABN AMRO ONE rounded in sixth, three minutes and 40 seconds after Ericsson with Brunel a further one minute and 43 seconds astern - having gained three seconds on ABN AMRO ONE, but losing another minute on the leader.
1835GMT Well over a thousand spectator boats are out watching the In Port race on a beautiful day. Wind is only about eight knots roughly from the north and bright sunshine makes the whole day a perfect picture. movistar round the bottom mark with a big lead and make a textbook rounding, under no pressure. Brasil 1 and Pirates approach the mark from oposite sides, but Brasil 1 have a solid second place. ABN AMRO TWO are comfortably ahead of Ericsson. The early race leader seems to be struggling now that the wind is lighter, but the speed of ABN AMRO TWO is something of a surprise in these conditions.
1825GMT Positions at mark three were: movistar leading having sailed for one hour, 13 minutes and 15 seconds Brasil 1 were one minute and 37 seconds in arrears, Pirates 42 seconds behind Brasil 1. Then ABN AMRO TWO a further 45 seconds behind and Ericsson just seven seconds behind them. ABN AMRO ONE slipped to just a second less than four minutes behind behind Ericsson with Brunel losing on that leg to be another one minute and 46 seconds behind. ABN AMRO ONE are seven minutes astern of the leader in conditions that just don't suit them at all.
1820GMT ABN AMRO TWO make a great gain on Ericsson and get through into fourth. John Kostecki didn't get the Swedish boat moving at all on that last windward leg. movistar are a long way in front of Brasil 1 with Pirates in third. movistar has gone to the left of the course as they sail downwind, Pirates and Ericsson stay to the right. Brasil 1 follows movistar. ABN AMRO ONE rounds in sixth with Brunel close behind. These two have lost more on the leader on this last leg.
1815GMT movistar are opening up their lead as the black Spanish boat comes to the mark in the lead. Bouwe Bekking's boat has come into its own in the light conditions on Chesapeake Bay. Bouwe always said that his boat was the fastest in under ten knots and over 30 and he seems to be proving half of that statement at least. Brasil 1 is in second, a good position for Torben Grael's boat.
1810GMT movistar still leads by ten lengths to Brasil 1 as all the boats head right on port tack as they did on the first leg. Then it's Pirates four lengths behind and Ericsson further out to the right just clear of Brasil 1's dirty wind. Then ABN AMRO TWO 300m back and 200m to ABN AMRO ONE who are 100m in front of Brunel. The wind has dropped to about eight knots. Our commentators have been released by the Coast Guard who have holstered their weapons and taken the meterphorical handcuffs off our guys. The leaders have tacked off the right side of the course.
1800GMT The leaders go out to the right again as they did first time upwind. Times were as follows: movistar led after 50 minutes and 12 seconds, sailing the leg in 23 minutes. Second was Brasil 1 one minute and two seconds behind, with Ericsson four seconds back and Pirates another 14 seconds behind. Then ABN AMRO TWO 34 seconds behind the Pirates. ABN AMRO ONE managed to be 15 seconds ahead of Brunel, but were two minutes and 30 seconds behind ABN AMRO TWO and three minutes 24 seconds behind the leader. Our commentary boat has been nabbed by the Coast Guard for some infringement - probably talking too much - but should be back on track shortly.
1750GMT Ericsson and Pirates are very close, Ericsson trying to get across Pirates' bow. Pirates have held Ericsson out to the right and this seems to be allowing movistar to get into a good position. Ericsson crosses Pirates so closely that there could be a protest - there is a jury boat out there with the two combatants. movistar might sneak through into the lead. Paul Cayard and John Kostecki have made a classic mistake by being too involved in their own battle and allowing the boat behind to get through. Brasil 1 has closed up on the leaders and might be very close to Pirates and Ericsson. Torben Grael has tried to get inside Ericsson at the buoy and, as he has done before, Brasil 1 gets round inside Ericsson, Pirates behind, though all three boats are overlapped. At the mark the positions are movistar, Brasil 1, Ericsson, Pirates, ABN AMRO TWO.
1745GMT Ericsson sneaks past movistar again as she takes the wind of the Spanish boat and then gybes perfectly to take the lead. Pirates have come back into the equation using the tide on the right - Baltimore - side of the course and are very close to the two leaders. ABN AMRO TWO seems to have lost out on this leg. The wind is only ten knots or so, not ideal conditions for the two Dutch boats. ABN AMRO ONE and Brunel have split at the back and it will be interesting to see if the Australian boat can overtake the series leader. Brunel navigator Will Oxley was sure that their boat might be surprisingly quick in light winds as it has considerably more rocker than the others - curve in the keel - which might help.
1735GMT Shock of the day is the performance of ABN AMRO ONE, only a length ahead of Brunel. The times were Ericsson at the mark after 27 minutes and 35 seconds, the Pirates 7 seconds back, Pirates a further 50 seconds in arrears, ABN AMRO TWO another 21 seconds, Brasil 1 26 seconds behind the kids, then ABN AMRO ONE two and a half minutes behind the leader and only 14 seconds ahead of Brunel. movistar leads from Ericsson, but Pirates and Brasil 1 have made gains on the right side of the course as they go downwind in more tide on that side of the bay.
1730GMT Ericsson just stays in front of movistar by just over a length as they round the mark. Pirates are a couple of lengths ahead of ABN AMRO TWO with Brasil 1 having gained on the leaders and on ABN AMRO ONE by going left. ABN AMRO ONE is fifth and Brunel is right up behind the overall leader in sixth. movistar gybes first, followed a minute later by Ericsson. These two are neck and neck.
1725GMT The leaders on the right side of the course have overstood the windward mark by some way and have eased sheets to get to the turning buoy. Ericsson leads, just from movistar, but the Spaniards are inside at the buoy and Ericsson may have to give way. Ericsson goes for an early hoist at the mark.
1720GMT The order stays the same, with ABN AMRO TWO holding on in the top four. Brasil 1 under Torben Grael has gambled early and has gone hard left away from the rest of the fleet causing a major split. Ericsson has come back at movistar and seems to have crossed the Spanish boat out there on the right side of the course, though Brasil 1 looks as though the gamble hasn't paid yet. Ericsson continues to make a comeback with her newly revitalised team - perhaps looking for a win to crown Steve Hayles's final sail on the boat as he leaves the team next week. ABN AMRO ONE is well behind the leading four and could be struggling against Brasil 1 for fifth. A big wind shift affects the leaders.
1715GMT movistar takes advantage from their hard right place to cross ahead of Ericsson, then Pirates, ABN AMRO TWO, ABN AMRO ONE, Brasil 1, Brunel bringing up the rear, but not losing any more on the fleet. The wind is about ten knots, having fallen slightly from the start. movistar has tacked back to port to stay with the fleet, now Brasil 1 tacks on to starboard heading to the left side of the course. ABN AMRO ONE doesn't like this strength of wind and looks slow compared to the Farr boats and even ABN AMRO TWO.
1710GMT All boats now on port heading towards the east side of the course. The wind has shifted again with ABN AMRO ONE getting an advantage to go against their recent loss. Pirates still leading. Pirates and Ericsson seem to be having a battle on the right side, Ericsson sailing very well after a poor start. Pirates tack away and clearly not pointing as high as Ericsson. movistar furthest to the right, ABN AMRO TWO furthest to the left.
1705GMT Pirates lead the fleet, Brunel probably 100m astern of ABN AMRO ONE which is the boat that went hard left at the start - this could be a bit of a gamble on the part of Stan Honey and Mike Sanderson. Brasil 1 has come over to the left side as well now. ABN AMRO TWO showing well in second or third. The breeze might have gone to the right and giving the boats on the left a loss.
1700GMT Seven boats on the line. Ericsson looking for the pin end on port. Pirates up at the committee boat end. Pirates had best start with Brasil 1, ABN AMRO TWO a good start, Ericsson a poor start. ABN AMRO ONE separating from the rest of the fleet. Brunel a poor start. All boats on port heading to the right side of the course.
1655GMT All seven boats jockeying for position close to the line. Brunel showing off some of her new sails. Five minutes to go. Ideal sunny conditions with the wind about 12 knots and more in the gusts, quite steady. Whose day will it be?
1650GMT Ten minute gun has gone. More and more spectators coming to the course. The wind seems to be building.
1640GMTOn the water the hundreds of spectator boats are enjoying bright sun and a breeze that already has reached 12 knots from the north, probably more than was initially expected. If the breeze is reasonably stable it should make for some excellent racing. The question though, will be the wind’s stability and what effect the current might have. A reputed one knot or more of current can run through the site of the race course. Remember to refresh your browser every five minutes or so if you want to follow the written reports.
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