From the first few seconds of racing, you could already see the different attitudes appearing. On the attack, the duos formed by Kito de Pavant/Sébastien Audigane (Groupe Bel), Michel Desjoyeaux /FrançoisGabart (Foncia) and Gerard Marin/Ludovic Aglaor (Forum Maritim Catala), who set off under gennaker to tackle the first tack to the mark. Taking it in a more relaxed manner, Dee Caffari and Anna Corbella (GAES centros Auditivos) as well as Jean Le Cam and Bruno Garcia (Président) decided to sail under solent placing themselves windward of the fleet to take advantage of some clean air. This tactic paid off, as the five boats led the way around the first mark. Behind them, there were some fine battles like the bold manoeuvres carried out by Ryan Breymayer and Boris Hermann (Neutrogena) who as they rounded the buoy, moved a head of the crew of Estrella Damm (Alex Pella – Pepe Ribes). We Are Water was the final competitor to pass the mark, more than 16 minutes behind Groupe Bel. The spinnakers were hoisted and it was off towards the Straits of Gibraltar some 538 miles away.

Happy New Year!
This first night at sea coincides with the arrival of 2011, but the crews will be much too busy to think about champagne and partying. The first few hours of sailing towards Gibraltar, the way out of the Mediterranean, look like being very complicated. The northerly winds will vary in direction and strength and tend to ease off during the night. The good news is that it will involve downwind sailing. The first estimates predict they will be passing through at the foot of the Columns of Hercules on Monday afternoon (3rd January).