ALICANTE, Spain (AFP) — After years of intense preparation, skippers of the yachts in the Volvo Ocean Race were eager Friday to set off on their voyage around the world, and promised a close and exciting competition.
The eight 70-foot single-hull yachts on Saturday head out of the Spanish Mediterranean port of Alicante to the Strait of Gibraltar, before travelling south to the first stop in Cape Town, South Africa, where they are expected around November 3.
After 37,000 nautical miles (68,500 kilometres), the finish line is in St Petersburg, Russia, where they are expected in June 2009.
The 10th edition of what started in 1973 as the Whitbread race is the longest and most challenging ever, and includes three stops in Asia for the first time -- in Cochin in India, Singapore and Qingdao in China.
"We have loved Alicante, but we can't wait to leave it in our rear-view mirror," said Ken Read, the skipper of the US entry Puma Ocean Racing.
"Let's go sailing. It's why we're here," he added, as brisk winds off Alicante promised an exciting start.
Puma and the Sino-Irish entry Green Dragon hope to upset the form book for the race, in which Sweden's Ericsson Team International and Spain's two Telefonica yachts are the favorities.
"We don't consider ourselves the favourites," said Ericsson skipper Torben Grael of Brazil. "We have had good preparation and got the winning designer from last time, but you see from the in-port race that this is going to be tight."
"There are a lot of teams that have prepared very well for this race, which is not like last time where a couple of teams had a lot more time than others."
On October 4, Telefonica Blue, skippered by Dutch veteran Bouwe Bekking, took an early lead in the competition by winning the first of seven 'in-port' regattas.
The three other teams competing are Ericsson Team Nordic, which has already been penalised for a rules violation over the weight of its keel, and Team Russia and Team Delta Lloyd from the Netherlands, which have repaired damage to their boats following a collision during the in-port race in Alicante.
Each of the yachts receive points according to their position in each of the 10 legs. Half points are also awarded at seven 'scoring gates' along the route and for the seven 'in-port' races.
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