Global Ocean Race - Teams make final preparations

After a fortnight of clear blue skies over Palma, torrential rain on Saturday morning rendered any work on the fleet of Class40's impractical and many teams retired to bars near the Race Village to watch the New Zealand - France game in the Rugby World Cup, returning to their boats shortly after midday.

On Sunday morning, Father Miralles from the San Sebati?n Church will bless the GOR fleet before the six boats head out into Palma Bay at 11:00 local time. The start at 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT) is being jointly organised by the GOR and the Real Club N?utico de Palma (RCNP) and includes a short, triangular course before the fleet sails out of the bay.

During the past two days, Yellowbrick trackers were fitted to the six Class40's and have now been synchronised with the GOR's Geovoile Race Viewer to provide position, speed and heading data for each yacht every three hours; information that will be sent simultaneously to the six teams at sea.

The GOR website will be updated twice each day throughout Leg 1 with reports from the boats and offshore racing enthusiasts can race Class40's along the same route as the real fleet via the GOR's Virtual Game.

View a video introducing each team and their boats ' target="_blank" rel='nofollow'> here

Global Ocean Race 2011-12 Leg 1 competitors and crew list:
1. Sec. Hayai (NED) Nico Budel and Ruud van Rijsewijk. 2007 Akilaria Class40 NED44
2. Cessna Citation (NZL/SPA) Conrad Colman and Hugo Ram?n. 2011 Akilaria RC2 Class40 GBR112
3. Financial Crisis (ITA/GBR) Marco Nannini and Paul Peggs. 2007 Akilaria Class40 GBR41
4. Phesheya-Racing (RSA) Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire. 2006 Akilaria Class40 RSA23
5. Campagne de France (FRA/GBR) Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron. 2011 Pogo 40S? FRA101
6. BSL (NZL) Ross Field and Campbell Field. 2008 Tyker40 Class40 NZL76

Global Ocean Race website

by Oliver Dewar

4:10 PM Sat 24 Sep 2011 GMT 'Under 24 hours to the start of the Global Ocean Race 2011-12' Jesus Renedo ? Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR) is a double-handed race for the Class40. Leg one is due to start tomorrow, 25th September from Palma, Mallorca. With under 24 hours until the start of the GOR there is a general atmosphere of calm around the boats moored stern-to at the GOR Race Village, as the six teams make final preparations for Leg one to Cape Town, South Africa.