Volvo Ocean Race Pro Am Number 1- Images by Crosbie Lorimer

by Crosbie Lorimer on 12 Mar 2015 The first of the Pro Am races was run today in light breezes on a course set close to the City's waterfront. It was a brief affair of just one upwind and downwind leg, with the race time stretched by the slow downwind leg as the boats were not setting spinnakers.

There is something strange about about watching a Volvo 65 pointing straight downwind, sailing wing and wing, particularly in very little breeze. It's something akin to watching a V8 driving around with the handbrake on.

Mapfre chose a middle lane on the downwind leg and held more consistent breeze to the finish, winning today's race. Two more Pro Am races are scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), with the In Port Race to take place on Saturday.

Needless to say, all the talk on the dockside here is focused on the pending cyclone, with race management postponing Sunday's race restart until at least Monday afternoon.

Crosbie Lorimer was on the docks today and shot these images.