Pirates leads VOR Leg Four fleet out of Wellington

by Rob Kothe on 19 Feb 2006 Paul Cayard's Pirates of the Caribbean has won the start of leg 4 and is almost three quarters of a mile ahead as she leads Mike Sanderso'n ABN Amro One into Cook Strait,

ABN Amro Two, Brasil 1 and Ercisson almost line abreast the three boats exit the harbour, but the three boats are probably in that order.

Bright sunshine, with cloud easing away as Black Betty, ABN Amro One, five minutes behind Pirates of the Caribbean starts into Cooks Strait and heading for the southern ocean.

6,700 miles to go, but its certainly an impressive start from Paul Cayard and his team of Pirates, as she now heads south east into Cooks Strait.

Pirates of the Caribbean continue to extend her lead, with spectator fleet all with throttles wide open as they try and stay with the Black Pearl.

Behind them Ericsson are attacking Brasil 1, both boats on port gybe, match racing down the harbour.

Pirates gybing towards the lighthouse, leading ABN Amro One by well over half a mile, a similar distance back to ABN Amro Two.

The leader Pirates of the Caribbean is only a little more than a mile from the exit into Cook Strait. ABN Amro One is probably 25 lengths ahead of her little sister ABN Amro Two with Brasil 1 and Ericsson well back.

The Pirates is certainly impressive. The last boat into the water, aifreighted into Capetown and now the boat is really getting sorted.

Pirates of the Caribbean, after 35 minutes are a mile and a half ahead of the fifth boat. Pirates looking for a puff to gybe towards the harbour exit.

Pirates at least two minutes ahead of ABN Amro One, surfing down the bay. Behind them ABN Amro Two third with Ericsson and Brasil 1 fighting for fourth and fifth place.

Large crowds everywhere at the leads pass Scorching Bay. Pirates protecting their position 25 boat lengths ahead of ABN Amro One. Then ABN Amro Two are over amongst the spectator fleet.

Pirates staying on port gybe have consolidated their lead, will still have to gybe in about a mile.

ABN Amro One have gybed,looking for the line of breeze, Ericsson might be just ahead of Brasil 1. Brasil 1 on starboard pushed Ericsson away.

The skull and cross bones glistening on her gennaker as Pirates of the Caribbean round the mark and moving fast, 20 boat lengths in the lead, doing 20 knots down the course. ABN Amro One following, after a slow set.

Activity on foredeck of Brasil 1, either a headsail change or a problem. They have a staysail.

Pirates of the Caribbean and ABN Amro One on startboard tack with plenty of pressure. Amro Two still has Brasil 1.

ABN AMRO Two crosses ahead of Brasil 1. Pirates and ABN Amro One on port tack heading out into the bay, finding some good breeze. Both these boats have five Kiwi's onboard. Will local knowledge prevail?

Brasil 1 going back into the northern shore looking for more breeze. Ericsson moving fast and Amro Two going to the left too.

Pirates still leading from Amro One, softer wind, these boats have been headed ABN Amro Two. Brasil 1 and Ericsson swinging wide to windward but just hit the light patch.

Large spectator fleet, Pirates and ABN Amro One powering away.

Pirates of Caribbean, two sail reaching at 16 knots, two boat lengths to Amro One, Amro Two, two lengths to Brasil 1, all these boats with large overlapping jibs except Amro Two and Ericsson, both with a small jib about 500 metres behind the leader.

Brasil 1 looking good, Ericsson in fifth ABN Amro One is looking good. ABN Amro Two is looking for new breeze coming out of the bay. Pirates now in the new breeze, with Amro Two possibly in second.

Now the fleet is away, Paul Cayard's Pirates of the Caribbean is away fast mid-line Amro Two going well, a length back. Ericsson slightly slow, buried at the start.
Brasil 1 looking for the pin. Pirates of the Caribbean coming in at speed.

Just had five minute gun signal now. Breeze seems to be softening between 8-10 knots. Five boats on the line today, with ABN Amro One with its Kiwi skipper Mike Sanderson and its five Kiwi crew will be the spectator fleet favourite as the racers leave the new Zealand capital this afternoon.

Crowd in Oriental Bay now 12-15 knots breeze, a reach away from the start,about a mile to the first mark, then a beat up into a mark near Upper Hutt, then the fleet will fly away towards Cook Strait. The boats will be expecting 20-25 knots tonight.

The fleet is assembling outside Port Nicholson for the Leg Four start from Wellington to Rio de Janerio.

Movistar is taking a two hour penalty for outside assistance at the Wellington pitstop.

This might not be much of a penalty as it could have been.The Spanish boat will start at 1630 local time instead of 1430 with the other five boats, but the light winds forecast for the usually windy city of Wellington mean that movistar might only be 10 miles or so behind the leader, when she crosses the line.

Cloud base is around 5,000 feet, Wind has gusted to 12 knots in the last hour but has softened down to 5 knots at the moment.

Coastal Situation for all New Zealand issued at 12:34pm Sunday 19-Feb-2006

A ridge of high pressure over New Zealand is moving slowly northeast. A weakening front crossing the Tasman Sea should move onto the south of the South Island tomorrow and clear the North Island on Wednesday. Another front should cross the South Island on Wednesday and the North Island on Thursday.


CREW LISTS

Full crew lists for Leg 4, Wellington to Rio de Janeiro are as follows:

ABN AMRO ONE Mike Sanderson (NZL) Skipper, Stan Honey (USA) Navigator, Brad Jackson (NZL), Mark Christensen (NZL), Tony Mutter (NZL), Sidney Gavignet (FRA), David Endean (NZL), Jan Dekker (RSA), Robert Greenhalgh (GBR), Justin Slattery (IRL)

ABN AMRO TWO Sebastien Josse (FRA) Skipper, Simon Fisher (GBR) Navigator, Andrew Lewis (USA), George Peet (USA), Lucas Brun (BRA) (replaces Gerd Jan Poortman (NED)), Hans Horrevoets (NED), Luke Molloy (AUS), Nick Bice (AUS), Scott Beavis (NZL), Simeon Tienpont (NED)

Brasil 1 Torben Grael (BRA) Skipper, Marcel Van Trieste (NED) Navigator, André Fonseca (BRA), Andy Meiklejohn (NZL),Henrique Pellicano (BRA), João Signorini (BRA), Horacio Carabelli (BRA), Roberto Bermudez (ESP), Stuart Wilson (NZL), Knut Frostad (NOR)

Ericsson Neal McDonald (GBR) Skipper, Steve Hayles (GBR) Navigator, Damien Foxall (IRL), David Rolfe (NZL), Guillermo Altadill (ESP), Jason Carrington (GBR), Magnus Woxen (SWE), Richard Mason (NZL), Thomas Braidwood (AUS), Timothy Powell (GBR)

movistar Bouwe Bekking (NED) Skipper, Andrew Cape (AUS) Navigator, Chris Nicholson (AUS), Jonathan Swain (USA), Mike Joubert (RSA), Noel Drennan (IRL), Pepe Ribes (ESP), Peter Doriean (AUS), Stu Bannatyne (NZL), Xabier Fernandez (ESP)

Pirates of the Caribbean Paul Cayard (USA) Skipper, Jules Salter (GBR) Navigator, Craig Satterthwaite (NZL), Jeremy Smith (NZL) )replaces Curtis Blewett (CAN)), Erle Williams (NZL), Anthony Merrington (AUS), Justin Clougher (AUS), Justin Ferris (NZL), Rodney Ardern (NZL), Dirk de Ridder (NED)