Volvo Baltimore In-port race, blow by blow

by Volvo Ocean Race event media on 30 Apr 2006 1930GMT: Ericsson crosses in a safe fourth, cemented by the escape of the tack of the ABN AMRO TWO spinnaker from the down thingy on the bowsprit in a gybe, but the light winds were not the best conditions for the JK boat. So it's a Farr clean sweep again in the light wind, and a superb win for the Spanish boat. We must all wonder, as Bouwe Bekking will for the rest of his life, just what might be the overall race situation if his black boat had not broken down twice.

1925GMT: movistar wins! Paul Cayard has instituted a gybing battle with Brasil 1, trying to force a mistake from Torben Grael's team and to get on their wind, but Torben has defended well and maintains a lead that he should take across the line. The wind has almost gone entirely. Ericsson are holding on to the fourth place they stole from ABN AMRO TWO. Brasil 1 cross ahead of Pirates. Sixth is ABN AMRO ONE, seventh Brunel, by no means disgraced if they can stay this close to the overal leader of the race.

1920GMT: Postitions at the last mark was movistar leading after two hours and 20 seconds, Brasil 1 three minutes and 21 behind, losing almost another minute on the leader. Pirates was 56 seconds astern of Brasil 1, with Ericsson getting past ABN AMRO TWO to the tune of one minute 40 seconds - though they were two minutes and two seconds behind Pirates. ABN AMRO ONE have had a slow cruise 12 minutes behind the leader and four minutes behind the kids, Brunel still about 40 seconds in last. movistar is about 500m from the finish.

1915GMT: At last Ericsson seems to be moving again and could have got in front of ABN AMRO TWO on this last leg to the finish. The shortened course is official. Nothing looks as though it can take the win from Bouwe Bekking's boys, while Torben Grael and the Brazilian team seem posed for a magnificent podium finish.

1905GMT: Pirates don't seem to have closed on Brasil 1, and Torben's boys are still holding on to a solid second place over Paul Cayard and Miss USA - who seems to be attracting much attention from the spectators. ABN AMRO TWO and Ericsson are closing on the buoy from opposite directions and there is still a good fight left for this fourth place. movistar looks set for a famous win as it apears that the course will be shortened.

1900GMT: It seems as though the race officers are thinking about finishing the race at the end of the next leeward leg. movistar rounds the windward mark with a good lead. Brasil 1 is still holding off Pirates as these two approach the mark on oposite tacks.

1855GMT: Torben Grael has taken Brasil 1 further to the right than movistar and as usual Torben seems to be happy taking more chances than most of the others skippers. The tactics for this windward leg are exactly the same as before - bang the right corner as hard as yu can and then go for the buoy. There is not a lot of chance for initative. Indeed, Brasil 1 is the only boat to have done anything different, in the first leg they went left halfway up, but since then it's been a procession with only the vagries of wind pressure or the slipperyness of your boat making the difference. As the fleet comes towards the windward mark - which was shifted due to the wind changing direction - there is no apreciable change in positions or distances between boats, although Ericsson is gaining on ABN AMRO TWO.

1840GMT: Top five times at the second downwind mark are movisiar leading after one hour, 33 minutes and 12 seconds of racing, having done the last leg in 20 minutes - the fastest leg so far dispite the wind now dropping to about six knots. Brasil 1 lost 58 seconds on the leader and was two minutes 35 seconds behind at the mark. Pirates was 33 seconds back, and ABN AMRO TWO a further 57 seconds behind. Ericsson was 19 seconds after ABN AMRO TWO, having lost 11 seconds on that leg. ABN AMRO ONE rounded in sixth, three minutes and 40 seconds after Ericsson with Brunel a further one minute and 43 seconds astern - having gained three seconds on ABN AMRO ONE, but losing another minute on the leader.

1835GMT: Well over a thousand spectator boats are out watching the In Port race on a beautiful day. Wind is only about eight knots roughly from the north and bright sunshine makes the whole day a perfect picture. movistar round the bottom mark with a big lead and make a textbook rounding, under no pressure. Brasil 1 and Pirates approach the mark from oposite sides, but Brasil 1 have a solid second place. ABN AMRO TWO are comfortably ahead of Ericsson. The early race leader seems to be struggling now that the wind is lighter, but the speed of ABN AMRO TWO is something of a surprise in these conditions.

1825GMT: Positions at mark three were: movistar leading having sailed for one hour, 13 minutes and 15 seconds. Brasil 1 were one minute and 37 seconds in arrears, Pirates 42 seconds behind Brasil 1. Then ABN AMRO TWO a further 45 seconds behind and Ericsson just seven seconds behind them. ABN AMRO ONE slipped to just a second less than four minutes behind behind Ericsson with Brunel losing on that leg to be another one minute and 46 seconds behind. ABN AMRO ONE are seven minutes astern of the leader in conditions that just don't suit them at all.

1820GMT: ABN AMRO TWO make a great gain on Ericsson and get through into fourth. John Kostecki didn't get the Swedish boat moving at all on that last windward leg. movistar are a long way in front of Brasil 1 with Pirates in third. movistar has gone to the left of the course as they sail downwind, Pirates and Ericsson stay to the right. Brasil 1 follows movistar. ABN AMRO ONE rounds in sixth with Brunel close behind. These two have lost more on the leader on this last leg.

1815GMT: movistar are opening up their lead as the black Spanish boat comes to the mark in the lead. Bouwe Bekking's boat has come into it's own in the light conditions on Chesapeake Bay. Bouwe always said that his boat was the fastest in under ten knots and over 30 and he seems to be proving half of that statement at least. Brasil 1 is in second, a good position for Torben Grael's boat.

1810GMT: movistar still leads by ten lengths to Brasil 1 as all the boats head right on port tack as they did on the first leg. Then it's Pirates four lengths behind and Ericsson further out to the right just clear of Brasil 1's dirty wind. Then ABN AMRO TWO 300m back and 200m to ABN AMRO ONE who are 100m in front of Brunel. The wind has dropped to about eight knots. Our commentators have been released by the Coast Guard who have holstered their weapons and taken the meterphorical handcuffs of our guys. The leaders have tacked off the right side of the course.

1800GMT: The leaders go out to the right again as they did first time upwind. Times were as follows: movistar led after 50 minutes and 12 seconds, sailing the leg in 23 minutes. Second was Brasil 1 one minute and two seconds behind, with Ericsson four seconds back and Pirates another 14 seconds behind. Then ABN AMRO TWO 34 seconds behind the Pirates. ABN AMRO ONE managed to be 15 seconds ahead of Brunel, but were two minutes and 30 seconds behind ABN AMRO TWO and three minutes 24 seconds behind the leader. Our commentary boat has been nabbed by the Coast Guard for some infringment - probably talking too much - but should be back on track shortly.

1750GMT: Ericsson and Pirates are very close, Ericsson trying to get across Pirates bow. Pirates have held Ericsson out to the right and this seems to be allowing movistar to get into a good position. Ericsson crosses Pirates so closely that there culd be a protest - there is a jury boat out their with the two combatants. movisiar might sneak through into the lead. Paul Cayard and John Kostecki have made a classic mistake by being too involved in their own battle and allowing the boat behind to get through. Brasil 1 has closed up on the leaders and might be very close to Pirates and Ericsson. Torben Grael has tried to get inside Ericsson at t