And they’re off - JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race

fleet at the start of this year’s JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race 2009 TH Martinez/Sea&Co/onEdition

Isle of Wight © SW

And they’re off. The first start of the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race got away on time.

ICAP Leopard led off the line hoisting her Code Zero straight away.

Sebastien Josse and Ellen MacArthur were next in the Open 60 BT with Tony Todd’s Performance Yachts 100 Liara third. The J/133 Jeronimo was doing well on the Island side.

The start sequence continued until 09:10. The breeze has picked up from an initial 5 knots to 8 knots north-westerly.

Latest . . .

At 15:36 Local time - ICAP Leopard has finished with a time of 15.29.57. Liara is expected to cross the line very shortly, followed by BT.

At 15:12 Local time - IDEC with Francis Joyon is about 50 metres ahead of ICAP Leopard both approaching the finish though of course in totally different classes. Liara is next and these boats are travelling at something like 12 knots in 10 knots of wind.

Original Gaffer Rosenn's correspondent Bob Fisher has phoned in to say he 'ain't going nowhere fast'! They reached Bembridge Ledge 30 minutes ago and haven't budged since. They're eight lengths to leeward and as Bob says 'It's difficult to know what's leeward and windward right now!'

At 14:20 Local time - The first boat to cross the finish line at the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race is Oman Sail Masirah helmed by Pete Cumming and 20 seconds later Team Aqua helmed by Russell Coutts.

At 13:52 Local time - Team Aqua with Russell Coutts at the helm and Ben Ainslie on JP Morgan Asset Management / TeamOrigin are both using every trick they can conjure up in order to produce every little bit of boatspeed possible. Gennakers are going up and down and so are boatspeeds. We still don't know who will make the finish line first because of these conflicting weather patterns.

It would seem that taking the offshore route round the eastern side of the Island didn't pay off. Instead of finding more wind, boats found a big windless hole.

ICAP Leopard, Panthera and Idec have just passed Bembridge Ledge.

At 13:17 Local time - Latest on the Extreme 40 front runners is that they're suffering in very little wind in the Eastern Solent. Oman Sail Masirah (Pete Cumming), the current leader is struggling doing around 1 knot whilst second placed JP Morgan Asset Management/TeamOrigin is moving along slowly near Ryde Pier and third-placed Team Aqua, driven by Russell Coutts is moving a tad quicker in Stokes Bay. The sky is clearing and we're hoping that a decent sea breeze will soon kick in and bring them home soon.

Leading monohull Liara (Performance Yachts 100 - Tony Todd) has just rounded Bembridge Ledge with ICAP Leopard 1000 metres behind. The breeze is 5/6 knots and going southerly. TP52 Panthera is also close to ICAP Leopard and may reach Bembridge Ledge buoy before her.

At 12:58 Local time - There is now only 2 knots of breeze in the eastern Solent as the first three boats make their way back to Cowes. At Portsmouth the tide has turned. Further west the tide may still be favourable but weak.

Oman Sail Masirah (Pete Cumming) still holds the lead, currently situated near Stokes Bay. Astern Team Aqua (Russell Coutts) and JPMorgan Asset Management/TeamOrigin are cross tacking - one over on the Ryde side and the other at Gilkicker. Progress is very slow.

At 12:40 Local time - Of the Extreme 40s, Oman Sail Masirah is well in front with Team Aqua second, Ben Ainslie on JP Morgan Asset Management / TeamOrigin is third, all past the forts off Portsmouth. Tornadosport and Oman Sail Renaissance are 4th and 5th X40s.

Update from St Catherine's includes the sighting of the first split spinnaker. There's a Force 4 blowing WNW. Wake is the first Etchell round St Catherine's, followed by Lady D. In the Sportsboats, Filska and Crazeology have rounded and the first Gaffer Alice 111 is also round.

At 10:55 Local time, the Extreme 40 catamaran Omansail Masirah has taken the lead from Team Aqua (Russell Coutts). There is approximately 400 metres between the two boats and they are off Sandown Bay.

At 10:28 Local time, passing St Catherine's Point the Extreme 40 catamaran, Team Aqua (Russell Coutts) was 500 metres ahead. Omansail Masirah was next and these two are well ahead of ICAP Leopard and IDEC who are fairly level.

There is then a large gap but JP Morgan Asset Management / TEAMORIGIN is next, with IDEC and ICAP Leopard next.