Catching Moose

Today the boats of the Volvo Ocean race left the warmth of Cape Town heading down into the cold of the great Southern Ocean. It's a much anticipated leg, when the new Volvo 70s will be tested in waters where the wind and waves circle the planet for ever.

With two scoring way points there are 14 points up for grabs, points that change the leader border, currently looking like this:

1	ABN AMRO ONE	15
2	Brasil 1	12.5
3	ABN AMRO TWO	12
4	Ericsson Racing Team	11.5
5	movistar	6
6=	ING Real Estate Brunel	5
6=	Pirates of the Caribbean	5

Mike Sanderson, skipper of ABN AMRO ONE and commonly known as Moose , may have a fast boat and a good position but still there are no certainties apart from the old saying that to finish first you first have to finish.

To win at this level where all boats are crewed by skilled sailors what matters is:
1) For nothing critical to break
2) For the navigator to read the weather fronts right
3) For the boat to be fast on the wind angle that dominates the leg

Its going to be an interesting race to watch - lets hope its also a safe leg.