| MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA-(23-1-2006) At the start of the leg movistar held an early lead thanks to a bold easterly strategy that almost, but not quite worked. By staying east movistar was closest to the finish for a long time as the boats headed south and even when they started to turn to the east once they were down in the Southern Ocean.
Once all the boats were heading east movistar still sailed a different course, staying to the north, but they had less wind and less speed, losing out to both ABN AMRO boats and then to Pirates. They fought back, but were finally defeated by keel hydraulics failure even after a daring attempt at a fix with what was on board. They lost virtually all their hydraulic fluid and limped into Albany, Australia using a litre of olive oil – it could only be the Spanish – to top up the system.
Then they stayed in third, a long way behind the leader, but safe from the Pirates, well behind after their own keel problems.
Yesterday they entered Port Phillip Bay and, holding the wind, sailed to the finish in fine style.
Their third place finish, giving them five points for the leg and 15.5 in total, puts them into third overall, but a long way behind the leading two, ABN AMRO ONE and TWO, who have 29 and 24 respectively. It’s OK, but this boat was the hot favourite before they left Vigo and skipper Bouwe Bekking must be disappointed.
But it is only the second leg. Talk of any dominance of the race is very premature, with nine legs in total and five more inshore races as well as more scoring gates to come; it is anybody’s race still.
Now they have crossed the finish line, they will be tidying up and then making the unusual negotiation of Bolte Bridge, heeled over with the aid of a water bag hung from a halyard and with a man at the tpp of the mast to ensure that nothing is damaged by contact with the concrete. Then it's into the Race Village to meet the press, and more importantly to meet the family. At last Bouwe Bekking will be reunited with his beloved daughters and the rest of the crew will see their wives, girlfriends and children.
Mr Bekking's interviews will doubtless be interesting ones as he has already made some forceful comments on the engineering of his keel hydraulics. We imagine some prolongued questioning and much attention from the fourth estate.
Then, perhaps it will be time for a cold beer, a bite of food and a look back over an eventful leg.
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