The wait is now over, the hard work and training is complete and tomorrow the entries in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 will be seen as a fleet for the first time when they line up for the start of the inaugural in-port race.

Seven teams are entered in the ninth edition of the race, including the Australian team, Premier Challenge, who have made a late dash to the start line.

At 1300 on Saturday 5 November in Sanxenxo, Galicia, Spain, the very first in-port race will start with a bang from a cannon fired by the Swedish ship Götheborg. This replica of an 18th century East Indiaman vessel will also have the honour of firing the starting signal for the beginning of Leg 1 on the 12 November from the neighbouring port of Vigo.

The in-port race, which is a new edition to the Volvo Ocean Race, will see the powerful Volvo Open 70s making their racing debut when they race together as a fleet around an in-shore course set in the Ria de Pontevedra between Sanxenxo, Cap Udra and the Isles Cies. The course will be approximately 30 nautical miles long, in the format of a triangle followed by a number of windward/leeward loops. Wind direction and geography allowing, the course will be set as near to the shore as possible to allow spectators a grandstand view.

Many of the world’s top sailors will be taking part, from five times Olympic medallist Torben Grael (BRA) skippering Brasil 1, to four times round the world race competitor Bouwe Bekking (NED), who will be the man in-charge of the Spanish entry movistar.

Swedish entry Ericsson Racing Team has a talented sailor at the wheel in the form of Britain’s Neal McDonald, another veteran of ocean racing with three round the world races under his belt. Bolstering McDonald’s afterguard is a sailor who can’t stay away from experiencing life at the extreme, the winner of the last race as the skipper of illbruck – John Kostecki (USA), who has joined the team as inshore tactician.

The fleet is also laced with America’s Cup sailors. Winner of The Whitbread Round the World Race 1997-98 with EF Language and also four times America’s Cup competitor is Paul Cayard (USA), who is back again in search of glory, leading the team of Pirates on The Black Pearl.

Mike Sanderson (NZ) also combines America’s Cup experience with previous
round the world race expertise as the skipper of the highly talented team onboard ABN AMRO ONE.

Completing the line-up for tomorrow’s race is Sebastien Josse (FRA) who will be steering ABN AMRO TWO. Although only 30, Josse has an impressive track record which includes the Vendee Globe, Transat Jacques Vabre and the Jules Verne Trophy.

Meteorlogy experts are predicting fine weather for tomorrow with a light offshore breeze building to approximately 10 knots for a time, before diminishing to near calm conditions for a period late morning through mid-day. Shortly after noon, a new south-westerly breeze is expected to fill in up the bay towards Sanxenxo. This will be slow to build but could approach 10 knots in the mid to late afternoon.

Crew lists for Sanxenxo in-port race

ABN AMRO ONE

Brad Jackson (NZ)

Brian MacInnes (CAN)

David Endean (NZ)

Jan Dekker (RSA)

Justin Slattery (IRL)

Mark Christensen (NZ)

Mike Sanderson (NZ)

Robert Greenhalgh (GBR)

Sidney Gavignet (FRA)

Stan Honey (USA)

Tony Mutter (NZ)

ABN AMRO TWO

Andrew Lewis (USA)

George Peet (USA)

Gerd Jan Poortman (NED)

Hans Horrevoets (NED)

Lucas Brun (BRA)

Luke Molloy (AUS)

Nick Bice (AUS)

Scott Beavis (NZ)

Sebastien Josse (FRA)

Simeon Tienpont (NED)

Simon Fisher (GBR)

Brasil 1

Adrienne Cahalan (AUS)

Alan Adler (BRA)

André Fonseca (BRA)

Andy Meiklejohn (NZ)

Henrique Pellicano (BRA)

João Signorini (BRA)

Marcelo Ferreira (BRA)

Martin Carter (NZ)

Roberto Bermudez (ESP)

Stuart Wilson (NZ)

Torben Grael (BRA)

Ericsson Racing Team

Anton Kolb (GER)

David Rolfe (NZ)

Guillermo Altadill (ESP)

Jason Carrington (GBR)

John Kostecki (USA)

Magnus Woxen (SWE)

Neal McDonald (GBR)

Richard Mason (NZ)

Steven Hayles (GBR)

Thomas Braidwood (AUS)

Timothy Powell (GBR)

Movistar

Andrew Cape (AUS)

Bouwe Bekking (NED)

Chris Nicholson (AUS)

Jonathon Swain (USA)

Mike Joubert (RSA)

Noel Drennan (IRL)

Pedro Campos (ESP)

Pepe Ribes (ESP)

Peter Doriean AUS)

Stu Bannatyne (NZ)

Xabier Fernandez (ESP)

Pirates of the Caribbean

Craig Satterthwaite (NZ)

Curtis Blewett (CAN)

Erle William (NZ)

Fredrik Loof (SWE)

Jules Salter (GBR)

Justin Clougher (AUS)

Justin Ferris (NZ)

Mark McTeigue (AUS)

Paul Cayard (USA)

Rodney Ardern (NZ)

Simon Daubney (NZ)