The 7 teams took the start at 14:30. Team Vestas Wind, a little too greedy stole the start and it was quickly Team Brunel, helmed by Laurent Pagès, who took the lead. The Dutch were the first to take the lead, with a small lead over Abu Dhabi and the Spaniards from MAPFRE. Team SCA, despite a good start, was penalized during a code O maneuver at the second leeward mark, and closed the coastal course. The seven boats then headed south for their first night at sea. They are expected to arrive in Cape Town, South Africa, in early November.
Before the start, Nicolas Lunven, the MAPFRE navigator, admitted that he was not yet overwhelmed by stress: " The stress of the start is lower with a crew than solo. You rely more on the others. The stress is more diffused in the team. It's very, very different . His teammate, Anthony Marchand confided "I'm really looking forward to the Atlantic. It's not going to be easy until Gibraltar. Boats, currents, a lot of complicated things to deal with, things that float in the water. This first part can be wearing, tiring."
Ranking at 16:09 UTC
Position | DTL (Nm) | Speed (Knts) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAPFRE | 9 | ||
| Team Brunel | 2.4 | 8 | |
| Team Alvimedica | 2.5 | 9 | |
| Team Vestas Wind | 2.5 | 9 | |
| Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing | 2.9 | 8 | |
| Dongfeng Race Team | 3.2 | 9 | |
| Team SCA | 3.5 | 8 | |
