2005

Stage I: Vigo - Galicia to Cape Town (South Africa)

     Exit 12/Nov/05. Distance to cross: 6.400 nm. Flying goal: Island Fernando de Noronha in the Brazilian coast is for the first time realized the exit from a port outside the United Kingdom.

   This stage normally supposes a quite stormy time since the boats must face the unstable conditions of the Intertropical convergence zone, the “Doldrums” or the doldrums. The crews will have to calculate the best route to Fernando de Noronha and later to avoid the system of high pressure of the Atlantic of the South. With luck the shade of wind Mesa the Mount will not repel too much to them.

Stage II: Cape Town to Melbourne (South Africa-Australia)

     Exit 2/Ene/06. Distance to cross: 6.100 nm. Stage realized in the South Ocean. There are two I put steering wheels, in the Kerguelen Islands (the Indian Ocean) and in the Island Eclipse (Australia).

   The greater preoccupation of the participants in this stage will be to arrive at the southernest point in the smaller possible time before going to the Ocean of the South, driven by the “Westerlies”, strong winds of the west and the great waves accompany that them.

Stage III: Melbourne to Wellington (Australia-New Zealand)

     Exit 12/Feb/06. Distance to cross: 1.450 nm. The first shutdown of repair will be realized. Later the exit will be realized with the grouped boats.

   This passage tells on the complicated Straits of Bass and the Straits of Cook when arriving at New Zealand.

Stage IV: Wellington to Rio de Janeiro (NuevaZelanda-Brazil)

     Exit 19/Feb/06. Distance to cross: 6.700 nm. Passage of the Cape Horn that will be a flying goal.

   The left one Wellington entails another winter clothes change for the fleet that will return to fight against the Ocean of the South. Bordering the Cape Horn, they will turn quickly to the left following by the Straits of the Marie before arriving at the last obstacle of the Falkland islands before the next intermediate port Rio de Janeiro.

Stage V: Rio de Janeiro to Baltimore - Annapolis (the Brazil-USA)

     Exit 2/Abr/06. Distance to cross: 5.000 nm. It is done without the shutdown in Florida and the passage by Fernando de Noronha scores.

   This sleeve will present/display very interesting a tactical passage. They will cross the Equator and the ZCIT and will fight with the networks and cages of shellfishing before arriving at Baltimore.

Stage I SAW: Baltimore - Annapolis to New York (the USA)

     Exit 7/May/06. Distance to cross: 400 nm. New York is a new port for this edition. The second shutdown of repair will be realized

Stage VII: New York to Portsmouth (EEUU-UK)

     Exit 11/May/06. Distance to cross: 3.200 nm. Transatlantic stage with a flying goal in Lizard.

   The principle of this sleeve implies complicated tactics when leaving America and going to the north towards the Great Banks. The boats will look for to be united to the systems of low pressure that will circulate with luck through Atlantic.

Stage VIII: Portsmouth to Rotterdam (UK-Holland)

     Exit 2/Jun/06. Distance to cross: 1.500 nm. Stage by the English Channel

Stage IX: Rotterdam to Gotemburgo (Holland-Sweden)

     Exit 15/Jun/06. Distance to cross: 500 nm

   They include like newness 6 regatas coastal “In Port Races” puntuables for the final classification that will when coming out dispute the previous weekend of each stage in the landfall ports except Wellington and New York, where there will be only one shutdown of 48 hours.

1. Galicia Port RACE - 5/Nov/05: realized between Sanxenxo, Vigo and Baiona. A pursuit in direct given the proximity will be able to be realized to the coast
2. Cape Town - 26/Dic/05
3. Melbourne - 4/Feb/06
4. Rio de Janeiro - 25/Mar/06
5. Baltimor - 29/Abr/06
6. Portsmouth - 29/May/06
7. Rotterdam - 10/Jun/06 (corrected by the organization)

Score

   The winner of the Volvo Ocean RACE will be who has more point when arriving at Gothenburg. During the race he will be added points: in Port Races, to pass goals puntuables, to finish the sleeves….

   In the Regatas Oceanic, who arrives first will obtain so many points as participant they cross the goal when finalizing the sleeve. In the Regata In Port Races the same system will be used, but the points are worth half. This method also will be applied in some goals of the oceanic sleeves. In all the sleeves, besides the final goal, puntuables flying goals in the middle of the passage exist (sometimes two exist I put puntuables).