Yesterday, Saturday 5 of November gave to beginning the Volvo Ocean RACE with the first puntuable test in a coastal route. Ten and the average one in the morning they began to leave the port of Sanxenxo the participant boats in the test. The boat “Premier Challenger” could not participate since it had not realized all the necessary measurements.

   The “Premier Challenger” did not arrive at the port of Sanxenxo until afternoon previous after to be retained by the weather that whipped Galicia. It did not have time to realize the measurements that they demanded to be able to participate to him in the Coastal Regata nor to put the boat to point after the long and bold realized passage.

   The exit was accompanied by the support of the Galician town that was present in the port of Sanxenxo. S.M King Don Juan Carlos accompanied the crew by the “Movistar” while Infant Do6na Cristina accompanied the crew by “the Black Rep it” and Prince Carl Phiplip supported the crew of “Ericsson”.

   Several hours under the sun had to hope the crews to be able to initiate the test that had its exit near the 3 of afternoon. The weather of the previous days had left Galicia leaving in its place a sun and day of spring without a pains wind. The organization had to wait for and to modify the route anticipated in this first Inshore RACE, so that the participants could take advantage of the smooth breeze and few gusts of wind wind.

   Finally to three of afternoon, the Swedish schooner gave the cannon shots that indicated the principle of the race. Practically from the beginning, both first positions were for “Ericsson” and to “Brazil 1”. In the passage by the first beacon “Ericsson” already led the test to 3 minutes and average of the second.

   More fought they were the third and fourth position. “Movistar” and “the Black Rep it” maintained during all the race an exciting fight, maintaining the “Movistar” the third position until the passage by the last beacon, in which when realizing a turn very closed lost the wind which took advantage of “the Black Rep it” to occupy the third position, that would maintain until the end of regata.

   Two hours of regata finalized with the victory of the “Ericsson” followed of “Brazil 1”. In third position “the persecuted Black Rep it” close by the “Movistar”. Both Dutch equipment occupied the fifth place the “ABN Love the 1” and sixth place the “ABN Love 2”.