Next stop Cape Town

Portimão Global Ocean Race sets sail

The inaugural Portimão Global Ocean Race got underway today from the seaside town of Portimão, Portugal. Portimão's Deputy Mayor Luis Carito fired the start gun at precisely 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT) and Germany’s young rising stars Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme charged across the line in first place aboard their Class 40 yacht Beluga Racer . They set a Code 0 sail and in the light south-easterly wind romped into an early lead. Moments later the brightly colored Desafio Cabo de Hornos helmed by Chileans Felipe Cubillos and José Muñoz crossed the line in second place followed by the South African team of Lenjohn and Peter Van Der Wel aboard Kazimir Partners .

The Portimão Global Ocean Race is the first ever around-the-world yacht race to originate from Portugal and also marks the first time that both solo and double-handed teams are competing on the same global racecourse. “This is truly a historic moment for sailing and for Portugal,” said Brian Hancock, who, along with Josh Hall co-founded the event and presented the idea to the Câmara Municipal de Portimão in 2007. Portimão is a city of events and the Portimão Global Ocean Race is their first global event.

The first mark of the 30,000 nautical mile course was a compulsory gate one mile south of the stunning cape of Sagres on Portugal’s Algarve coast. “The idea of the gate was two-fold," said Josh Hall. “For a mariner passing their first cape on a passage is always a big moment. Sagres is their first cape, but not their last. They will have to pass the big five southern capes before they get back to Portugal next June.”

Just over three hours into the race the Belgium skipper Michel Kleinjans on his Open 40, Roaring Forty , passed south of the famous cape followed eight minutes later by Beluga racer. The British yacht Team Mowgli had moved up into third with Desafio Cabo de Hornos a scant two minutes behind.

The first yachts are expected to reach Cape Town, South Africa by 15 November.

More photos over the next pages....