Dear EP,
the link doesn't work mate, but you have my attention with the thread title!
already
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/The-Volvo-Ocean-Race?page=1#13
Get the app to follow it or http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/home.html
Seriously woeful start there by Mapfre, Akzonobel and is it the plastic protest boat?
It certainly wasn't the best start by those 3 in a racing sense FR, but when the finish line for this leg is at Cape Town, your not going to win the race by waving your **** around on the start line, but you could lose the race there!.
I'm going for Turn The Tide on Plastics, has some young aussie crew on it.
The sailing is technical all the way, navigators could win or lose a leg.
The race is not won or lost at the mouth of the Tagus but it is projected like it was by the media.
This whole kerfuffle about the start is just a despicable hype created by the media to milk the sponsors for the advertising dollar.
The whole concept of making yachts - built for ocean racing - running around cans like a dinghy - might be spectacular - is utterly irrelevant as far as the end of race result is concerned.
However, it might be detrimental to some of the boats in case of an accident.
I would hold back at the start no matter what.
I wonder, when the almighty media is going to convince the CYCA to start the S/H race going around some cans on the Harbour or the seven islands first 
to bring in more advertising dollars.
If they do, l am claiming forever, 3% of every dollar received for advertising before costs and taxes as the first person ever coming up and publishing this idea.
Out of this money l would try to establish a sailing school for disadvantaged children free of charge.
