illbruck Overhaul Amer Sports One

The long awaited result for the opening leg of the Volvo Ocean Race is now less than 12 hours away, with illbruck leading on the final 130 odd mile dash to Cape Town.

Just after midnight GMT and with less than a day’s sailing to the finish of leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race to Cape Town, Grant Dalton’s Amer Sports One relinquished the lead to John Kostecki’s illbruck Challenge.

Dalton has had his nose out in front of the pack for exactly eight days, since just past the final waypoint of Ilha Trindade off Brazil. At one point, Amer Sports One held a 40-mile advantage that has gradually been eroded.

After 32 days at sea, John Kostecki’s crew are seven miles ahead and 14 miles to the south of Grant Dalton’s Amer Sports One. Both yachts are pointing their bows at the finish line, broad reaching along at a steady 15 knots in the 18 knot southerly breeze.

At their current speed, illbruck is expected into Cape Town at 19.40 hours GMT today, (21.40 hours local time).

Team News Corp seem to have locked up third position, barring breakage, as they have a 179-mile buffer over Tyco.

Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 32, 10.00hrs GMT:

PSYachtLatitude LongitudeDTFCMGSMGTFHRDTLROC ETA PO
1ILBK34 35.52S015 51.68E13607412.9350000.024 OCT 01 8
2AONE34 27.60S015 39.20E14308012.43107-00.324 OCT 01 7
3NEWS35 59.16S010 01.28E43307714.130629701.325 OCT 01 6
4TYCO35 02.88S006 09.40E61210610.7269476-02.326 OCT 01 5
5AART33 38.04S001 59.80E82109609.9251685-03.027 OCT 01 4
6TSEB27 10.08S006 08.56W133012906.82231194-06.030 OCT 01 3
7DJCE27 35.68S006 37.12W134414207.22201208-06.730 OCT 01 2
8ATOO26 31.04S007 41.16W142210307.72231286-05.430 OCT 01 1