ALICANTE, Spain (AP) — Camper led the Volvo Ocean Race fleet out of Alicante on Saturday on leg 1 of a 39,000-nautical mile journey around the world after a dramatic opening in which two boats crashed into each other.
France’s Groupama penalised herself for bumping heavily in choppy seas into Puma’s portside stern seconds before the eight-month marathon got underway.
The six-strong fleet faces its first major test overnight when head winds of more than 25 knots are forecast in potentially boat-breaking conditions.
The six 70-foot sloops go from Alicante to Cape Town in leg one.
French soccer great Zinedine Zidane joined the Abu Dhabi boat at the start before taking the traditional leap into a chilly Mediterranean.