A vast spectator armada of well over 3,000 boats watched the seven Volvo Open 70s start close to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in very light winds. Torben Grael used his legendary skills to bring Brasil 1 into the lead. The four Farr boats led to the mouth of the bay with the ABN AMRO boats last.

Overnight the fleet were battered by up to 40 knots of wind on the nose, conditions in which the raw power of ABN AMRO ONE came into its own. Soon Mike Sanderson’s boat went into a lead that it would never relinquish. Rough conditions and a short leg ensured that skippers and navigators didn’t get a wink of sleep.

Past the Ambrose Light, through the Narrows and under the Verrazano bridge, past the Statue of Liberty and to the finish line at North Cove it was ABN AMRO ONE’s race.

The next four boats were within a few minutes of each other, Pirates followed by Brasil 1, Ericsson and then movistar. At the rear of the fleet, the newly revamped Brunel beat ABN AMRO TWO to the line for sixth.