2013 Start of the Route des Princes Offshore Race from Valencia to Lisbon

With up to four successive transition zones predicted, the consensus among the skippers of the four MOD70's prior to docking out from Valencia's America's Cup marina, the Marina Real Juan Carlos, was that this opening leg could well be decided in the Alboran Sea. Whichever crew then manages to escape to Gibraltar and beyond into the Atlantic could earn the biggest rewards. From a spectacular start Sunday afternoon in 18-20kts of SW'ly wind, watched by thousands on the Malvarossa beach, it was Sidney Gavignet's team on Oman Air -- Musandam who built a significant margin around the six-mile circuit before leading away on the leg up to Benicarló with Edmond de Rothschild chasing in second.

2013 Start of the Route des Princes Offshore Race from Valencia to Lisbon - YouTube