The Race is On

I could have made more of an effort to get a better vantage point for the start of the next leg of the round-the-world ocean race, Auckland to Itajal, Brazil. But the reality is that I couldn't afford the time today, job deadlines to meet and picking up D from the airport. So I have made do with this - a heavily cropped 300mm shot of the first four leaders bunched together, and the escort of private boats.
Interestingly, Peter Burling (of recent America's Cup controversial fame) was on board the leading vessel, Donfeng (the red sail), as a "Jumper". One wonders if he had some input into start line decisions that led to a little advantage? I had no idea what a jumper was....had to look it up :-
"The Jump Seat experience involves departing the dock with the race crew and being on board for the initial racing before the fleet leaves the stopover port. Each of the seven Volvo Ocean Race teams has a Jump Seat. The Jump Seat riders experience the exhilarating moments of the start before jumping overboard at a safe moment in the race. The 'Jumpers' are then retrieved by a tender boat and brought safely back to shore.