Round-the-World Sailboat Race Begins

Jan. 2 -- Seven boats have embarked on a high-speed, high-stakes race around the world beginning in Spain and set to end a little over two months from now in Marseille, France.

The Team Adventure boat, skippered by Cam Lewis, took an early lead in the race, sprinting 18 miles ahead of a boat sponsored by Club Med.

“The boat’s working great. Everything is up to speed and so far we’re off to a great start,” said Lewis.

The sailors are manning some of the biggest and fastest sailboats ever set on the seas. Most are around 125 feet long, and can reach speeds of up to 45 mph — all in an effort to circumnavigate the globe in 65 days and shatter Jules Verne’s 1873 vision of traveling Around the World in 80 Days.

Good Conditions

The race began Sunday off the coast of Barcelona on Sunday at 2 p.m. local time. Conditions were ideal: Clear skies, smooth seas, and good winds.

The morale among the 14-member Team Adventure crew was great — especially since they got their sails up very quickly.

Living conditions are tight, but comfortable. The crew is working in short shifts with a quick turnover — four hours on, and four hours off. Bunks on the boat are 6 feet long — but stacked closely, so there’s hardly any head room.

But the crew is well-acquainted with one another, and such conditions are not expected to produce any strain. They even made an effort to build up camaraderie by living together in the French village where their boat was built, while it was being built.

Among the crew is Randy Smyth, an accomplished sailor who has sailed with Lewis several times before. Smyth’s claim to fame was piloting a catamaran that capsized in the Pierce Brosnan film The Thomas Crowne Affair.

Another is Rick Deppe, a crewman who is doubling as a photographer. He sprained his ankle fairly badly in port, and is taking things easy while things are smooth.

And there’s Fred Carrere, an experienced sailor who lives in Ithaca, N.Y., and works as a builder. He jokes that he had a mid-life crisis, and decided to take a few months to sail around the world.