TELEFONICA'S WIN-WIN SITUATION

What he didn’t say, being a modest person at the best of times, is that his team looked formidable on Saturday.

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The first race, in which his Telefonica Blue team won by one minute and 47 seconds from Telefonica Black, never looked in doubt. “We got a lead at the start and we didn’t lose it,” he said. “Very nice.”

Not as nice as the second downwind leg of the second race. Beginning the final run, PUMA Ocean Racing led by 14 seconds with just 1.6 miles to go. PUMA’s expensive angle through the gate, combined with Telefonica’s better pressure on the right, turned a Bekking silver into a 63-second procession for gold.

“We made mistakes, of course we did; it’s the first race and everyone is a bit rusty,” Bekking said. “But we cannot be unhappy because we have won two races from two races in shifty conditions.” With that, he smiled and walked on, the first points of the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 in his back pocket.

Behind him, the main consolation is what has been learnt.

PUMA skipper Ken Read saw first hand that the introduction of gates could make for interesting tactical scenarios. Irrespective, a sixth and a second leaves him third and satisfied. “I’d call it a crumby third,” he said. “I don’t feel great about how we sailed today but if someone offered me the podium in the morning I would have taken it. There’s a lot more of this race to go.

“We will learn how to sail these courses and these boats better.”

But he had positives to take from his day, even if it did start with a sixth place. The second in the final race saw them brave the shifty conditions with their Code Zero. “It’s a good sail,” he said. “We are just kicking ourselves for not using it in the first race. Second race we did well.” The point was proved by their advantage at the first three marks.

Telefonica Black also proved a few points. Three-and-a-half to be precise, enough for second overall after a second and third-placed finish. “We can be happy,” skipper Fernando Echavarri said. “We raced well and we are getting better. My crew is talented and motivated, there will, I am sure, be more results like this.”

Ericsson were not nearly so buoyant and watch captain Stu Bannatyne was clear as to why. “We did not start well,” he said. “Our boat speed was good, but the starts let us down. If you get out clear in a race like this, it’s a lot easier than manoeuvring in a crowd. We felt we should have done better.”

Green Dragon skipper Ian Walker felt little better about a day that started with a third and ended with a sixth. “Some good bits, some bad,” he said. “We got caught on the wrong side of a couple of gybes and that hurt us.”

His reconnaissance mission did, however, gain some pace. “Telefonica are fast in the light, as they showed yesterday in the practice. I think they will be fast in the breeze as well. I think Ericsson will be fast as well, they just didn’t get good starts today. We are pretty happy with ourselves downwind.”

On such observations, races like this are built. “It was great out there, despite the result,” PUMA’s Jonathan McKee said. “Good thing is that win or lose, you are learning all the time, about yourself and the other guys.”

Sometimes, like in the case of Team Russia and Team Delta Lloyd, the spying mission is too intense. At the start of the second race, Russia crashed into the side of the Russians, leaving a hole.

“That’s going to need a repair which is the last thing we need,” said Ger O’Rourke, the Delta Lloyd skipper whose shore crew only got their measurement certificate at 0700 on the day of the race. “I’m not best happy with how it happened, but that’s life. We just wanted to lap the course on the first race, but to be sixth overall after two is great.”

Stig Westergaard, who was helming for the Russians, felt terrible. “I made a major mistake at the last start. I did damage to us and the other boat and I do not feel good.

“The thing was we got caught on the windward side of the layline and knew we had to work ourselves in. We got caught out. There’s going to be a lot of boat work next week. I’m very disappointed.”

And so the emotions have started. Some are happy, others are frustrated. Some are smiling, others are wracked with guilt. It’s only been one day and that is the reference of all the winners and losers so far.

Whatever happened today, the race is going to be decided by the offshore marathons and not the inshore sprints. But pride was at stake and, if anything else, it takes a few points to reveal the ferocious competitive nature of the sailors. Some hide it well with smiles, but everyone knows the battle has now started.