The Galway in-port races were settled on the first beat of the second race, and so the Play of the Day belonged to a PUMA team taking their first ever win in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race. It was all about something that we haven't really talked about much in this in-port race series so far, and yet it can often dominate both one design and match racing - holding a lane.

Holding a lane refers to the boat speed race that develops straight off the start line. Most of the fleet will always start on starboard tack, all going in the same direction, and it is essential to hold a place in this line-up of boats as they sail up the first leg.

So the only thing that matters off the start line is performance relative to the boats either side - if one of them has even a slight edge, they will eventually start to affect the wind in the sails of the boat in the middle. Once that happens, the only escape is to tack, and once tactics are dictated to you, the race gets a whole lot harder.

MARITIME security has been tightened at the seaside town of Watchet in Somerset following the launch of a new Boat Watch scheme using SelectaDNA forensic marking.

The Boat Watch initiative, which has helped to reduce theft and criminal damage in many boating communities around the UK, was set up in Watchet in response to a spate of thefts from the marina. One recent incident involved the local Sea Scouts’ base, which was broken into and £1,200 of gear, including two kayaks, was stolen.

The historic Watchet harbour dates back to Saxon times but has been refurbished with a state-of-the-art marina containing 250 berths for both pleasure craft and charter fishing boats.

The Dutch-based marine electrical specialist, Mastervolt, is responding to a huge surge of interest in diesel electric hybrid systems for boats, both in the leisure and commercial sectors. The Mastervolt product range, from whisper-quiet generators to high-capacity batteries, is already ideally suited to hybrid applications, but in the coming year the Company will be making it better still.

‘Pioneers in the boating industry who work on hybrid electric boats can find it difficult to create reliable green systems,’ commented John de Rijk, Technical Director, Mastervolt International BV. ‘They often have problems sourcing compatible products, or lack the necessary specialist knowledge. The electric propulsion side is complex, but achievable, as the engineers are already familiar with bow thrusters and electric winches. The true challenge starts when looking at the battery power required, and the many ways in which that power can be regenerated. This is where Mastervolt comes in.’

Work is now well underway on a project that aims to create hundreds of new jobs on Portland after the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Contractors are on site at the former Mere Tank Farm where the land will be used firstly to host the Games and then be developed for future employment space. The work is being managed by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

It is the latest stage in the transformation of Osprey Quay on Portland where the South West RDA (Regional Development Agency) is investing around £40 million to create a centre of marine business and leisure activity.

The safety car was out of the way this morning as the fleet cleared the ice exclusion zone. Now there’s nothing between the fleet and Galway but broad Atlantic Ocean and a big ol’ low pressure system.

The wind has swung to the south-west and as the pace quickened, Ericsson 4 blew right by Telefonica Black to grab the lead. Roger Nilson was right to be concerned in his conversation with Amanda Blackley.

Just before 07:00 ZULU this morning, Ericsson 4 was leading the fleet downwind in excess of 25 knots of south-westerly wind, headed for their long-standing date with the cold front. The fleet was ranged behind them, to the north-west were PUMA, Telefonica Blue and Delta Lloyd; to the south-west were Telefonica Black, Green Dragon and Ericsson 3. The split was a result of the differing strategic calls of the last 24 hours, and it’s been a lot easier to make for virtual sailors than real ones – more on that one later.