Branson prepares for transatlantic record attempt

Sir Richard Branson joins Mike Sanderson and Olympic medallist Ben Ainslie in New York tomorrow on the 100-foot racing machine Speedboat, renamed Virgin Money for the occasion, in an attempt to break the transatlantic sailing record.

They are hoping for a dawn start from North Cove Marina to pick up a favourable weather system as they cross the start line at Ambrose Light and head for the traditional finish line off the Lizard, near Plymouth.

It was Sanderson, now sailing director of Britain's America's Cup challenger, Origin, who, in 2003, set the record of 6 days 17hr 52min on the 140-foot Mari Cha IV. It will be Ainslie's, who made it three golds and a silver at the China Olympics, first transatlantic trip. He is also Sanderson's skipper at Origin.

Thousands of miles to his south, another Olympic medallist, Ian Walker, was still leading the eight boats on the opening leg of the Volvo round the world race from Alicante to Cape Town. He had still to escape the treacly grip of the Doldrums, but then had about 500 miles to the first scoring gate, at the Isla da Noronha off the coast of Brazil.

His lead over the second-placed Puma, skippered by Kenny Read, was less than 20 miles and another five miles astern was the race favourite, Torben Grael in Ericsson 4.

These three were all placed to the west of the fleet, while the most easterly, Team Russia, designed and built in England, and the second Irish boat, the 2005-06 winner Delta Lloyd, were bringing up the rear.

The leaders are expected to pass the scoring gate on Thursday and, although the slow passage through the Doldrums has put back the estimated arrival time, they are still expected in Cape Town on 3 December.

Also in a race against time are the shore crew and technical experts in Alex Thomson's Hugo Boss team for the Vendée Globe singlehanded non-stop round the world race, due to start from Les Sables d'Olonne, on the west coast of France, on 9 November.

Waiting to enter harbour last Friday the Open 60 was rammed by a French fishing boat and dismasted. The broken mast is repairable; the structural damage is more of a problem. The boat has been lifted out and a rival competitor, Yann Elies, has offered Thomson use of the mould of his boat Generali to fabricate a five-metre by two-metre section to replace the damaged structure.

But Thomson was, as ever, optimistic. "We think [making the start on 9 November] is an achievable task," he said, thanking the vast team, his rivals and the local boatyard. "The focus for the team is no longer just winning the race but getting to the start line. That will be a huge achievement in itself."

In Valencia, where the Origin boat is in mothballs, there will be a trio of America's Cup class boats sailing at what will be designated the America's Cup Challenger of Record club, the Club Nautico Espanol de Vela's annual regatta.

Desafio Espanol, a Louis Vuitton challenger series semi-finalist last year, will join the defender, Switzerland's Alinghi, and, it is expected, Italy's Luna Rossa, for a series of races on the weekend of 8/9 November.