At 7:30 a.m., Mark Burnett turned the boats loose, and all the years of training, all the expectation, all the days of pre-race hoopla were finally over. Eco-Challenge expedition racing had begun again.

Teams entered the water casually, knowing that the health of their vessels could make or break their race, and conscious of the fact that expedition races may be lost, but not won, in the first leg of a six-to-ten day race. Within minutes, the colorful sails bobbed along the deep turquoise green of the water, kites and spinakers filling with wind. Swells were light, winds moderate, and the sun was beginning to filter through the clouds. Cliffs with massive relief loomed in the distance, right where the boats were heading.

From PC 1 to PC 2, racers would sail and paddle the Perahus to a buoy placed two kilometers off shore of Bohaydulong Island. At this buoy, for the first time in an Eco-Challenge, teams would split up, heading off in pairs and reconnecting (hopefully) later on the course. This section will be critical, because at least one pair of each team must be able to navigate, and separation anxiety could unnerve some less experienced teams. One group of two swam to Bohaydulong Island, and “coasteered” by moving along the rugged coastline that resembles Hawaii’s Na Pali Coast. The other group continued in the Perahus directly to PC 7. The two who swam to Bohaydulong Island had to continue on foot to the northern tip of of the island and then swim again, crossing the gorgeous water channel to Gaya Island.

Team EarthLink [go to Team Bio] was first to the buoy. They sailed a kite with great skill, Jason Middleton running the kite, and teammate Mike Trisler using his paddle as a rudder. They arrived at the buoy at about 9 a.m., just ahead of the feared paddlers of team AussieSpirit.com [go to Team Bio], which includes paddling champions Jane Hall and John Jacoby. The formidable Salomon/Eco-Internet [go to Team Bio] was just behind.

By PC 2, both Team AussieSpirit.com and Salomon/Eco-Internet had overtaken Earthlink, but all three teams were in the PC at the same time. Robyn Benincasa and Ian Adamson of Salomon/Eco-Internet had serious game faces on, and moved very quickly through PC 2, kicking up water and sand as they churned through the coasteering section. In coasteering, teams make the best time traversing the coastline by staying relatively close to sea level. The steep hillsides, cliffs, and dense foliage higher up impede progress. Teams alternately wade, walk along the sand, and swim as the terrain dictates.

The team pairs who are on the Perahus are expected, if all goes well, to reach PC 7 before their teammates, where they will wait, rest, eat, and contemplate what lies ahead.

They’ll soon find out: plenty.