No points for in-port racing this time around in Volvo Ocean Race, but it is not entirely pointless

ALICANTE, Spain // The colour-splashed vessels in the Volvo Ocean Race were hardly the lone key component to have a design makeover in the three years since the last event was staged.

That overhaul seems almost minor by comparison.

The nine-month around-the-world event begins today off the Spanish coastline, with the seven boats expected to race for an hour around buoys situated near the Alicante harbour.

Beyond that, the in-port races at the nine seaside destinations have been downgraded to little more than parade laps or, in the case of Saturday’s event, a final dress rehearsal for the first open-water stage, which begins on October 11 with a three-week trek to Cape Town, South Africa.

“We wanted the focus on the around-the-world race,” said Knut Frostad, the race chief executive.

It is no small tweak. Previously, in-port races accounted for 20 per cent of the overall points total, which always seemed at odds with the over-arching mantra of the event as sailing’s ultimate endurance test.

The in-port races are the equivalent of sprints around traffic cones, while the open-sea legs are survivalist ­marathons.

After the revision, the in-port races will matter only as a tiebreaker if teams are deadlocked when pulling into the final port, in Sweden, next summer.

Consequently, though sponsors will be on hand and fans will watch from the shoreline, teams quickly shifted their racing priorities ­elsewhere.

“To be honest, I haven’t put a lot into it at this stage,” said Charlie Enright, the skipper of the Alvimedica team, a US/Turkish boat. “It doesn’t count, but everybody sees it. It could be a place for us to shine later in the race.”

Ian Walker, skipper of the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Azzam, said the team did not practise any short-course manoeuvres until Thursday’s training session.

“It’s a bit funny that we have these in-port races coming up, and there are no points for them,” Walker said. “It is basically entertainment value. That’s why they have taken away the points.

“But even though there are no points, they are still important. The sponsors are here, you want to put on a good show, it’s on TV. Plus, it’s good for morale.”

They have become akin to a Wednesday pro-am at a tour golf tournament.

Chat up the sponsors, show off your professionalism, crack a few jokes and get ready for the real thing to come.

Sailors may be the most superstitious of all sportsmen, and some here believe that winning the opening in-port race could represent the kiss of death.

Three years ago, Walker’s crew won the in-port opener in Alicante and were feeling pretty good about themselves as they set sail on the first leg a few days later. Six hours into a nine-month race, the mast broke.

So, is the first in-port truly of import? Walker, whose team struggled to make up lost ground and eventually finished fifth in the 2011/12 race, raised his hand.

“I can vouch for that,” he said to laughter.

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