The destination: Auckland. The distance: 14,000 nautical miles. The message: this is not a warm-up — this is the real thing. From the Mediterranean start line, the fully-crewed IMOCA fleet will race south through the Atlantic, round the Cape of Good Hope, across the Southern Ocean, and into the Pacific — all in one colossal opening leg. It is a passage that will test navigation, engineering, psychology and teamwork long before the race rhythm has a chance to settle.