Team SCA looks to score massive upset in the Volvo Ocean Race

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com NZL on 9 Jun 2015

June 09, 2015. Team SCA passing by Costa da Morte - Coast of Death - in Spanish waters during Leg 8 to Lisbon. Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

The women's crew of Team SCA are just 36 hours from scoring a massive upset in the Volvo Ocean Race, and turning in perhaps the most significant result in the history of womens competition in sailing.

At the 0640UTC position report, the two boats with the least to lose on the leaderboard, Team SCA and the resurrected Team Vestas Wind are first and second on the water as the fleet enter the Bay of Biscay.

Behind them the five boats at the top of the leaderboard are locked in the AIS Herd.

However there is a new card being played in Leg 8 in by Mother Nature, and the AIS Herd will have to contend with winds gusting to well over 40kts as the sail from Cape Finisterre into the Bay of Biscay.

June 09, 2015. Team Alvimedica passing by Costa da Morte - Coast of Death - in Spanish waters during Leg 8 to Lisbon. © Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

In what has been largely a light to moderate air race, the winds are predicted to reach over 47kts around 2.00pm on June 9 UTC. The fleet will be hoping they have passed through that zone a little ahead of that time.

The output from the routing function of Predictwind.com shows an average wind strength of 28kts, but gusts can reach a third higher than that strength and winds gusting to 42kts and more or forecast for the Finisterre and Biscay area.

A pensive Tony Rae on Team Vestas Wind at the start of Day 2 of Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race. © Brian Carlin - Team Vestas Wind

Team SCA enjoys an almost 9nm lead over Team Vestas Wind, and given the boats are sailing at about 10kts, that is a lead of almost an hour of sailing, with the finish clock counting down fast.

The AIS Herd are spread 14-17nm behind the leaders with overall leader Abu Dhabi leading the pack. However their strategy is probably to let the other two go and sit on the face of their nearest rivals Team Brunel and Dongfeng. Trying to run down the front runners in 40kts winds and seas expected to peak at a significant swell of 12ft, is probably a high risk option for the Emirati entry and skipper Ian Walker will be more focussed on consolidating his overall race lead rather than trying to obtain top place on the podium in Lorient.

The seas in the Bay of Biscay area have dropped a little over the past six hours with a significant swell of 15ft being forecast.

Positions at 0640GMT on June 9, 2015, Leg 8, Volvo Ocean Race - Team SCA enjoys a lead of almost an hour (9nm) over Team Vestas Wind and 14nm over race leader Abu Dhabi. Winds in the area are predicted to be gusting over 40 knots. © PredictWind http://www.predictwind.com

PredictWind - Wind averages and gusts at a point at the entrance to the bay of Biscay for June 9, 2015 UTC © PredictWind http://www.predictwind.com

About Predictwind:

Developed by former Olympian, Jon Bilger (470, 1992), PredictWind application was used by the Swiss team Alinghi to win the 2003 and 2007 America's Cups, and has become the leading wind system used by racing and recreational sailors around the world. It is available on a subscription basis and also with a free forecast option.

A mobile app for Android and iPhone is available and www.predictwind.com!PredictWind is available for download

Real time local wind observations have been added as further functionality.

You can check the weather anywhere in the world, and get a five-day forecast, plus a variety of other features and functions of www.predictwind.com!PredictWind. The app is synchronised with your PC so that your latest set of locations are always available without resetting each time you change a device