Volvo Ocean Race - Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing first to exit the Doldrums

by Jonno Turner on 24 Oct 2014 The push and shove of 12 knots of Atlantic breeze – things are looking up in the Volvo Ocean Race.

The crackle of the sails and the crush of the waves – things are looking up.

Brighter skies and a brand new hemisphere – things are looking up.

On board Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, things are looking up.

First in the fleet, and out of the Doldrums, they’re heading fast towards the Equator, trade winds blowing gusts of encouragement around their ears.

'Normally you can be sitting stationery for hours on end, relying on clouds to puff you through – but we managed to keep moving,' smiles Ian Walker, driving his Azzam boat forwards.

In these generous conditions, he holds his head high – and the horizon looks good.

'The sky is changing over the last few hours,' he adds. 'We can see all the big clouds behind us, and it looks a lot fairer in front. We should have a lot less disturbed wind now.'

His team opted to take the most western passage of any of the fleet – a move that Team Vestas Wind’s Wouter Verbraak called ‘risky’ - and Ian doesn’t deny it was a bold decision.

'We semi-regretted it at one stage,' he admits. 'We were looking at a 50 to 100 mile deficit, but a few things went in our favour.'

'In the 2008-9 race on Green Dragon, we did exactly the same thing, and made similar gains on the fleet – we were first around Fernando de Noronha then, too.'

That’s the next waypoint on this three week voyage to Cape Town, a tiny archipelago just off the coast of eastern Brazil.

But before rounding the tropical surfing paradise, the Emiratis must cross the Equator, smashing their way into the Southern Hemisphere - a symbolic passing which is expected to happen at around 2200 UTC this evening.

Around 200nm behind the leaders, Mapfre and Team SCA are also looking up – but for a different reason.

They’re the ones left behind, stuck with no light at the end of the tunnel, and they desperately need to find a way out to keep this race alive.

'There’s really not a lot of wind around!' shouts Sophie Ciszek, from the top of the mast.

Frustration is bubbling on the magenta boat, but after days of almost aimlessly floating around, it appears to be gradually turning to reluctant resignation.

Abby Ehler, eyeing skyward, explains. 'There’s no wind – and there’s nothing you can do about it. You can see where the wind is, but there’s no way of getting to it.'

'It’s like trying to sit on a bicycle without a chain,' adds Carolijn Brouwer. 'You keep turning the pedals really hard, but you’re not getting anywhere.'

On the Spanish boat, it’s Frenchman Anthony Marchand sums up the feeling of helplessness best.

'Will we ever get out of here?' he asks, dramatically. After this long in the dreaded Doldrums, part of him must be beginning to believe it might never happen.

And it’s the thought of leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing increasing their superiority with every minute, every mile, every hour that will hurt the most.

But Ian isn’t worried about that. With his boat in pole position and having successfully jumped a massive hurdle, he has reason to be cheerful - but what sticks in his memory from the last few days?

'My memory of the Doldrums is that it teases you,' he says. 'You think you’re out, and you fall back in. It’s frustrating.'

'But then suddenly, everything changes – and you’re off.'

Encouragement for those still battling the clouds, then. But for the Emiratis, that’s the Doldrums, done. Chapter closed.

Now, things are looking up – and they’re not looking Volvo Ocean Race