Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 - Dongfeng Race Team - It’s decision time

by Dongfeng Race Team on 8 Jan 2015 Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 - Dongfeng Race Team - ‘This could be a really key point of the leg’ – Charles Caudrelier.

Leg three: Abu Dhabi to Sanya (4,670 nautical miles)
Days at sea: four
Boat speed: 11 knots
Position in fleet: First with Team Brunel now just 1.5nm behind. As Caudrelier says; ’Stop following us! Or stay where you are!’
Distance to finish: 3,862.6 nautical miles.

What happens next? Currently downwind sailing but in winds that get progressively lighter as they approach centre of anticyclone that they are going around. This means fleet compresses before they gybe back out to better winds. Dongfeng aiming to get to the north east Monsoon winds first if they can…

New for this leg, the skipper of our determined men onboard Dongfeng, is writing each day a few great lines explaining what’s uppermost in his mind. Read great blog from Charles – as he says, today is a key day for this leg with a big decision to make on when to gybe. Too soon and the descent of the Indian Ocean will be too close to the lighter winds off the coast of India, too late and the winds will be lighter and the distance sailed extra.

Timing is everything in this game, and with Brunel and the rest breathing down their throats, the timing of this gybe could be decisive for the next phase of leg three. Onboard Dongfeng, the guys have settled in to their offshore rhythm, Sam seems to be managing the food management better than expected on top of his primary media duties (which he’s doing a great job on – check out his latest blog), and Kit and Jack are clearly not letting the side down as the newbies onboard. But clearly they would be preferring to still be eating normal food in the hotel in Abu Dhabi!

Charles blog:
This morning we can see a white spot to windward, who can it be?

Brunel again of course! And more hours of watching his speed on our computer, trying to go faster.

But we’re approaching the centre of the high pressure system, and we’re the first to touch the lighter winds.
So we need to stay calm, as the fleet will close in on us over the coming hours.

This evening we must make a choice - keep going south away from the direct route or gybe closer to India and tackle the lighter winds and its wind shadows.

This could be a really key point of the leg.

So a big day ahead of us between time on the computer to decide this gybe point, and time on deck to keep as much of our little lead as we can before the gybe.

We’re starting to get in to a rhythm onboard, our new chef is doing very well, but its hard going back to freeze dried food after a week in our great hotel in Abu Dhabi (Le Royal Meridian - merci).