Volvo Ocean Race- Meek's tips pay dividend in Leg 2 squalls and calms

by Bob Fisher on 20 Nov 2014 The world's top sailing correspondent, Bob Fisher reports from Cape Town on the start of Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race

The seven competing boats in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015 roughly gathered at 6pm local time (1600 Zulu) in a south-easterly wind that peaked at 30-40 knots, which had the local habit of dying away to nothing in places along the shoreline in the lee of Table Mountain.

This had the effect of the crews reefing the mainsails – to one degree or another – Azzam, the Abu Dhabi entry skippered by Ian Walker, had a more deeply reefed mainsail than any of the others, and at times paid a price for that.

Bouwe Bekking with Brunel led the fleet away, hotly pursued by Charlie Enright ‘s Alvimedica and the all-women team of SCA. The huge spectator fleet, keen to obtain a close-up look, added to the washing-machine effect of the waves and there were many near broaches in the disturbed waters as the boats broad reached to the first turning mark and the lead changed by the minute.

At that first mark, a gybe saw more changes. Those of the leaders – Mapfre from Brunel – were bad and let Alvimedica lead from Dongfeng and SCA. As the fleet close reached to the second mark, back past the startline into Grainger Bay, where there was a total reshuffle as they all sailed into a 'hole'.

The clever skippers has sought advice from Geoff Meek, a local with a mass of experience, and it was easy to see who had listened to him. Libby Greenhalgh, the navigator for Team SCA, had certainly taken notice and it was not long before the magenta and blue boat was leading the fleet from the windless zone to an ever-increasing lead. At the last mark, in the dead area, Brunel had led from Mapfre and SCA, but once the breakout came, it was a totally new order.

After passing Camps Bay (where Mapfre had stuck at the finish of Leg One and allowed SCA to pass), it was SCA from Alvimedica and Vestas, skippered by Chris Nicholson. Then there was a big gap of almost a mile back to Brunel and the others with Azzam bringing up the rear as they headed toward the southernmost tip of Cape Point.

With a few areas of sea in forbidden zones off the East African coastline, the immediate hazard on the course to Abu Dhabi would be the fast-running Agulhas Current, but the navigators’ plans went deeper, towards strong favourable winds, that could be affected by the promised Tropical Storm.

God speed.