Volvo Ocean Race - Leg 6 in pictures – A battle like no other
by Dongfeng Race Team on 8 May 2015
Day 0. With such light winds, we are drifting out of Itajai, instead of sailing. Sam Greenfield/Dongfeng Race Team/Volvo Ocean Race
2014 - 15 Volvo Ocean Race - “I was so stressed, in my life as a sailor this has been my favourite leg to win. The fight was fantastic and because of that victory tastes sweeter – it’s just crazy, this race is so different because we are fighting for every minute, every mile, every metre. The smallest mistake and the others take over. This leg has been incredible.” – Charles Caudrelier
Day 0: 19.04.15 5,000nm to go
Start Day
Team worked tirelessly to get boat and new mast ready for start day, following mast breakage on leg 5. “I have one goal and that is to perform as well as my shore crew on this leg.” Charles Caudrelier
Day 1: 20.04.15 4,895nm to go
Left or right?
Upwind and close racing, nothing in it as fleet look ahead to longer term gain and whether they need to be on left or right hand side of the course for when the wind changes further up the coast. The team also suffer a broken water maker.
Day 2: 21.04.15 4,757nm
No water is a big problem
Broken water maker – serious set back for Dongfeng. They have to fix it or the repercussions could be series: 8-9 hours of pumping to get enough drinkable water from the manual pump.
Day 3: 22.04.15 4,496nm
Without fresh water we can’t continue
Crew still working on repairing water maker as skipper and shore team consider need to pit stop – rules state minimum pit stop has to be 12 hours. It will cost the team many miles and the leg.
12 hours later Kevin Escoffier (Mr Fixit) worked his magic (again) as water maker repair holds.
Day 4: 23.04.15 4,257nm
Cloudbuster
Fifth place, as cloud ruins progress: “In one hour Abu Dhabi gained 5 miles. The wind is not with us. We did a good job [to get back in the race] and lost everything in one hour because of a cloud.” Charles Caudrelier.
Day 5: 24.04.15 4,145nm
The big tack
Second place. 24 hours under unstable cloud cover, waiting for the right-hand shift from the trade winds to free them northwards, no real rest for crew or navigator. Lining up for the ‘big tack’ – essentially picking their lane for the next 1,000 miles.
Day 6: 25.4.15 3,9666nm
Another day of tight racing in South Atlantic
Team Alvimedica split away from the pack, 50nm west of the fleet, holding a 9nm lead. More stable conditions and Dongfeng holding their own in second place.
Day 7: 26.4.15 3,643nm
Story of determination
First place, ahead of Team Brunel by 6nm and race favourites Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing by 16 miles but for how long?
Day 8: 27.4.15 3,364nm
No room for complacency
First place, 4.6nm ahead of Spanish team Mapfre. Only 23nm between first place and Team SCA in last. Tensions grow, this leg is still anyone’s for the taking.
Day 9: 28.4.15 2,925nm
Blame the clouds
Third place. “Not a good day for us,” Kevin Escoffier. “Due to a few bad clouds everyone came back from behind. Crossing the Equator for the final time on the race.
Day 10: 29.04.15 2,467nm
A nail-biting decision
First place. Halfway into the leg. Transition zone ahead – stretch of ocean between the South Atlantic trade winds and the North Atlantic weather system – the decision is where to pass through this area of unpredictable weather, westerly lane or push further east? Charles and Pascal are not sure.
Day 11: 30.04.15 2,094nm
When west is no longer best
Second, 1.9nm behind ADOR. Westerly option through transition zone no longer an option. Tiredness and exhaustion wearing down the teams: “I’m exhausted,” said Charles. “Whether the other teams will say it or not I know we’re not the only ones suffering.”
Day 12: 01.05.14 1,723nm
Scrapping over minutest of leads
Second, 4nm behind ADOR. Dongfeng got ahead of ADOR only to see their arch rivals back in the lead 12 hours later. Speed is of the essence – Dongfeng clock highest boat speed of 27 knots and best 24hr of this leg at 484nm. Fleet plagued by seaweed.
Day 13: 02.05.15 1,373nm
Three horse race…?
Third, front three boats just 1.3nm apart Team Brunel, ADOR, Dongfeng. All about making the smallest of gains as leading trio sailing a higher, more northerly course whilst Team Alvimedica and MAPFRE stick to a more westerly path.
Day 14: 03.05.15 1,101nm
Audacious overnight move stretches lead
First place but hard fought for lead could ‘melt away’ crossing cold front ahead. There is no way round it, and boat that touches the new breeze on the other site could make significant gain.
Day 15: 04.05.15 807nm
Dongfeng’s slim lead
First place but 10nm lead over ADOR shrank to just four miles. Temperatures cool but nerves are frayed.
Day 16: 05.05.15 453nm
High pressure in every way
First place ahead of ADOR by 1.9nm. Can Dongfeng hang on to their lead as they approach a ridge of high pressure centred some 100 miles ahead. Fleet take advantage of back eddies of Gulf Stream to push them faster in the right direction.
Day 17: 06.05.15 115nm
Approaching the land of hopes and dreams
First place, 2nm ahead of ADOR. “The last 24 hours of this leg are going to be a nightmare,” Charles Caudrelier. “It’s going to be very difficult to stay ahead.” Strong westerly airflow, reduced to a weak easterly flow. VOR weatherman Gonzalo Infante predicts a ‘photo finish’.
Today: Arrivals
From broken mast to first place
Dongfeng’s American dream became a reality just after dark local time (early hours 7th May UTC), winning leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race in Newport, USA, beating their arch rivals Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing by just 3 minutes and 25 seconds.
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