Volvo Ocean Race - Team SCA, a crew on a mission

by Corinna Halloran on 21 Oct 2014 Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, Day Nine onboard Team SCA. We’re a boat on a mission: catch the fleet. And they’re getting closer by the mile.

The first time I sailed past Cape Verde islands was in 2010 when I was helping deliver a catamaran from Gibraltar to Antigua, W.I. We stopped in the mid-Atlantic tropical island for fuel and were sailing out of the islands around sunset at a gentle pace. I think I was even attempting a bit of yoga in the luxury catamaran’s saloon.

Yeah, things were different back then. This time there was no yoga—unless you count my balancing act as I attempted a video interview with Sam (the one legged standing starfish pose). This time, my experience was loads different as Team SCA screamed around the northern side of the Cape Verde Islands at 20-22 knots down wind—yep, we were sailing at full throttle. We’re a boat on a mission: catch the fleet. And they’re getting closer by the mile.

For the pleasure sailors (aka 'cruisers') sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, the Cape Verde Islands is the last stop for provisions. For us, the Cape Verdes were a turning mark to begin sailing south towards the inevitable Doldrums after a few days of sailing in the consistent Atlantic trade winds. 'The important thing is to get west before going South, because it will be much easier to go South than it will be go West once you’re in the Doldrums,' Libby explained.

For the last few days we have sailed in the Atlantic Trade winds. The trade winds are prevailing winds that happen just around the Equator; they blow from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere. The trade winds are consistent however we have encountered some flukey wind conditions, so it has been essential to be prepared for it all. For the last few mornings, we’ve had a shortened mail sail but by the afternoon the girls were struggling to maintain a consistent speed.

The trade winds helped for making our rounding of the Cape Verde Islands truly memorable. 'We had a nice little acceleration as we sailed around the point of the island and sailed about 23 knots for a while,' Carolijn said. The water was warm and it launched over the boat. Some were prepared for the waves, others not so much, and some took advantage of the water and had a salt water bath.

Today it’s all about to change when we most likely hit the inevitable Doldrums, and in the next few days we will be able to do yoga on the bow. Then the next race begins: who can traverse over the zone of no wind first: the leaders or will those in the back be able to sail past on the tails of the Team SCA website