Volvo Ocean Race - After the slamming, now respite

by Volvo Ocean Race on 21 Mar 2015 Although Team Brunel have taken a marginal lead and, with Team Alvimedica, have been sailing in a slightly stronger breeze (1-2 knots more), Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing have positioned themselves in the best spot in the course.

They have enough leverage to cover the moves of the chasing pack in the south – Team SCA, MAPFRE and Dongfeng Race Team - and, similarly, can respond from there in case the two northern boats – Team Brunel and Team Alvimedica – transition earlier into the breeze.

Despite this, the Emirati boat has suffered the biggest loss in the past 12 hours: 15 nautical miles (nm). The reason: three hours of drifting in very light winds, precious hours that Ian Walker’s crew invested on repairing the damage in the foot of the headsail.

Onboard Reporter of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing writes: “At almost the same time that light forecast came through down below, the wind quit up on deck – dropping down to five knots.

“Worse yet, we had just found out we put 20 nm on Dongfeng in the last sched making the miles we were bleeding extra painful.

“The only glimmer of luck came in the odd form of damage to our headsail – our dagger board had shot through the foot of the sail. Fortunately, we didn’t need it based on the conditions. We used the few hours of light breeze to our advantage performing a solid repair.”

The teams in the north are trying to escape the high behind them, while the three boats in the south, which have been sailing 1-2 knots slower on average in the last 12 hours, are trying to navigate towards where the stronger breeze is building up.

“The explanation for our being north is that it was a by-product of trying to get east,” explains Amory Ross, Onboard Reporter of Team Alvimedica.

“The fleet is outrunning a high-pressure system to the west and the faster we got east, the more in front of it we stayed.

“So yesterday we put the bow down (to the north) and sailed fast. Where that leaves us we’re not sure. There is probably another 36 hours of trying to stay in front of this high before it dissolves and the routing suggests a significant decision regarding the next set of lows.

“Sail back north to stay above them or dive south towards the ice gate to get under them. Between now and when we have to decide we should have a better idea as to what the rest of the fleet is thinking, and more up-to-date weather models, too.”

Synopsis

1) Slow going with the lightish SE to S winds close to high pressure today into tonight, then
2) As the fleet gets more to the E of the high and ridge axis, there will be a more favorable S to SW flow during Sunday
a) wind speeds into teens to 20 kts, and will be stronger to SE late, possible into 20s, which
b) this will help the boats make better time
3) Big storm is no longer any impact and will be weakening and shifting well to E, mainly E of 115w by later Sunday, but
4) There will be a cold front advancing to the N and NE, which will impact the fleet during Monday
5) in advance of this front, the SW flow will be turning more right into W-SW to W, possible W-NW closer to the front, which
a) There is also increasing chance for squally conditions and rougher seas

Today’s Weather

1) Big storm (down to 945 mb) continues moving E-SE to near or just SE of 50s/120w, while high pressure (1029 mb) resides to SW of the fleet near 46s/170w
2) Ridge axis off this high extends NE toward the Fleet, which is giving them lighter SE winds
a) wind speeds down to 10 kts or less at times, but
3) As they get more to the E and more E of the high/ridge axis, wind will be trending left into S-SE to S, near and E of 160w
a) stronger wind E of 160w, possible back into teens,
4) Satellite imagery shows lots of lower cloudiness over area, and there maybe isolated showers
5) Seas still coming down, mainly 7-10 ft long period S swell
Weather mainly cloudy, chance for isolated showers around
Seas subsiding down to 7-10 ft, mostly S-SE to S swell