Volvo Ocean Race - Arrivals night in Newport!
by Volvo Ocean Race on 7 May 2015
Leg six to Newport onboard MAPFRE. Day 17. The lines on deck after peeling from one sail to another. - Volvo Ocean Race 2015 Francisco Vignale/Mapfre/Volvo Ocean Race
Volvo Ocean Race - Arrivals night in Newport! These are the latest ETAs [Estimated Times of Arrival] for the fleet to dock in the United States:
- Dongfeng Race Team, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Brunel are expected to finish between 0200 and 0500 UTC (2200 – 0100 EDT)
- MAPFRE between 0400 and 0700 UTC (0000 – 0300 EDT)
- Home comers Team Alvimedica between 0700 and 0900 (0300 – 0500 EDT)
- Team SCA between 1900 and 2200 UTC (1500 – 2000 EDT)
The leaders have less than 50 nautical miles to go now, and after 17 days at sea the battle to win this leg is not yet decided.
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s skipper Ian Walker sent us an update three hours ago. The tension is palpable!
“Well that transition couldn’t have gone much better for us and we are now literally neck and neck with Dongfeng. They are exactly 1nm from us but we are to windward. I would say that right now it is a dead heat!! 84nm to go and lots of light wind forecast. It is going to be a nerve jangler. Lads have sailed really well the last few days to get us back in this race,” he said.
In the approach to Block Island, 20 miles southwest of the coast of Newport, the wind is expected to drop and shift right.
This means the final miles will be slower, and trickier.
Looking ahead, the fleet will also have to deal with another obstacle – the exit corridors of the Rhode Island Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS). These two blocks are almost 12 and 15nm long and are placed at the entrance of Newport.
The fleet will have to avoid them and keep clear of them to avoid the maritime traffic exiting Narraganssett Bay and Buzzards Bay.
Leader: DFRT
Wind speed: 14.9 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 14.6 knots
Wind direction: 318º - 92º
Lowest boat speed: SCA (11.2 knots)
Highest boat speed: MAPF (14.6 knots)
Lowest wind speed: SCA (11.2 knots)
Highest wind speed: MAPF (18 knots)
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Position report at: 06 May 18:42 UTC / Updated 3 hourly
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DTL
(NM)
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GAIN/LOSS
(NM)
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DTF
(NM)
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Speed
(kt)
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Dongfeng Race Team
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0.0
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0.0
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52
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12.8
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Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
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0.9
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0.0
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52
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12.7
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Team Brunel
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9.9
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1.4
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61
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13.5
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MAPFRE
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17.0
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6.3
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69
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14.6
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Team Alvimedica
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41.6
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0.2
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93
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13
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Team SCA
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102.8
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6.8
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154
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11.2
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Team Vestas Wind
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DID NOT START
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