Volvo Ocean Race- Leaders line up for Cape Town finish

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/nz on 2 Nov 2014 Having sailed north of the Ice Gate, the four lead boats in the Volvo Ocean Race fleet are still closely grouped with less than four days to sail to the finish in Cape Town.

Once they cleared the restrictions imposed on sailing south, by the Ice Gate, the competitors too a dig south, before returning to a course for Cape Town.

The chances of a new 24hour sailing distance mark being set have receded, with the sustained periods of high winds not eventuating, but even so the boats are expected to clock some high speeds - with reports from the on board videos saying they are hitting 28knots and chasing 30kts as they sail through the edges of the Southern Ocean.

The reports from Volvo Ocean Race Control follow:

Last position report: November 1, 2014 1700 UTC

Leader: ADOR
Wind Speed: 13 to 20 knots
Boat speed Speed Over Ground (15 mins): 13 to 21 knots
Wind direction: 223º to 313º

Lowest boat speed: Team Vestas Wind (13 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team SCA (21 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team Vestas Wind (13 knots)
Highest wind speed: Team SCA (20 knots)

It was a case of follow the leader this morning, as Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Team Brunel and Team Vestas Wind gybed at around 0700 UTC - mimicking the move of Dongfeng Race Team, who were the first ones to gybe south around two hours before.

An hour later, at around 0800 UTC, Spanish boat MAPFRE and Team Alvimedica also gybed - leaving the all-female Team SCA as the only ones who hadn't.

That changed at 1100 UTC when the magenta boat also positioned themselves south.

Currently, leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are just 70 nm from Gough Island, a volcanic island in the South Atlantic ocean, and a dependency of Tristan da Cunha.

Remember - the ice exclusion zone between 42°S, 10°W and 20°W means that the teams aren't able to cut straight through that area, but they are sticking as close as possible to the safe limits, with some sailing as close as 60nm to the border.

Position report: November 1, 2014 0630 UTC

Leader: ADOR
Wind Speed: 19 to 26 knots
Boat speed Speed Over Ground (15 mins): 17 to 26 knots
Wind direction: 290º to 313º

Lowest boat speed: SCA (17 knots)
Highest boat speed: ADOR (26 knots)
Lowest wind speed: SCA (19 knots)
Highest wind speed: ADOR (26 knots)

Vodka Martinis are definitely not on offer in the Southern Atlantic Ocean but if they were, James Bond, OO7, would be disappointed. 'Sorry sir, it’s shaken and stirred. You don’t have an option how it comes in this very exclusive part of the world.

'Oh, and we’ve had to hold the ice, due to an ice exclusion zone we are currently in. I can get whisk you up a coffee with powdered milk instead?'

If the English spy were on board, he would love the chase and the fast action now playing out at 40º south.

A day ago, the fleet did sail to 41º south and as if dipping its toe into a ice-cold pond and deciding not to dive in, it edged back from the bank.

After that gybing frenzy that we covered in yesterday’s report, the boats have raced WNW, slowly heading away from the ice exclusion zone that sits at 42º south.

Team Alvimedica is pointing straight at Tristan da Cunha, the most remote island in the world, where onboard reporter Amory Ross ended up in the last edition after the dismasting of PUMA.

His current course and building winds must be bringing back powerful memories.

Currently the leaders, led by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, are being lifted on port gybe, setting themselves up nicely for a gybe back to the corner of the ice exclusion zone set at 42º south and 10º west.

Dongfeng has gybed already and is heading 152º back towards the Roaring 40s and a small island in their path called Cough Island, a perfect location for a Bond villain to have his lair.

We can expect the fleet to follow suit very soon and gybe with Dongfeng and make the most of the right shift.

Once past the corner of the exclusion zone, we could see the fleet push south again to colder and even more aggressive sailing conditions.

James Bond would be in his element. From Alicante with love…