Volvo Ocean Race- Onboard - latest video, images and reports - Day 21

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz on 3 Nov 2014 The On Board Reporters write, shoot and video about their experiences and view from Leg 1, Day 21 of the Volvo Ocean Race as the boats get their first taste of the edge of the Roaring Forties, which then fizzles.

Don't miss another video tour of Al's cafe aboard Team Vestas Wind - this time its a cooking lesson on freeze dried.

November 2, 2014

Double interview with Justine Mettraux and Liz Wardley

Today was like one of those days growing up where your mom told you: 'After school today we will go get ice cream.' Remember those days? Such a rarity; such a treat! Eight hours of school went by at a snail’s pace. You bragged about it to everyone on the school bus, at lunch, and in class. Your whole day revolved around getting ice cream after school.

Today was like one of those days for us on Team SCA, except instead of ice cream it was wind and the opportunity to finally 'send it.' (Send it: hand off the E-brake, pedal to the metal, full throttle sailing—fast, fast, fast). All day we talked about the coming wind and the low pressure we were supposed to catch, stay in and ride east towards Cape Town. It was the topic of conversation during lunch, on deck, and below deck at the navigation station.

To say we’ve had just a bit of bad wind luck is an extreme understatement—we’ve had monumentally bad luck.

However, as I type, the leaders are parked hundreds of miles ahead in 3-10 knots of wind (and expected to stay parked for at least nine hours), Alvimedica lost a lot of miles in six hours, and we are steaming along at 15knots, hopefully riding this low pressure for the next 24-36 hours. Whoa. Talk about the best ice cream treat ever!

Corinna Halloran, OBR
Team SCA



We are heading east, said Nico Lunven this morning. The wind is not really steady, 12 to 15 knots. This is our bearing unless a shift forces us to gybe. We’re expecting the wind to pick up in the afternoon.

The last few hours have been calmed, we’ve seen a couple of albatross, and in the morning Ñeti and Anthony did some manteinance work on the keel. In the afternoon we got caught in a fishing net. Michael and Carlos managed to get rid of it without even touching it because it was full with squid hooks.

In the afternoon the temperature grew colder, fog came in and so did the wind, which built up to 22 knots and stayed till dawn at least. On board we are all well, tired but still wanting to catch the fleet, we hope to get the chance to pass them. In the meantime, we keep sailing east.

Francisco Vignale, OBR
Mapfre



Imagine… You've just finished your watch. You’ve spent two hours in 'standby' mode, fixing things, eating, and resting. And at last, you can enjoy your two hours 'OFF', meaning off watch, to fall in the arms of Morpheus… But in the middle of it, a guy comes shake you up, shouting:

'Everybody on deck, we’re changing for the Mast Head!'

You’ve three minutes to get dressed and go on deck to change sails. And if that wasn’t enough, Kevin had to go on the bowsprit. The whole thing drenched with cold, 10 degree water.
Admit it – there are better ways to wake up.

Then, the manoeuvre, the stacking that comes with it, and finally the right to go back to the bunk. Except that half an hour went by, and there are now only 20 minutes left before you got to go back on deck for your watch. That’s nothing. No luck. The following watch won’t be bothered. But Kevin and Wolf will have to wait for six more hours.

Yann Riou, OBR
Dongfeng Race Team



As Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing chased the sunrise on the eastern horizon, the daybreak signaled the looming battle to come. A strong frontal system is forecasted that’s expected to drench the fleet in 30 knots of wind and push the teams through the final stretch to the finish.

The speed was already building onboard and the quickened pace was breathing new life into Azzam after a light and shift night. The latest sked showed Dongfeng had made big gains in the South, effectively narrowing the lead to less than 10 miles.

The competitiveness has jumped to another level on deck. The guys’ awareness of the situation is starting to grind into their daily rhythms. They know they can last 3 more days until the finish despite sleep deprivation and rest. It’s all down to who wants it more.

Matt Knighton, OBR
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing



While we have ventured over to the north side of the 40 degree line its still getting colder. I can see my breath at night as I type my blogs and edit the videos. Poor Tom Johnson looks even colder every time I pass his bunk, he told me this morning he’s wearing everything he owns. I feel his plight; I too now wear almost all my available clothing. My feet feel the worse, well I can't confirm or deny that statement, as I haven’t had full feeling in them for a day now.

The cold must also be affecting Peter’s brain, twice today he woke and attempted to put on his gear to go on watch, twice I told him go back to sleep. An early attempt at 17.30 turned into a second attempt at 18:30 where he had his socks on before realising he had another hour before he was required.

Brian Carlin, OBR
Team Vestas Wind



The current 24-hour record for ‘distance sailed by a monohull’ was set on this stretch of ocean by Ericsson 4 during the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race. The running joke onboard yesterday was that we’d surely be setting records for 'distance sailed,' just for the fewest. There’s no doubt it is unusual, the weather we’re seeing. That the High has settled so far south is the root of all this evil, and it impedes any consistency to our wanted, to our needed, winds.

And so we wait.

Amory Ross, OBR
Team Alvimedica