Volvo Ocean Race- Three boats in a tight race to Abu Dhabi finish
by Volvo Ocean Race on 10 Dec 2014
Leg 2, Day 20 - Eric Peron onboard - Dongfeng Race Team pushing hard to close the gap on Team Brunel who are currently leading the fleet - Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 Yann Riou / Dongfeng Race Team
Team Brunel are just ahead in the race to win Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race and join Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing at the top of the leaderboard – but the sprint into Abu Dhabi still looks too close to call for sure.
Bouwe Bekking’s (NED) Dutch boat was leading Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) by a mere 12 nautical miles (nm) at 0940 UTC on Tuesday with Ian Walker’s Azzam boat just 27nm further behind.
The trio have a huge lead of nearly 275nm over the fourth-placed boat, Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA), with MAPFRE (Iker Martínez/ESP), and Team SCA (Sam Davies/GBR), also seemingly out of the running for a podium spot.
The top three have around 750nm left to sail to the arrival in the Emirates and are expected to reach the destination on Saturday, December 13.
The Dutch team’s current lead is a testament to the immense sailing knowledge on board led by 51-year-old Bekking, who is taking part in a record-equalling seventh race, and his navigator Andrew Cape (AUS).
Cape is a year older than his skipper and competing in his sixth race.
They both have one thing in common: An overall Race victory in the world’s leading offshore event is missing from their resumés despite several close calls.
Right now, however, Bekking is focusing firmly on one step at a time and would cherish a win in another closely contested leg following their third place behind winners Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the opening stage from Alicante to Cape Town.
Victory for Team Brunel in Abu Dhabi would bring them level with Walker’s crew on four points and one win apiece.
'How many legs have I won in the Volvo Ocean Race? I would say about eight? I’m not sure,' said Bekking on Tuesday. 'I’d have to count again – but not enough – and it’s high time we added another one to the list.'
Walker certainly has not given up hope of snatching another top spot on the podium. 'It may not seem it right now, but 30 miles can disappear quite quickly. There’s still 450nm to go upwind in light air, so anything can happen,' he said.
Dongfeng Race Team will join Team Brunel and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing on four points if they retain their current second place. However, the Dutch and Chinese boats would be ranked above them under the race’s tie-breaker rules because each of them would have had a leg victory.
From Volvo Ocean Race Control:
December 9, 2014, 1930 UTC
Latest position report: 1900 UTC
Leader: TBRU
Wind speed: 12-15 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 12-13 knots
Wind direction: 33º to 48º
Lowest boat speed: All but ADOR (12 knots)
Highest boat speed: ADOR (13 knots)
Lowest wind speed: ALVI (12 knots)
Highest wind speed: ADOR (15 knots)
Team Brunel’s guys keep ticking miles off like travelers on a long-haul flight. Dongfeng gained two nautical miles (nm) on them earlier today, but lost five in the last six hours. The Chinese boat is still close to the Dutch leaders and keeps pushing hard to get closer. Yet Brunel keeps slipping away, 14.2nm ahead.
Careful though – any mistake from the leader will see the red boat quickly come back. There is no business-class seat out there, just two competitors fighting for the first place.
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing also lost 5nm in the last 12 hours. They’re doing similar speeds than Brunel and Dongfeng and today the three boats have shown between 11.3 and 13 knots of average boat speed.
If the first two slow down and stop in the light airs of the Gulf, the Emirati boat could very well have an opportunity… all Ian Walker and his guys need is a speedy boarding pass.
Team Alvimedica and MAPFRE are in a different situation. The Turkish-American team led by Charlie Enright are fourth, 329nm behind the leaders; and the Spaniards skippered by Iker Martínez are fifth, just 11nm behind them.
'The leaders have always been in more breeze,' said Rob Greenhalgh today from MAPFRE. 'Brunel has extended on Dongfeng, Dongfeng is extending on Abu Dhabi, and these three are extending on us. Only last night and today we’ve felt like we’ve been in the same breeze than the others.'
Team SCA closes the fleet 452nm behind Team Brunel. The magenta boat has lost 33nm in the past 12 hours.
Weather forecast for tonight:
16-22 knots of wind for the leading boats
1-15 knots of wind for the trailing boats
Seas of 4-6 feet for the leaders, and 2-4 feet for the back of the fleet
Check out B&G weekly blog – Mark Chisnell reviews the third week of action in Leg 2 as the fleet closes and the strategic options sharply reduce, with just a few hundred miles left to run. The boats are approaching their landfall in line astern, so how did those big plays work out? MAPFRE bet the house on the east...and lost. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing bet a round of drinks on the west...and lost. The winners have come from the middle.
December 9, 2014, 0700 UTC
Latest position report: 0700 UTC
Leader: TBRU
Wind Speed: 12-15 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 12-13 knots
Wind direction: 33º to 48º
Lowest boat speed: All but ADOR (12 knots)
Highest boat speed: ADOR (13 knots)
Lowest wind speed: ALVI (12 knots)
Highest wind speed: ADOR, (15 knots)
The numbers above tell a real story.
Brunel keep plugging away with Dongfeng close on their tail. Both boats are in the same conditions, and pushing each other hard.
Dongfeng is reporting that they're a little frustrated in how hard it is to take distance out of Brunel, with the Dutch team just 13.7 nm in front - so close, yet so far.
Meanwhile, ADOR is in hot pursuit as they prepare for the final straight home, and happy to still be within attacking distance.
Ian Walker is expecting a slow down in front of him, and a possible compression, that will see them with a chance to catch up.
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing OBR Matt Knighton writes in today's blog, 'We’ll do our best to stay with them for now,' Ian added - his motivation and optimism has been evident and affects us all.
'Once they hit the light air ahead we’ll come crashing in as the compression begins.'
The leading three boats are marching toward Oman like on a roman road, straight as an arrow and for miles and miles. Just 300 nm now to Cape Ras Al Hadd.
Behind, Team Alvimedica are pleased with their progress, happy to be in a firm fourth position, and also with possible time on their side after standing by for Vestas during the reef incident. They can’t rest up though, as MAPFRE are battling hard - and just on their starboard hip.
Team SCA are currently 110nm behind the mid fleet but in similar conditions. They will be hoping for a park up ahead, if they are to have any chance of catching the fleet.
Weather forecast for Tuesday, December 9, 2014:
1) For the leading yachts, the NE winds will slowly increase today and the winds may back 10 degrees or so
- wind speeds up to 16-22 kts by this evening and continuing overnight
2) For the trailing yachts, NE winds will continue around 10-15 kts and wind directions may also back 10 degrees or so
Sunshine with NE seas 4-6 feet for the leading yachts and 2-4 feet for the trailing group of yachts
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