Volvo Ocean Race- Big breezes as Leg 5 draws to a close + Video

by Sail-World.com NZL on 3 Apr 2015 Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean race is expected to finish in two and a half days on April 6, UTC

Race leader is Abu Dhabi (Ian Walker) who is 5nm ahead of Mapfre with Team Alvimedica three miles further back.

The front bunch is now sailing in more breeze after a day of calm breezes. They now have big breeze, with 25 knots of wind speed and gusts of 30 knots. The new northwesterly breeze came after shifting from the east around 2000 UTC.

Amory Ross: “Now it’s blowing 26 again and we’re back in our harnesses, back in our merinos (and at last set of fresh socks!), back to the upwind grind that has become these final days.”

“The South Atlantic has proven to be complicated and volatile, and the constantly shifting weather systems have made it tough to adjust with so many changes to sails, weather, and course.”

650 miles behind the peloton, Team SCA have got 16 knots of breeze from the southwest and should be able to get the A3 up. For Sam Davies’ crew the wind shifted from the northwest around 0000 UTC. They will see the wind increasing in a range of 35-50 knots and large seas.

April 3 - The previous night the boats got a real kicking from an extremely strong wind set against an opposite current flow of 2 knots. This kicked up a short aggressive wave that definitely claimed the title of potentially boat breaking conditions. Most boats decided not to sail at full pace in these conditions.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing was the first to report backing off a little in the name of boat survival. This leg is far from over but without the former co-leader Dongfeng Race Team breathing down their necks, it’s imperative that Abu Dhabi finish the leg; it’s not essential that they win it.

Finally the wind dropped and shifted right 90º from north west to north east. With this shift came a large light patch dropping off to only 5 knots and less in some spots.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing was most affected but the lack of wind, losing their lead to Alvimedica slightly further east. Mapfre to the far west were the first to then catch the new wind making some small gains before the breeze filled in across the fleet.

Team Brunel took advantage of this compression, closing the fleet up again to within 12 miles, in effect, another restart for the leaders.

Dongfeng have started their long 1,910 nm motor-sail from Ushuaia to Itajai, navigating up the Beagle Channel out into the Atlantic Ocean.

They estimate it will take 10 to 12 days. They have beefed up their jury rig with a new metal spreader that they have had fabricated in town and even utilised a borrowed sail from another boat.

They have filled the forward tank with 1,200 liters of gasoline as an insurance policy in case the mast and jury rig fails and they have to motor all the way.

Team SCA continue to make gains as they are now power reaching north east in 30 knots but in comfortable condition then the leaders had. They will be pleased to be making good progress after such trying times back in the latter stages of the Southern Ocean.

A rough night:
April 2 - Tonight the front squad has broken through the 1000nm barrier to the finish of this leg in Itajaí. This milestone has probably passed unnoticed among the fleet in a night where pretty much everything has consisted of survival, seamanship and staying safe and sound in the racetrack.

It’s been a night to fear the seas and respect nature, as the top gunners are currently transiting an area north of a low pressure, where the wind is blowing 40 knots of madness and the seas encounter both north and south currents creating chaos.

Whoever thought this leg was just about the Southern Ocean got it wrong. The South Atlantic is proving to be just as furious.

Amory Ross describes the scenario onboard Team Alvimedica: “Survive the Southern Ocean and Cape Horn only to get absolutely destroyed off the coast of South America. This will be the most uncomfortable, difficult, and dangerous 24 hours of the leg without question, while we hammer ourselves upwind into 35-40 knots (41 right now) in a completely confused and unpredictable sea.

'Eight hours,' Will says, 'Eight miserable hours until the front passes over and everything begins to moderate. Eight hours until we can go about repairing bruised bodies and a tired vessel, both of which having already travelled 6,200 miles since Auckland.”

On April 1, at 1142 UTC, Team SCA rounded Cape Horn in uncomfortable conditions with an even more uncomfortable forecast ahead. Spirits were high to have reached this milestone and to be turning the corner in search for warmer and less taxing weather. Unfortunately, according to the forecast for the next 24 hours, things are not going to get better. As we write this Watch Log, we can see that they already are in 40 to 50 knots of wind. We are monitoring events closely here in Race Control.

The Cape is renowned for sudden changes in conditions. The high land around it can bring sudden gusts that can catch boats out.

Team Brunel reported one such gust that destroyed their J1 beyond repair. The Dutch boat is now in fourth place 44.7 nautical miles behind the leader, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.






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