Volvo Ocean Race - still tight at the top
by Volvo Ocean Race on 4 Apr 2015
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing leads the Volvo Ocean 65 fleet around Cape Horn. Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race
http://www.volvooceanrace.com
Around 2100 UTC the wind shifted 30º from the north-northwest towards the north for the leading boats. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are still in the lead, 2.2 nautical miles (nm) ahead of Mapfre. The Emiratis have lost 2.6nm to the Spaniards in the past 12 hours. During the night Team Alvimedica have been able to defend their third place in front of Team Brunel, just 1nm behind the Turkish-Americans.
The bad news for Bouwe Bekking’s crew is that despite the efforts of repairing their J1 and putting it up again, the sail broke again.
The J1 sail is the weapon of choice for these conditions and after a successful hoist it tore apart again.
Stefan Coppers wrote in his blog this morning:
'It is essential that we don’t miss the J1,' said skipper Bekking.
'The best sail for the wind between 12 and 20 knots ... And what do we get the next days?”
After an hour of sailing with the repaired J1 up, it stripped apart again and skipper Bekking signalled to drop the sail once more.
Louis Balcaen (BEL) added: 'This is a downer: We were doing so well; we really, really came back. And now we will miss the main sail! Acid! But we'll find something else!'
Team SCA have gained 80 miles on the leaders in the past 12 hours, as they have been sailing in more breeze.
They still trail the pack by about 587nm.
Meantime, Dongfeng Race Team continue their delivery north of their stricken boat, 150 miles east of the coast of Tierra del Fuego. They broke their mast on Monday and have retired from the leg.
Synopsis
1) High pressure, around 1019mbs, is near 33s/31w
- the high will move off to the SE over the next 24 hours
2) Cold front lies from 40s/40w to 37s/50w then to around Buenos Aires
- the front will move NE
- by 1200utc Sun, expect the front near 39s/40w to 34s/50w then to a weak low off NE Uruguay
3) There will be showers and some squalls along the frontal boundary
- expect the front will stay S of the leading boats
4) NNW winds for the leading boats will diminish and gradually clock to the N and NNE
- wind speeds mainly 18-24 kts will come down to 13-18 kts
- winds become very light within 10-15 miles of Itajai Sat night
5) For Team SCA, Weak high pressure will pass near them bringing a period of light winds later today
- SSW winds of 17-22 kts will back to the SE and drop to under five - ten kts for a time
- will have breeze become NW evening/1st part of tonight ahead of a front then shifts to the SSE and S during the early morning hours Sun
6) On Sun, SSW wind increases to 20-30 kts for Team SCA
7) Nearer Itajai, winds very light early Sun
- flow becomes light E during the day, but may be quite shifty at times due to the showers
8) Unsettled nearer Itajai Sun with scattered showers and a few thundershowers
9) On Mon, that cold front will continue to lift NE
-Team SCA will have flow back more into the SSE then SE
- winds speeds of 20-30 kts slowly diminishing
Today's weather
1) NNW winds for the leading yachts will clock to the N and NNE
- wind 18-25 kts will diminish to 13-18 kts
- flow stays a little stronger near the Brazil Current
2) The breeze diminishes further Sat night nearer Itajai
- flow may become light NNW or NW or possibly light and variable within 10-15 miles of the coast
3) May have some showers developing around daybreak Sun
4) For Team SCA, SW flow will back and diminish as high pressure crosses
- wind becomes quite light (under 5-10 kts) for a time later today
5) Front then approaches tonight
- breeze becomes NW and increases
- wind shifts to the SW following the front after 0400utc Sun
6) Showers/squalls likely with the front
Outlook: Partly cloudy and warmer air for the leading yachts.
N-NE sea easing to five - seven feet. A shower or thundershower is possible late at night for the leading yachts
More showers and squalls for SCA tonight.
Sea-state of 6-10 feet today, but becoming SW at 10-14 feet later tonight.
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