Volvo Ocean Race – Another lead change

by Volvo Ocean Race on 30 Apr 2015 Volvo Ocean Race – A solid few hours for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. The last two skeds have shown the Emirati boat making strong progress back into the lead.

With a marginally faster average over the last three hours (20.9 knots compared to the 20.2 knots of Dongfeng Race Team), Ian Walker’s men have pulled back 2.7 nautical miles to give them a lead of 1.6nm over the Chinese-French boat.

Only 3.3nm separate the front three boats despite there being some 45nm from MAPFRE and Abu Dhabi positioned together to the east of the group to Dongfeng, the most westerly boat.

The whole fleet has been pressing on in the stronger wind with 24-hour run distances around 480nm.

The wind over the next 24 hours looks to be veering and moderating as the fleet nears the high pressure stretching over the North Atlantic from Southern Europe to the Caribbean.

This should allow the boats to reach around the high pressure, continuing north with the wind behind them before potentially catching a low forming just off the Florida coast.

Leader: ADOR
Wind speed: 20.3 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 18.9 knots?
Wind direction: 303º - 311º?
Lowest boat speed: DFRT (12.7 knots)?
Highest boat speed: MAPF (20.6 knots)
Lowest wind speed: SCA (15.9 knots)?
Highest wind speed: ADOR (20.3 knots)