Volvo Ocean Race - The tight Gulf Stream battle continues
by Sail-World.com on 20 May 2015
Dongfeng Race Team - Volvo Ocean Race 2015 Yann Riou / Dongfeng Race Team
2014 - 15 Volvo Ocean Race - A good sched for Mapfre gives them the leg top spot – for now. It’s been close between the first four boats with only 1.4 nautical mile separating first (Mapfre) to fourth (Team Brunel).
With the wind changing with every new forecast the current at least is fairly consistent. While still not perfectly modeled, the Gulf Stream does keep flowing eastward so each boat is trying to stay in the strongest parts of the conveyor belt to keep moving even if the wind drops completely (which it’s forecast to do).
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s skipper Ian Walker reports “Great action out here with Mapfre, Brunel, Dongfeng and ourselves all within one mile of each other. Tight reaching in the Gulf Stream. Mapfre are on a jib while the rest of us are on fractional and a reef. We are making a move to leeward of Dongfeng right now who are 0.4 miles to windward.
“It is really neck and neck for the lead but we are slightly faster and gaining bearing. Expecting the wind to start dropping soon.”
Dongfeng Race Team have consistently been 0.4 knot faster than Abu Dhabi allowing them to sail around the outside of the shift and the fleet so to be leveled with Abu Dhabi and only 0.5nm behind Mapfre.
This could be due to their positioning in the faster moving currents or it could be down to better boat speed.
However with only three nautical miles separating the boats north to south and Team Brunel hot on Mapfre’s heels (0.1nm), it’s going to be another intense night for all the crews.
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