Volvo Ocean Race - Team SCA continues to hold dominant position
by Volvo Ocean Race on 11 Jun 2015
Onboard Team SCA – Abby Ehler - Leg 8 to Lorient – Volvo Ocean Race 2015 Anna-Lena Elled / Team SCA / Volvo Ocean Race
Volvo Ocean Race - Team SCA is holding a dominant position over the fleet, keeping a 10-mile distance to their immediate pursuers, Team Vestas Wind.
This morning, as the fleet was drag racing in the Bay of Biscay towards the east, at 1130 UTC Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing was the first one to tack north to Lorient, calling a windward mark 150 miles out. By 1200 UTC all the fleet was heading north.
Since then we have seen some changes in the positions of the fleet. This afternoon MAPFRE broke the 2.5-mile lead of Team Alvimedica and grabbed fourth place. The Spanish team has made good progress and is now neck and neck with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the battle for third.
Team Vestas Wind has seen those two boats getting closer and closer in their rear view mirror. Nicholson’s crew is only three miles ahead of the Emiratis and the Spanish team.
Meanwhile at the back of the fleet, Team Brunel managed to pass Dongfeng Race Team to windward at around 1730 UTC. The Chinese team reported earlier today an issue with their electronic water-maker - that's the machine that converts sea water into drinking water. It's broken and the crew are using a manual desalinator, which takes much longer to operate and wastes valuable man hours on board.
With just 25 miles left for Team SCA to round the next mark, the fleet might not be in the lay line after all. The new forecast shows a left shift that might make them tack to reach the mark.
If this happens, Team Brunel, being the most easterly boat, is in a better position to approach the mark ahead of their closest rivals, Team Alvimedica.
After rounding the mark the fleet will be on a reach towards the finish line in Lorient, which has been shortened to the Lorient Gate Marks.
There are less than 100 miles to what will be a very close finish in Lorient tomorrow morning. Team SCA is expected to arrive between 0400 and 0600 UTC. If Team SCA wins tomorrow, it would be the third leg victory by an all-female team in the history of the race, and the first leg victory since Maiden in January 1990.
Follow all the action of the last miles to Lorient in our LIVE tracker and stay alert for our LIVE coverage of the arrivals starting one hour before the finish.
Leader: SCA
Wind speed: 14.7 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 11.5 knots
Wind direction: 77º - 99º
Lowest boat speed: SCA (12.2 knots)
Highest boat speed: TBRU (13 knots)
Lowest wind speed: ADOR (20 knots)
Highest wind speed: VEST (22.3 knots)
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