Volvo Ocean Race – Team Brunel in stealth mode

by Team Brunel on 20 Nov 2017 The Dutch Team Brunel is currently in the leading group of the Volvo Ocean Race on its way to Cape Town. The Spanish Mapfre is in the lead. Team Brunel went into stealth mode today.

As a result, the position of the team is not visible to opponents and fans for 24 hours. The first boats are expected in Cape Town during the weekend.

Brunel 24 hours 'off the radar'
The boats are now racing for two weeks since the start in Portuguese Lisbon. With less than 2,000 nautical miles to go to the finish of the second leg, Team Brunel decided to go into ‘Stealth Mode’ on Monday, November 20th. The GPS-position of that team will then be withheld for three position updates. That comes down to 24 hours of Stealth. So the spectators and the other teams can only guess where they are.

The British Abby Ehler has given the next update from the boat shortly after the start of stealth mode. Ehler: 'I think most route programs suggest that the Northern route is the best route to go. Capey, our navigator would like to go to the south. Bouwe (Bekking), Peter (Burling) and Capey (Andrew Cape) had a long discussion over the last weather update this morning, I think just by going blind to the rest of the fleet, it kind of keep them guessing about which option we choose and where we are going. We hope that the rest will not come with us and that we are the only ones for this chosen route.'

Bekking: we can’t complain
Skipper Bekking was satisfied with the second position on Sunday evening. Bekking: 'Mapfre has done a nice job, but we can’t complain either. Positioning ourselves in such a way to make gains when possible. But it’s still a mix of gains and making some moves to consolidate the position. Like Sunday morning, when we gybed, making a course away from Cape Town.”

On Tuesday, Team Brunel will return in the position reports and will end the use of stealth mode. The fleet is expected in Cape Town by the weekend.