Assa Abloy 'My Worst Night Ever'

by Volvo Event media- Mark Rudiger on 18 Oct 2001 Yesterday, those who were tuned in to the Volvo Ocean Race must have
wondered what happened with ASSA ABLOY. After being in second position for
days and days the team lost some considerable miles after rounding Ilha
Trindade. It all happened going just a bit more North East than most of the
others who were heading in the same direction. ASSA ABLOY did not get a
crucial wind shift there and the team never changed course as the others
did. This caused ASSA ABLOY to drop three positions. But the hurting was not
over. Soon after an unpredicted small high-pressure system parked straight
above ASSA ABLOY. The handicap ASSA ABLOY still has with the malfunctioning
Sat B communication system, where Rudiger gets his weather information, did
not make it any easier for Rudiger and Heiner.

According to one of the last 6 hourly schedules ASSA ABLOY produced one of
the shortest 24 hour runs so far with just 84 miles, while being just 70
miles away from their position 24 hours ago. Co-skipper and navigator Mark
Rudiger reported that it was his worst night ever in his long career of
ocean racing. Here is his explanation to ASSA ABLOY’s choice of route. “I
know it must appear we are on some wild flyer and why didn’t we stick with
illbruck? The reason is that when we rounded Trindade, we had carefully
looked at all the options and decided the fastest highest percentage chance
of success was going east and catch the North Easterly to carry us South
East to better pressure. Initially the other boats did the same, but because
of being the furthest northeast, we missed a small shift they got which
forced them on the other tack. That’s when a small separation turned into a
big one.”

“We still gave our chances a 60 percent success and were happy with that.
This morning a small high bubble formed and drifted slowly north right over
us leaving us becalmed while the other boats south kept moving. We have
been struggling with every puff to fight North East. We were within sight of
the
wind line before dark, which would have kept us in good shape, but it just
receded and now we’re almost stopped again. This is frustration with a
capital “F”.

According to Mark Rudiger’s latest update today the North Easterly wind has
picked up again and ASSA ABLOY is moving in the right direction towards Cape
Town. He comments further: “It will take some days to get down to the
pressure. Obviously our choice of route was a bad call, combined with a some
of bad luck with the high drifting up.”

>From illbruck Jaime Gaile reported, “You would have to be a brave soul to be
a navigator these days. While the weather picture seems to be finally
becoming a little clearer, the last few days must have seen a lot of hair
being pulled out in nav stations all across the fleet.”