Volvo Ocean Race- No wind, large swell and an uncomfortable ride

by Volvo Ocean Race media on 13 Apr 2009
For the Volvo Ocean Race fleet it's been a frustrating 24 hours up the Atlantic as extremely light winds and currents have tested the patience of the sailors. A heavy swell, which has been their constant company since getting offshore after the start, hasn't helped matters at all.

Telefonica Blue and Green Dragon have stuck to the coast, the better to ride a weak land breeze that developed overnight to pass the early leaders - Telefonica Black, Ericsson 4 and Puma.

Late this afternoon, those two leading boats find themselves nearly five miles further inshore compared to the rest of the fleet and sailing in wind up near six to seven knots. That doesn't sound like much, but when the competition is mired in three to four knot winds, it's more than enough to make a difference.

'We have done well and made the best of the land breeze to get into second place just behind Telefonica Blue. We are almost level with these guys right now and we both have small headsails up in light winds to try and drift along as best we can,' wrote Ian Walker from aboard the Dragon this afternoon.

'The crew are busy trying to squeeze any speed out of what little wind and current we have in the hope it will get us to something better.'

In the light conditions, there's really not a lot in it. By mid-afternoon Sunday, about 24 hours after the start, Ericsson 3 media crew member Gustav Morin reported that he had most of the fleet in sight - at least when the boat was riding over the crest of the long, slow, rolling swells. Since then, Telefonica Blue and Green Dragon have stretched further away.

Although the wind is very light, most of the fleet is using smaller sails. The bigger sails - particularly the Code 0 - are constantly crashing into the rigging as the boat rolls on the swell, and the prospect of damaging or tearing the sails is all too real - even if the wind is less than five knots.

'In light breeze we usually try to sail with our Mast Head Code Zero (a very big, full headsail, that is almost a cross between a big genoa and a spinnaker) as much as possible,' Morin explained in an email. 'But in the big swells it is risky business. The sails are flapping dramatically and sometimes the Zero hits the spreaders so badly it causes rips. That has happened a couple of times the last 12 hours and our sailmaker Martin Strömberg has had a lot on his mind: 'We have to be more careful with this sail,' he says.'

As of the 19:00 GMT position report on Sunday, boatspeeds across the fleet were still very low, not too surprising, considering the wind ranged from 3.5 knots (Telefonica Black) to six knots on Green Dragon.

The sailors are surely hoping for the trade winds to kick in, to allow faster progress up to the scoring gate at Fernando de Noronha. On the 2D tracker, that's nearly a full five days away, according to the predicted positions.

Trade wind sailing can often come out as a pure speed contest, but since the start, there have been enough clouds and currents to deal with that success is based on more than just boat speed. But getting away from the coastal influences and into those trade winds first, could prove a decisive advantage if the subsequent days turn into a procession.

'Getting the wind first will be crucial,' was the way Morin put it. So wringing that extra tenth of a knot in the light, may just have an exaggerated pay-off as the week develops.

TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG SIX DAY 2 QFB: RECEIVED 12.04.09 2257 GMT

Hi

Rio has been good to us, good for relaxing, good for eating and, consequently, good for putting on all the lost weight from leg five! However, despite being back to the freeze dried once more, it is great to be back on the water once again.

The first 24 hours of the race has been pretty much as expected - light and tricky! It has been a game of snakes and ladders and overnight we have had plenty of both! We have been up and down the fleet several times but fortunately the balance of things has been in our favour and we are hanging onto a lead with Green Dragon just behind us.

As usual though there is no time to relax and with night approaching once more we must brace ourselves for more trickiness ahead. This stretch of coastline is often littered with clouds and calms that could easily turn the fleet inside out so until we are safely in the trades we will no doubt be looking over our shoulders...

We spent much of the night creeping along the coast line, close enough to hear the roar of the breaking waves smashing onto the beach. The sea state has been pretty bad as a result and this has made things all the more challenging. However, we have since cleared Cabo Frio and worked our way offshore out into more open ocean and thankfully flatter water which not only improves boat speed but makes life a little more comfy too!

So, all in all no complaints here on Telefónica Blue, it is great to be racing again, good to be back in the hunt and I think we are all looking forward to the days ahead!

Cheers,
Simon Fisher - helmsman

www.volvooceanrace.org