Barcelona World Race - Africa or Spain? The dilemma looms

by Barcelona World Race on 3 Jan 2011 Barcelona World Race fleet knew it was never going to be easy to get out of the Mediterranean and so it is proving for all of the 14 duos.

The Alboran Sea, the stretch of water to the east of the Straits of Gibraltar, is about to present another headache of increasing intensity.

Though progress for the leading pack has been thankfully productive, especially for Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA) and François Gabart (FRA) on Foncia, who were making a positively exuberant 12.5 knots, there is another very difficult transition zone coming up ahead and the breeze looks set to die yet again later this evening.

Behind Foncia, Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) and Loick Peyron (FRA) on Vibrac-Paprec 3 have moved into second in this morning’s 1000hrs update, following directly on their tail, with Groupe Bel in third.

For all the skippers a dilemma is looming – whether to stick close to Spain, dive south towards the African coast, or play the shifts through the centre of the Alboran Sea? The leading boats are in a 8-12 kts NW at the moment, as they get to the latitude off Cabo Gata this will head (to the West) and they will most likely continue on the wind on Starboard tack as the wind is predicted to remain present in the South Alboran Sea for the longest.

Nevertheless overnight and by tomorrow morning the wind will die once gain and conditions will become very light from variable directions in the whole of the Alboran Sea. Interestingly enough the boats further back will not be 'forced' to the South Alboran Sea as they will arrive much later at the latitude of Cabo Gata and will already be light by then. This may well see the fleet splitting into two 'packs' in the approach to Gibraltar… The leading pack closer to the African Coast and the trailing group trying their good fortune on a Northerly Spanish Coast approach.

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