Volvo Ocean Race - Puma's Mar Mostro leads the fleet

by Amory Ross on 25 Jan 2012 Volvo Ocean Race, Day 2 of Leg 3. Amory Ross, MCM for Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg, reports on the crew's progress:

We again find ourselves leading through the early stages of a leg. That makes three for three, and it only helps to reinforce our confidence in the boat, the sails, and the team. Now we just have to make it stick, something we haven’t been able to do so far!

The mood onboard this morning was a well rested one; it sounds like the guys had their first night of good sleep last night, and it’s a sure sign of settling into the offshore groove. I don’t think anyone has overcome the blistering heat though, and Michi still refuses to eat the freeze-dried until it’s at least a few hours 'old and cold.' If you knew Michi’s passion for eating, you’d understand the gravity of the situation…

Last night was a busy one as we entered a region of overnight squalls and ominous clouds. Camper was a few miles behind and just above our line, and Groupama a few miles back of them. At some point we accepted a cloud-induced header and Camper did not, and they tacked away to the north; we have not seen them since. We mulled tacking several times after, mostly while monitoring clouds on the radar, but coolly decided against it. We see more value in sticking to our game plan than covering at this early stage.

Consequently, we are no longer the highest sailing boat as we have been from the start. Camper (and Telefónica further behind them) will likely benefit from more pressure, and we will hopefully benefit from better angles. Time will tell how that split unfolds, but we have Groupama dead astern to keep us busy in the meantime. We expect more of the same today, with a gradual easing up of winds to come.

Puma Ocean Racing website