Volvo OR - Leg 3, Day 9/10 - Annie Lush back on deck
by Volvo OR and Sail-World.com/nz 20 Dec 2017 15:11 PST
21 December 2017
Reports from the boats up to Day 10 of Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Aboard Team Brunel, Annie Lush is up and about and recovering from her back injury.
MAPRE is almost free of the constraints of the Ice Exclusion Zone and can pick an optimal course for Melbourne. Si Fi reports in from Vestas 11th Hour Racing as they make small but significant gains on their chasers. And on Turn the Tide on Plastic, Round the World solo sailor (both ways around the Planet), Dee Caffari questions why the Ice Exclusion Zone is needed - given that it is having such a big impact on the course options.
5 hours ago (Day 10 - 1800hrs UTC, December 20)
From onboard Team Brunel:
You nearly have forgotten that sailing can be a very comfortable way to travel from A to B, but on a day like today it clearly is. Not much wind in our minds, although the local club racer would still think twice before heading out. As the motion is less rough also good for picking up sleep. It is nearly impossible to wake some people up, the foghorn might have to get out of the bag to make it happen.
The really good news was that Anni was on deck for two hours, just sitting, but at least some fresh air and not feeling constraint laying in her bunk, a big mental boost for her.
Also very good news is that we are hanging onto Vestas, we would have expected to be dropped fast as they always should have more breeze, but we hang amazingly well. The good thing is that we worked well south of them, and hope we get a tiny bit of extra breeze what you see so often down here. It doesn't really show on the maps, but 9 out of 10 times it is the case. 20 miles doesn't sound a lot, but if you say 40 km you all of sudden realise it is fair big distance. You could call your mom who is living 40 km away from you and she says we have a nice breeze, the sun is shining, while when you look out of the window and it is raining and zip breeze. This just to put the weather in perspective.
Thinking of our Argentinian bowman Juanpa. Today should be the day that he becomes for the first time a dad. Hope the timing is right on, so that he has a week with his child and can support his wife before joining us in Melbourne.
Who said the life of a yachtie is easy?
cheers,
Bouwe
15 hours ago
Report from onboard MAPFRE:
We now continue skirting the northern part of the ice exclusion zone, on starboard jibe downwind with a 20 knot SW wind. A frontal system passed last night, causing the NW wind quickly shifted west south west, then SW. Conditions are shiftier and puffier, with some isolated squalls, but we do enjoy a nice swell helping to push the boat forward with very nice surfs.
Looking ahead we expect to throw a few jibes again later today and night, by the eastern portion of this northern exclusion zone line. After that, we will be free to decide and set our course towards Melbourne. It currently looks the rest of the trip to be reasonably fast, with some fair winds all the way to the Melbourne entrance.
On board everything is good, chipping along with our normal routines and watch systems, and well used to the waves washing the deck and constant spray as the normality on deck.
JV
21 hours ago
Update from Simon Fisher onboard Vestas 11th Hour Racing
Hi there,
It is hard to imagine that we are already over halfway through this leg both in terms of miles and time. Not least because I think at this stage I have fully lost track of time itself.
On one hand, it feels like the leg only started a short time ago and on the other Cape Town seems but a distant memory as racing and the challenges of this leg have dominated my thoughts over the past few days. Be it the bad weather getting out of the start, the big low pressure to contend with or working our way round the ice gate there has always been something to occupy the mind and focus the energy.
It has been somewhat enjoyable that these last couple of days have been occupied by sailing fast and enjoying the drag race. Having seen the fleet compress as we came north now we are racing east again it is all stretching out once more. Brunel who was at one stage only 13 miles behind is again back to almost 30.
Gaining miles each sched on the boats behind is both comforting and rewarding as is pushing had on deck working to get every last bit of boat speed. With the wind and the sea state always changing, getting the most out of the boat sometimes requires finesse, gently taking the boat from wave to wave without ever slowing. Other times it is more about aggression, forcing the boat through the sea state and hanging hard onto the wheel to force it onto course.
This morning it is more of the latter as with each acceleration you have to batter your way through the wave in front. The squally wind that is now coming from the south west also forces you to be punchy and sail high and fast to stay on course but big gusts can quickly unseat you if you relax too much.
We are hoping that in the coming days we can consolidate our position with the boats behind us getting held back by the lighter air as the High pressure catches them. However, this also means that the two red boats in front have extended on us once again.
We still have our sights on them but for now we will have to be patient. Hopefully we will get another opportunity to close them down in the coming days.
Cheers,
Si Fi.
a day ago - Day 9
From Turn the Tide on Plastic:
There is an internal battle going on.
To have the reassurance of a dedicated Company looking out for ice activity where you are sailing and therefore giving responsibility to the race organisers to create a boundary to keep you safe and prevent any uneccessary encounters with ice at high speeds, puts one's mind at rest. Especially when you are responsible for the boat and those within it.
However, right now, I would take that burden on and navigate looking at water temperature and a look out at the right times in the right places for ice over the exclusion zone. This zone is killing us and our progress to Melbourne.
We have a high pressure chasing us down and a barrier we must stay north of. All the pressure is to the south where we are not allowed to go. As a result we risk being swallowed up and arriving much later to Melbourne then those ahead who will squeeze through. Damn it!
Let another gybing duel commence along the boundary!
Otherwise the weather is super cold as is the sea temperature, but the sea itself is so super flat. The sky is clearing and we are on for another beautiful sailing day. Weird, i dont recall seeing the sea so flat down here for so long. Not complaining, although right now I would take speed and waves and water hosing down the deck to arrive quicker.
Dee and Team TTTOP
a day ago - Day 9
Update from Vestas 11th Hour Racing:
It's the coldest night of the race. 9 degrees C air and sea temp. The crew is struggling to stay warm up on deck. Dancing and taking hot drinks, thinking warm thoughts.
Nick is on a LiveX call with a group of school children from Newport. One of whom - also named Charlie - is his nephew.
"We don't know what happens if we cross this boundary zone," he says to the classroom on the other side of the world. "Maybe we'll be transported to another dimension, or maybe purgatory. We're really curious to know."
Charlie and Sifi are preparing a meal just a few feet away. As Charlie walks away with a hot bowl of chicken fajita in hand, we hit a wave, and he pours the entire contents on Sifi.
There's plenty going on.
"We are 2 to 3 hours from gybing off of one exclusion zone boundary to engage yet another exclusion zone boundary," says Charlie from the nav desk. "We should parallel this new obstacle for about 400nm before having to gybe down the last 200nm. Once that's complete we'll have nothing but open ocean between us and Melbourne. Ahhhhh."
I ask if there's else he wants to say.
"I also just spilled chicken fajita all over Simon and I'm very sorry."
a day ago - day 9
Charlie Enright, Vestas 11th Hour Racing:
It's up to us to keep pushing the boat over the next 24 hours in a straight line before we have to make any more choices.The breeze isn't mixing very well and the sea state seems to change quite quickly with the change in sea temperature so constant adjustments are required."
Charlie