Volvo Ocean Race: On a Slow boat to China
by Richard Gladwell & Peter Rusch 9 Jan 2018 18:39 AEDT
9 January 2018
Leg 4, Melbourne to Hong Kong, day 08, the complex maze and veins of wind, a typical Doldrums scene, above Vestas 11th Hour with AkzoNobel and Dongfeng visible in the distance © Amory Ross / Volvo Ocean Race
As of 0700UTC on January 9 the Volvo Ocean Race fleet is parked up - with 400nm to sail to reach the NE tradewinds and catch the elevator for the finish of Leg 4 in Hong Kong.
As often happens in these situations the last shall be first and the first shall be last.
Turn the Tide on Plastic, so often at the rear of the fleet has been the race leader for several skeds.
The gender-balanced crew is making around 1.5kts - with the only slower boat being former leg leader Dongfeng Race Team, who are making less than 1kt on the water.
Overnight skipper Charles Caudrelier reflected on how they lost an 11-mile lead in just over an hour of sailing. Their woes have continued as they slide down the fleet and are now fifth on a distance to finish basis.
The wild card in the Volvo OR pack is SHK Scallywag, who are well off the lead - just over 30nm - but travelling at three times the speed of the front runners - a teeth-chattering 4.5kts!
With several larger than life personalities aboard the Hong Kong-flagged entry, SHK Scallywag, there is probably no lack of experts at the nav station.
Navigator the diminutive Libby Greenhalgh has her boat crossing the back of the fleet almost at right angles, clearly with the objective of sailing around the becalmed ones that are within 10nm of each other at the head of the fleet.
Weather routing is almost useless in these conditions as the weather data does not see the movement of thunderhead clouds and their micro-wind systems. However, as we have seen in previous races, snagging one of these systems at the right time can often be a leg winner.
Volvo Ocean Race's Peter Rusch takes up the story:
The first time the Volvo Ocean Race fleet saw the doldrums, on Leg 2 from Lisbon to Cape Town, it was an easy passage. The wind rarely, if ever, died completely, and the crossing was quick and painless.
That is not the case this time.
Average speeds are down. Progress is slow. And tension is rising.
The top six boats are within less than 10 miles on distance to finish and less than 20 miles apart on the water. It's close and it's tense.
Dee Caffari, currently leading on Turn the Tide on Plastic by virtue of their western positioning explains the thinking going through the minds of all the skippers and navigators:
"If we can stay with the fleet now and get through the light patch with them to the new wind that fills in and be lucky in the cloud activity in any doldrums, then we are in with a shot in the drag race to the finish where the rich will get richer."
She's talking about the Northeasterly trade winds, still several hundred miles to the north. The first boat to pick up this steady wind will accelerate away from the others.
These trades are expected to carry the fleet nearly all the way to the finish, so nosing into them first is critical for success on Leg 4.