07 November 2011 - 23:27 Decision Time: Is West Best? Volvo Ocean Race 2011 - 2012
SAILING. VOR2012, Leg 1, Day 3 – At last, after a difficult couple of days, the fleet racing in leg one of the Volvo Ocean Race has flooded through the Straits of Gibraltar and has been set free into the Atlantic, led by Chris Nicholson’s CAMPER at 2100 GMT last night.
07/11/2011. Daryl Wislang & Stuart Bannatyne doing all they can to maximise the small amount of wind there is for CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand on leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race to Cape Town. (Photo by Hamish Hooper/CAMPER/Volvo Ocean Race)
At 1000 GMT today, CAMPER has clung onto her slim lead from Telefónica/ Iker Martínez (ESP), PUMA’s Mar Mostro (Ken Read/USA) and Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA).
As the fleet made its escape from the fearsome Mediterranean, conditions became far more manageable, with the breeze dropping to a pleasant 10 knots maximum. CAMPER’s navigator Will Oxley described the change in conditions as going “from the sublime to the ridiculous – 38 knots to five knots.”
“The next challenge for the fleet is the big area or light winds ahead and how best to negotiate through these to hook into the favourable trade winds and remain in the lead,” he added.
Now that conditions have eased, the crews will be able to get some rest and clear up the inevitable mess down below. Ken Read’s team on board PUMA’s Mar Mostro says below decks on the black boat is something of an obstacle course of food bags, personal kit, sails and people. Finding anything has been nearly impossible.
Today will be all about tactics and could be the day that we might expect to see one of the fleet make its break to the west, where better winds are forecast in the next 24 hours. Will the first boat to make this move take the rest of the fleet with it? Perhaps this question will be answered in the next 12 hours. Meanwhile, the fleet continues to broad reach 70 nautical miles off coast at around 12 knots.
Abu Dhabi Eye Unexpected Chance To Catch Up On Fleet
VOR2012, Leg 1, Day 3 – Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing were working to get their stricken boat back in the water and take advantage of an unexpected opportunity to make up ground on the four teams still racing in Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Monday.
07/11/2011. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing prepare their new mast and rigging in Alicante. (Photo Credit Must Read: PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race)
While Team Sanya were forced to look ahead to Cape Town because of the extent of the damage to the boat´s hull, there was still plenty at stake for Abu Dhabi, who were hoping to be back in the race within the next couple of days after their mast broke -- an experience described by young Emirati crewmember Adil Khalid as the scariest in his life.
07/11/2011. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing prepare their new mast and rigging in Alicante. (Photo Credit Must Read: PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race)
CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand led the four-boat fleet out of the Mediterranean, through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Atlantic, followed by Team Telefónica, Groupama sailing team and PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG.
After being slammed around for that first 24 hours by winds up to 80 kph, they were hit by the opposite problem and the four boats were forced to go looking for wind to the west – a search that was proving tricky at 1300 UTC on Monday.
"The next few days will be a big mess," Groupama navigator Jean-Luc Nélias said by Inmarsat satellite phone from the boat. "The winds are sure to be light, there are no trade winds and it will be very painful to reach the Doldrums.
Ken Read, skipper on PUMA's Mar Mostro, echoed that feeling: "There are no real trade winds out here so we are going to most likely look elsewhere for wind in order to get south."
Telefónica skipper Iker Martínez tried to look on the bright side.
"There's very little breeze and we are trying to fill the sails but with only momentary success," he said. "The good thing is that we have all been able to sleep a bit and to eat well. We are starting to work up a routine according to the watches and to eat at night. All good down here and everyone's in a good mood."
After looking like the best they could hope for from Leg 1 would be five points for sixth place, Abu Dhabi are now gunning for 10 points for fifth, given that Sanya's best hope is to ship their damaged boat to Cape Town in time for Leg 2.
If they are fortunate with the weather in the Mediterranean and pick up stronger winds in the Atlantic, they may even get closer to their rivals than they thought possible when they headed back towards Alicante on Saturday.
On Monday, they were working to get the replacement mast fitted a race against time.
"I don't think anyone is expecting us to launch out of here and take three or four days off the other guys," said Ian Walker, skipper of Abu Dhabi's Azzam. "But having said that the weather is a funny thing and we have seen it before in other races where people stop or start late and actually benefit from the weather.
"Right now the weather is not looking particularly kind for us so we will just do what we always do and get there as quick as we can."
While Abu Dhabi were preparing to return to the race, Sanya had their eyes turned towards Cape Town and getting a quick repair done before the second in-port race on December 10 and the start of Leg 2 a day later.
"As it stands right now we are 100 per cent focused on getting to Cape Town," skipper Mike Sanderson said.
The mood in the Abu Dhabi camp was very different from Saturday, when the breakage took place.
"It was the scariest day of my life for sure," said Khalid, who was chosen from more than 120 hopefuls to be the first ever Emirati to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race.
"Being out at sea, in the dead of night, and having that happen... We were well drilled for the situation and behaved so calmly and professionally. However, your heart is beating really fast and you thank god everyone is safe."
China's Team Sanya Retire From First Leg Of Volvo Ocean Race
VOR2012, Leg 1, Day 3 – Team Sanya, the Volvo Ocean Race’s first-ever Chinese entry, have announced their official retirement from Leg 1, after sustaining serious damage to the bow of their boat, soon after leaving Alicante, Spain for Cape Town, South Africa.
Mike Sanderson, CEO and skipper of Team Sanya, today elaborated on the events at sea on Sunday November 6 and reiterated the team’s intention to get back in the race as quickly as possible.
“We were very happy with our progress, managing the big breeze and waves very nicely. We were not pushing 100 per cent and had decided to throttle back a knot or so given the conditions; we felt we were in a comfortable zone.
“We suddenly felt a very odd lurch, like dragging the keel through soft mud. We could hear the noise of water coming into the bow. The watertight doors were already shut thankfully.
“We got everyone up and into lifejackets. For sure if the watertight doors had not been shut, we would have been sunk. We got the pumps going but they were not really making much difference. After a time, our situation stabilized and we suspended racing and headed to the nearest port.”
Sanderson says Team Sanya now face a major logistical challenge to get their boat to Cape Town and effect repairs before the in-port racing and the start of Leg 2 to Abu Dhabi.
“We need to take the time to do some serious thinking and planning, assessing the logistical options and making the right choices that get us back in the race as soon as possible. We need to repair the hull perfectly; a rush job is not an option.
“The repair is no small task. We have to chop out a large section of the boat and replace it – normally a two to three week job, we will have to shoehorn it into seven days. But this is the Volvo Ocean Race and we will do what we have to do to make it happen.”
“Our worst-case scenario is that we ship to Cape Town but are not able to fix it in time, meaning we are late starting from Cape Town and consequently miss the ship from our stop point during the second leg.”
In an unrelated incident, bowman Andy Meiklejohn sustained an injury during a sail change in the extremely rough conditions on the first night. Once ashore an assessment at the local hospital confirmed Meiklejohn had broken his foot.
Commenting on Meiklejohn’s injury, Sanderson said:
“Andy is now in the process of receiving medical advice and will be treated as soon as possible. He is an extremely pivotal team member and will be sorely missed while he is off. We will assess his recovery time and look at our options for a replacement should we need one.”
Sanderson summed up the disappointment that he and the entire Sanya team were feeling after the retirement and reiterated their commitment to return to racing as soon as possible.
“From a personal point of view I have never before retired from a Whitbread or Volvo leg and so it’s a pretty sad moment. We were very comfortable with how we were sailing and so it’s extremely disappointing for the guys.”
“As a team, we can still absolutely achieve everything we have set out to do – win some podium positions and take a few scalps from the other teams – and we fully intend to do that still.
“We have a great bunch of guys here and I have absolute confidence that we will get back on the race track as soon as we possibly can. For now it’s a full frenzy of activity to get our Sanya Lan race boat on a ship this Friday and turn a boat building job of two to three weeks into seven days!”
Team Sanya will release their shipping route and departure and arrival dates as soon as that information is confirmed.
VOR2012, Leg 1, Day 3 – Tonight at 2200 GMT, the Volvo Ocean Race fleet is heading west, wriggling down the coast of Africa seeking the much-desired, but as yet non-existent trade winds. Although the light airs are only topping out at around 10 knots, the teams are still able to benefit as they observe closely the performance of their immediate opposition.
07/11/2011. Quiet sunrise onboard PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG's "Mar Mostro" during leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa. (Credit: Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race)
For much of today, the fleet has been on opposite tacks, although heading in the same general direction. Telefónica with Spanish skipper Iker Martinez and PUMA’s Mar Mostro with Ken Read/USA in charge have opted for a more offshore track, anticipating the wind filling in from the north, while new leader tonight, Franck Cammas/FRA (Groupama 4) and Chris Nicholson/AUS (CAMPER) have chosen to keep closer to the African coast.
Progress is painfully slow, although in the last three hours Groupama 4 has averaged the best speed of 6.7 knots; while the rest of the fleet has only managed three and a half to four knots.
The crew Mar Mostro, who are busy drying out their gear, resting and eating – the first time since the start of the race from Alicante on Saturday, appreciates the bonus of little or no wind at least for the moment. Boots have been swapped for sailing shoes, but this may only be a temporary solution as forecasts indicate that the breeze will increase tonight and then two additional cold fronts could bring breeze of 20-30 knots and yet more upwind boat-beating conditions.
Changes to the leader board this evening have seen Groupama 4 take the lead for the first time with Telefónica moving into second position. But the fleet remains tight and is only split by a fraction over nine nautical miles from first place to fourth and each team is waiting anxiously to see what the weather Gods will dish out in the next 12 hours.
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