7 April 2012
Light headwinds forecast as the fleet approaches Cape Frio
The four Global Ocean Race (GOR) Class40s have been picking their way through windless bubbles due south of Rio de Janeiro with the boats furthest offshore initially finding the best breeze. With light headwinds forecast and working against the southerly-flowing Brazil Current, the passage around Cape Frio could potentially compress the fleet and will provide difficult conditions.
“These past 24 hours have been absolutely glorious!” reports Nick Leggatt from Phesheya-Racing. “Spinnaker up all the way and making good speeds,” he adds as the South African Class40 produced the highest speed in the fleet early on Saturday morning GMT. “At first, the wind was a little shifty, necessitating a couple of short gybes which lost us a few miles, but as the rain squalls moved away the wind settled in from the SW and we started to make really good speeds northwards.”
Averaging over 11 knots for eight hours, Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire reeled-in the team on Sec. Hayai, finally overhauling Nico Budel and Erik van Vuuren as the Dutch duo made a long gybe on starboard hunting for stronger breeze offshore.
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