Tagesvideo
11.11.2011
ABU DHABI SACRIFICE LEG 1 POINTS FOR LONG-TERM GAIN
Leg 1 Report: 11/11/2011 13:01:45 UTC
DTL DTLC BS DTF
1 GPMA 0.00 0.0 13.5 5215.2
2 TELE 237.20 4.0 13 5452.3
3 PUMA 245.60 5.0 13.4 5460.8
4 CMPR 334.90 6.0 9.8 5550.0
- ADOR Retired from Leg 1
- SNYA Retired from Leg 1
Ian Walker stifled his competitive instincts and retired his Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team from Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Friday, while ahead of him a fleet now reduced to four boats prepared for crunch time in the Atlantic.
The decision to pull out of the leg was a wrench for the British skipper, who will now forfeit the 10 points he would have scored for finishing fifth – Team Sanya had already pulled out from the six-boat starting fleet – but can look forward to getting the boat in optimum condition for Leg 2.
Instead of pursuing the boats ahead of him, Walker will now take his racing yacht Azzam, which was dismasted on Saturday and returned to the water on Wednesday, to Lisbon. It will be loaded on to a ship on Monday and taken to Cape Town, where rigging modifications can be carried out in time for Leg 2.
"It's been an agonising period but on balance today we made the call that we needed enough time in Cape Town to make some modifications to our rigging," Walker said from the boat.
"We have been checking [the weather] almost hourly and right now I am more confident than ever that we have made the right decision."
The points for the first leg will be decided among Groupama sailing team, whose decision to take the road less travelled near the coast of Africa looks increasingly smart, and their three rivals out in the west – Team Telefónica, PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG, and CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, who briefly flirted with the coast before siding with the majority.
Groupama appear to be sitting pretty with a lead of 237 nautical miles over Telefónica as of the 1300 UTC position report, but they are aware that their lead could yet disappear if they do not manage to avoid a long spell in the windless area at the eastern end of the Doldrums – a so-called triangle of doom for any boat that gets trapped there.
The top three teams were travelling at roughly similar speeds around 14 knots at 1300 on Friday but those in the west were just waiting for a high pressure ridge that will let them turn south at speeds of 20-25 knots and start clawing back the miles.
"I think it's going to end up being a closer run thing," said CAMPER's navigator Will Oxley. "This afternoon it looks like the trades will collapse for Groupama and conversely we will have plenty of wind, but 200 miles ahead of us is a long way.
"It's on the tipping point at the moment I guess."
Looking forward to the much stronger wind now expected, the team's MCM was more graphic. "It will be like turning off a slow country road and onto an empty motorway – with no police to slow us down," said Hamish Hooper.
That could not come soon enough for PUMA, whose MCM Amory Ross described the growing tension on board: "Some day soon (hopefully before we reach Antigua) we'll be able to aim this darn boat towards Brazil and eat up some miles. Of course nobody likes waiting, so anxiety builds. But we're all feeling a little more rested after a good night's sleep, and that helps."
While the four boats still at sea are playing a waiting game, Abu Dhabi will now be racing against time yet again. After crossing the start line twice, this time it is all about reaching Lisbon in time to get everything loaded.
"Once we arrive in Lisbon we have 36 hours for the sailing team to take the mast out, load everything up and put the boat on a cradle," said Walker. "Then we have to load it on to the deck of a cargo ship which will leave on Monday afternoon.
"It's pretty tight but it's an achievable timeframe which gets us to Cape Town before the end of the month."&xnbsp;
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November 11, 2011 - 1900 UTC Leg One Day 7
CAMPER scorches as game begins
Leg 1 Report: 11/11/2011 19:00:49 UTC
&xnbsp; DTL DTLC BS DTF
1 GPMA 0.00 0.0 12.4 5155.0 2 PUMA 212.60 18.0 19.6 5367.6 3 TELE 215.20 2.0 14.3 5370.2 4 CMPR 279.10 28.0 23 5434.1 - ADOR Retired from Leg 1 - SNYA Retired from Leg 1
At 1900 UTC it was all about CAMPER with Australian Chris Nicholson in charge as he takes on the two boats ahead of him, cruising nicely at 23 knots plus in a strong north-westerly breeze.
Nicholson has elected to take inside track 41 nautical miles (nm) to leeward of her two opponents in the west. PUMA’s Mar Mostro has upped her performance and taken 18 nm out of the leader, relegating Telefónica (Iker Martinez/ESP) to third place, three miles astern.
Tonight, CAMPER gained 28 nm in the period 1600 – 1900 and snatched back another 28 nm in the three hours leading up to the 2200 UTC report.
But it’s not looking quite so sweet for Franck Cammas and his team on Groupama 4 as they continue creeping along the shore towards the Cape Verde Islands at around 12 knots, sailing dead downwind. However, they are still 212 nm ahead of the chasing pack, 28 nm off the southernmost tip of Western Sahara and 486 nm from the Cape Verde Islands, which they will leave to port. Beyond the Cape Verdes is a vast windless zone, which they will need to avoid at all costs.
For the first time in this 6,500 nautical mile to Cape Town, we are starting to see some improved 24-hour runs after days of light airs and very little progress. Groupama 4 has achieved the highest 24-hour run of 272 nm, followed by PUMA’s Mar Mostro (268), Telefónica (246) and CAMPER (246).
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