Fotogalerie
February 1, 2012 - 2200 UTC Leg 3 Stage 2 Day 11
TELEFÓNICA LEADS IN RACE AGAINST WEATHER
Leg 3 Report: 01/02/2012 22:01:38 UTC
&xnbsp; DTL DTLC BS DTF
1 TELE 0.00 0 12.8 553.5 2 GPMA 9.60 0 12.8 563.1 3 CMPR 42.40 1 12 595.8 4 ADOR 82.90 3 11.8 636.4 5 PUMA 121.70 0 13.3 675.2 6 SNYA 266.90 3 12.3 820.4
Tonight at 2200 UTC, Iker Martínez/ESP and Team Telefónica were 43 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam, having made small gains on the fleet throughout the day in worsening conditions.
The weather has continued to close in on the four boats, which are racing towards the shore. Groupama sailing team (Franck Cammas/FRA) are now just over nine nm behind, while in third and 42 nm further back, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand (Chris Nicholson/AUS) has successfully fought of advances from Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR) who is now 82 nm off the lead.
Wind speeds continue to hover around 22 knots, with occasional gusts reaching just short of 30. The boats are slamming and the sailing is wet, unpleasant and extremely exhausting.
Although it is windy, it is the sea state rather than the wind strength that usually gives rise for concern among racing crews. Off the coast, there is an adverse current, and the leading pack of four will try to sail on a ledge of between 10 – 50 metres in depth to try to avoid the worst of it. There is very little information available on conditions in this region and the sea state here in the shallower waters is likely to be something of an unknown quantity.
In a make or break move, Read and his men on board PUMA’s Mar Mostro are now 127 nm to the east of fourth placed Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. By staying east, they are hoping to avoid the worst of the weather, as well as the numerous tacks the opposition faces in the race up the coast of Vietnam towards the finish. Instead, Read plans to sail wide and fast and approach the finish in Sanya on a better angle with cracked sheets and a favourable current. While the leading four engage in a tack-fest for the next 130 nautical miles or so, it will not be clear until the final hours of the race to Sanya whether PUMA’s tactic was a winning or losing move.
Although 75 nm to the east of the track taken by Telefónica earlier, it is not yet clear which option Mike Sanderson/NZL and sixth-placed Team Sanya will take. Sanya is the team’s homeport and a big welcome will be waiting for them on arrival. While they will push as hard as they can, they are now 266 nm behind and with 820 nm still to sail, they will not want to take any unnecessary chances at this stage.
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February 1, 2012 - 1000 UTC Leg 3 Stage 2 Day 11
PUMA’S RISKY MOVE SPLITS VOLVO FLEET
Leg 3 Report: 01/02/2012 10:04:04 UTC
&xnbsp; DTL DTLC BS DTF
1 TELE 0.00 0 12.1 700.5 2 GPMA 6.90 0 11.8 707.4 3 CMPR 39.50 2 11.3 740.0 4 ADOR 75.90 4 12.3 776.4 5 PUMA 114.10 16 11.8 814.6 6 SNYA 258.60 8 10.1 959.1
Last night, as Iker Martínez/ESP and Telefónica continued in the lead, Ken Read took PUMA's Mar Mostro across to the easterly side of the racetrack in a move that has split the team from the rest of the fleet.With gales forecast in the path of Telefónica and Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA) in second, six nautical miles (nm) astern, Read has opted to take the lonely eastern course, which could have significant benefits, but involves a high level of risk.
According to PUMA’s MCM Amory Ross, the decision to sail east was based on the weather information. Although it will involve sailing more miles to reach Sanya, the tidal current and wind conditions are better and far fewer tacks will be required.The westerly option, chosen by the rest of the fleet, will take them upwind along the coast of Vietnam, requiring countless tacks around the headlands and Capes, moves that will be energy sapping for the crew. Although the shorter option in terms of miles sailed, the fleet will today need to cross a ridge of gale force conditions in a difficult sea state, running the risk to damage to both boats and crew, in order to reach the calmer conditions found nearer the coast.Team Telefónica are confident in their boat and her performance in these conditions. Their focus is on preventing Groupama 4 from winning this leg, a situation which would bring the French right into contention for the overall lead.On board Groupama, extra equipment, wet weather gear and personal safety items are being readied as the crew prepares physically and mentally for the three coming days and as much food as possible is being consumed to stave off fatigue. “At a time when we are the most sleep-deprived and mentally and physically exhausted, we now need to work as a team to push ourselves as hard as we can,” says Groupama 4’s bowman Brad Marsh.The boat is beginning to slam as the wind picks up to 16 knots and the sea is building. According to Marsh, going up wind in a Volvo Open 70 is like riding a carbon road bike up an off road mountain climb.
“It is possible of course, but it is not comfortably and it just doesn’t feel right," he said. "There is no suspension to dampen the ride, there is no comfortable sea for the landings and the gear ration for power supply is totally wrong."Meanwhile, 39 nm from the leader, CAMPER (Chris Nicholson/AUS) has moved up to third place. Co-skipper Stu Bannatyne said today, “There are certainly some opportunities for some gains and losses to be made, particularly with PUMA at the moment taking a slightly different offshore route.“For the rest of the boats heading towards the coast, it will come down to finer details – how we manage smaller wind shifts and dealing with local obstacles like the fishing nets,” he said.
Ian Walker described fourth-placed Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s last 12 hours as ‘torrid’. The team trail the leader by 75 nm and the gale force conditions ahead will be the first real test for Walker’s new mast.“I would be lying if I said I was not worried about our mast and rigging, but all the signs are that things should be OK,” he said today. The big test will be when the crew hoists their heavy weather jib and puts two reefs in the index for the first time since the new rig was stepped back in Cape Town.The crew of Sanya (Mike Sanderson/NZL), 258 nm behind and in sixth place, have yet to decide whether to tack up the Vietnamese coast or bang the corner and head for their homeport in Sanya in a single tack. It will be at least three days before we can see how the tactics play out and whether PUMA’s gamble is a winning one. |
