SAILING. VOR2012, Leg One Day 9 – It’s been eight days since the fleet left Alicante racing in the first stage of the Volvo Ocean Race to Cape Town. Eight days that the black cat, PUMA’s Mar Mostro (Ken Read/USA) has been crouching, waiting to pounce and at 2200 UTC last night she bounded past Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA) and snatched the lead.

Kelvin Harrap driving PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG's "Mar Mostro" in fast conditions. during leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo Credit: Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race)

At 1000 UTC this morning, PUMA’s Mar Mostro held a lead of 18.10 nautical miles (nm) over Telefónica (Iker Martinez/ESP), with CAMPER (Chris Nicholson/AUS) in third position, but 133.5 nm behind. Groupama 4 slipped a further 21 nm this morning and is 145.8 nm in arrears. Speeds are averaging 16 – 17 knots for the boats in the west, and a miserly 9.1 for Groupama 4.

However, being in the lead brings its own dangers and PUMA’s Mar Mostro will be the first to hit the brick wall that is the Doldrums. A new Azores high-pressure system is moving behind the fleet and when this is in position, the trade winds will re-establish. As the boats furthest south sail into less wind, the chasing pack will continue their dive south until they compress in the ensuing parking lot.

Their gybe yesterday has set up the more westerly boats, PUMA’s Mar Mostro, and CAMPER for their approach to the Doldrums. CAMPER’s navigator, Will Oxley says, “We should now be able to point the bow towards Fernando de Noronha (an island off the coast of Brazil that the fleet must leave to port), whereas normally, at this stage, we would be worrying about how to get west and avoid the wind shadows of the Cape Verde Islands.” He says that barring the notorious wind clouds and squalls, which are commonplace in the Doldrums, the team will not have to gybe for another 1700 nm until they reach the island.

Groupama 4, however is going to struggle. According to Oxley, the French team is in a difficult position. The low-pressure system to the north has completely disrupted the trade winds and the Cape Verde Islands lie in path of Groupama 4. He thinks the team will attempt to cross the Doldrums much further to the east than the rest of the fleet, which is always a high-risk option. “As always,” he says, “high risk options can pay big dividends, but also see big losses.”

Onboard Groupama 4, skipper Franck Cammas was taking a pragmatic view of their situation.

“The outcome won’t be very positive, that’s for sure. That’s the risk of our option. We knew it would be favourable in the short term. It was uncertain on the long term and it didn’t come out very good for us.

"We will fight to avoid losing too much compared with them. We certainly can lose 100 to 200 miles but it's still in a few days and many things can happen in the Doldrums. A few knots more and an interesting angle can help us. And in a few days we will get the same wind as our competitors."

Volvo Ocean Race 2011 - 2012
www.volvooceanrace.com
November 13, 2011 - 1000 UTC

Puma In Control As Fleet Approaches Doldrums

After continuing their charge south in good winds and at high speeds, Ken Read’s crew on PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG have taken the lead in the 6,500 nautical mile first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 to Cape Town, South Africa.

Averaging around 22 -knots in the fresh conditions, the American team blew past long-time leader, Franck Cammas’ Groupama sailing team last night and at the 0400 UTC position report this morning they held an almost 16 nautical mile advantage over Iker Martínez on Team Telefónica, who had also slid past Groupama in the night.

Groupama held on to third place for a while, but with the French crew drifting along at less than five-knots for long periods, it was inevitable that they were soon overtaken by Chris Nicholson’s CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand who had been averaging over 15 -knots.

Once in first place, PUMA rammed home the advantage, extending their lead over CAMPER and Groupama at every position update, with only Telefónica able to hang on to their coat tails.

On board PUMA the mood was understandably upbeat, but as Media Crew Member Amory Ross explained, there was also a degree of caution about leading the fleet into the capricious Doldrums -- a traditionally windless zone which has the potential to turn the standings upside down.

“We are absolutely trucking south. Each new sched brings good progress on Groupama far to the east and we’ve been ever so slowly edging out on Telefónica and CAMPER to our north.

“It’s a dangerous game being the lead dog as we’re the ones to encounter new weather first. Unfortunately in this case that new weather is what we all call the Doldrums and it’s a land of fickle wind.

“So while we’re happy going fast and leading the charge to Cape Town, everyone’s aware that in a few days time this ride comes to an end. It’s still anyone’s guess as to what happens then!”

Despite dropping from first to fourth so quickly, Groupama 4 skipper, Franck Cammas took a pragmatic view of the situation and, with almost 5,000 miles to run, was far from ready to concede the leg.

“The outcome won’t be very positive, that’s for sure. That’s the risk of our option. We knew it would be favourable in the short term. It was uncertain on the long term and it didn’t come out very good for us.

"We will fight to avoid losing too much compared with them. We certainly can lose 100 to 200 miles but it's still in a few days and many things can happen in the Doldrums.

“A few knots more and an interesting angle can help us. And in a few days we will get the same wind as our competitors."

After more than a week of hard work and close quarters living for all four crews, conditions on board the boats are becoming unpleasant in the warmer temperatures as the boats approach the Equator.

“Inside the boat it’s starting to get hot and you can tell,” Team Telefónica Media Crew Member Diego Fructuoso wrote in his report from the boat.

“We’re sweating more and smelling worse (if that’s possible). I don’t know what it’s going to be like when we’re at the equator!

“When someone comes off watch and takes off their boots you cannot imagine the smell that comes off. I notice it more too because I spend more time inside the boat.”

On CAMPER, tactician Will Oxley was eying an upcoming opportunity to close the gap on the fleet as the windless Doldrums zone approached on the way to the turning mark at Fernando de Noronha.

“As we sail south, a new Azores high pressure system (when this is in position the trade winds reestablish) is moving in behind us. This means its likely that there will be some compression of the fleet as we move south as the boats further south will have less wind.

“History tells us that west is best for a passage of the doldrums however once through the doldrums a boat in the west has to sail finer, tighter angles to Fernando and the boats slightly to their east are able to put the bow down and go faster.

“PUMA and Telefónica both have a very healthy lead over us at present.
Our sole aim is to reduce that deficit as much as possible by Fernando to give us a chance of overtaking them in the south Atlantic.”

“There is still a long way to go in this leg.”

At 1300 UTC and with more than 1,000 nautical miles to sail until the turning mark at Fernando de Noronha, PUMA held a 16 nautical mile advantage over second placed Telefónica.

CAMPER were third, a further 120 nautical miles behind, with Groupama trailing in fourth another 27 nautical miles adrift.

Volvo Ocean Race 2011 - 2012
www.volvooceanrace.com
November 13, 2011 - 1600 UTC