Volvo Ocean Race - Leg 5 Day 18

Gateway to the Southern Ocean

After nearly 18 days at sea, the Volvo fleet has almost reached the gateway to the Southern Ocean, the place that dreams, and sometimes nightmares, are made of. The challenge of racing the fastest monohull in the world through this desolate ocean, which laced with massive waves, high winds and freezing temperatures, is the reason why this race has become so famous, and why so many of the world’s top sailors want to take part.

But first, the fleet must pass through the scoring gate set at latitude 36 degrees south, just 206 nautical miles to run for leaders Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA), and the tension is mounting as the first points for this leg are about to be handed out.

The racing is close, as close as it has ever been, with just 62 nautical miles from Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael/BRA) leading the fleet to Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) bringing up the rear. Positions have been juggled as the fleet negotiated a band of cloud and calm as it made the transition into the new, more stable breeze. Spinnakers have been replaced by headsails as the fleet finds itself back on the wind and once more on port tack.

Ericsson 4 finally despatched PUMA (Ken Read/USA) at 0700 GMT today after a day of sailing side-by-side and switching places. Ken Read described the match as ‘”the world’s slowest ever game of chess.” Ericsson 4 is now 330 nm from New Zealand’s East Cape on the North Island and 11 nm ahead of PUMA.

Magnus Olsson/SWE, who has Ericsson 3 in a dead heat with PUMA, is his usual upbeat self. Only 11 miles spits the top three boats and overnight, the racing had been very close.

“It is a fantastic feeling that we are this close to each other and that there are only a couple of hundred miles left to the first scoring gate. It’s going to be tight and very exciting,” Olsson said. He explained that his team has been sailing a little bit lower than their rivals. “I think they are a bit afraid of us since we have small gains the last two days. At least, it feels like that,” he said.

Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking/NED) has had an unpleasant 24-hours, when, around midnight, ship’s time, they found themselves caught under a massive cloud, which refused to release them until daybreak.

“For hours on end we were battling with massively shifting winds and long periods of calms as we struggled to make headway in the right direction. It was as if a massive foot had descended from the heavens and stamped right on us,” said Simon Fisher.

Navigator Tom Addis put his hand up and said, “I chose the wrong option course-wise and we ended up in a world of pain for the next five hours or so.” As the team sat becalmed, Ian Walker managed to steer Green Dragon past and Telefónica Blue lost all the valuable miles they had gained that day on the leader. “It hasn’t been a good day for Telefónica Blue downstairs, but the guys on deck have done a fantastic job of keeping the yacht moving in the breeze that we are in,” Tom said.

The boat is now back in good breeze, making fast miles straight down the track at around 16 knots, but, having lost the Dragons astern, Ian Walker’s men have managed to give them the slip again and are now lie ahead by just two miles. This pair has a runway of just over 250 nm in which to sort out the order before they arrive at the point-scoring gate.

Meanwhile, temperatures are dropping and the sea is becoming increasingly choppy - a sign of things to come.

“At least with the first signs of the deteriorating conditions, we know that the left turn and the east heading isn’t too far away – which means the finish, the families and freedom are just around the corner,” wrote Guy Salter, MCM of leading boat Ericsson 4, hopefully.

The finish may feel like ‘just around the corner’, but, once through the first scoring gate, the fleet still has to contend with two ice gates set in place to protect the fleet from a large ice berg that has been breaking up and drifting north, and the infamous Cape Horn – another place where points can be won or lost. In between lies the Southern Ocean and Green Dragon’s Dutch navigator Wouter Verbraak has just a stark reminder that the Southern Ocean demands respect.

“It is blowing 22 knots and we just made a very costly little mistake. What normally is a rather tricky manoeuvre has now turned bad. The jib bag is inside out and we will have to redo it. The jib is already more than 80 per cent unhooked from the forestay, and it takes one bad wave for the whole sail to be washed into the ocean. It is a clear message that the champagne sailing of the last week is over.

“I have a quick check of my harness and safety line. Clipped on? You bet! It is in jib changes that people are washed over the side. We are always trying to minimise the time in the ‘dead zone’ on the bow, and now we are stuck. Not good.

“We sort the bag out and wrestle the jib, which is now filled with hundreds of litres of water, back onto the stack at the back of the boat. No time to take a breath, as we are straight into the hoist of the new sail.

“The reality check of this evening is a harsh reminder for me of what lies ahead for the next two weeks. It will be all about keeping the boat and the crew together, and I have to think for a moment of our good friend Hans Horrevoets whose tragic loss at sea (from ABN AMRO TWO in the 2005-06 Volvo) is a bleak reminder to us all of how easy things can take a turn for the worse.

“Every time when we are out there, in the dead zone, I am happy to see that everybody is taking safety seriously and clips on. As Guillermo (Guillermo Altadill/ESP) says: ‘Clip on mate. The lifejacket only means that you will be dead floating. Stay on the boat.’ A harsh reality we all have in the back of our mind.”

Leg Five Day 18: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)

Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 7,353 nm
PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +11
Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +11
Green Dragon IRL/CHI (Ian Walker/GBR) +60
Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +62

Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS

Positions are updated every three hours on www.volvooceanrace.org

ERICSSON 4 LEG FIVE DAY 18 QFB: received 03.03.09 1047 GMT

Do the words:

Port tack
Upwind
Cold weather

Ring any bells? They do for us!

The temperature has dropped a fair amount today and one by one the kit bags have been emptying a fair amount as the first layer of thermals is put on.

We started the day within a mile or so of Puma and Ericsson 3 but as the convergence zone came then so did the rain and the clouds and the endless moments of being becalmed as we sat under clouds and lost sight of our competitors as we all focus on the scoring gate to our south.

It was also a tough moment for our Kiwis onboard who would have loved to have stopped off at home for a few days. This maybe a chance for Volvo to call us all in to NZ for a couple of days – I’m sure it would be extremely welcome around the fleet and may limit the amount of men in white coats required when we all eventually arrive in Rio! - Not even half way yet!!!

So the big clouds became less frequent, not sure if these clouds were part of the long white one famous in this region, and we are now getting used to going upwind on port once more. The sea is starting to get choppy and we are starting to slam a little - but most of this is probably us getting used to the motion once more after the calm waters of the last week.

It’s going to be nice to reach the scoring gate as psychologically this is the first hurdle and the others (ice waypoints and Cape Horn) should come frequently after that.

I’m definitely worried about my guess at the Cape Horn arrival time in our onboard sweepstake - think I may have gone a little early - but who knows, as when these boats get going it’s just a matter of head down and hang on as the miles dissipate.

At least with the first signs of the deteriorating conditions we know that the left turn and the east heading isn’t too far away - which means the finish, the families and freedom are just around the corner.

Guy Salter MCM

PUMA LEG FIVE DAY 18 QFB: received 0839 GMT

Spent the whole day sailing side by side and switching places with the Team Ericsson boats, Ken Read commented that it’s like the world’s slowest ever game of chess. In the last 24 hrs the weather has taken a noticeable cooling off, a temporarily pleasant reprieve before things change once again and then it’s probably thermals and foul weather gear for two weeks.

Some very interesting days ahead of Il Mostro in the short term as Ken and Capey (Andrew Cape/AUS – navigator) figure out ways to strategise the route between our present position, the scoring gate and then the ice gates. Looks like the weather will probably not be cooperating... once again!

All good on the vessel.

Rick Deppe MCM

ERICSSON 3 LEG FIVE DAY 18 QFB: received 03.03.09 0102 GMT

Intense morning

“It is not very nice to be woken up to gybe, but when you have went from being 20 miles behind the see the opponents when you come on deck, you feel pretty good anyway”, Martin Strömberg said an hour ago when he came on deck.

After 17 days of racing a couple of thousand miles behind, there is just a couple of hundred metres separation between the top three boats, us, Ericsson 4 and Puma.

It is a fantastic feeling that we are this close to each other and that it is only a couple of hundred miles left to the first scoring-gate. It is going to be tight and very exciting”, Magnus Olsson says and continues explaining how we managed to catch up with the leaders again:

“We have been trying to sail a bit lower than our opponents, who have sailed higher and faster. I think they are a bit afraid of us since we have made small gains the last to days, at least it feels like that.”

It was during the night that the big gains were made and at sunrise Ericsson 4 and Puma passed just in front of us on starboard tack. We kept on going for a while but then gybed on a good shift and made some good gains. Now it is really close.

“This light conditions may continue for a while but I have a feeling that we will pretty soon get headed and that the breeze will fill in. Then it is another game again”, Magnus Olsson finished and headed of for his bunk after an intense morning.

Gustav Morin - MCM

GREEN DRAGON LEG FIVE DAY 18 QFB: received 03.03.09 1256 GMT

"There is a twist in the bag!"

Pitch black, waves crashing over the bow, with five guys we are fighting the angry flapping jib on the bow. It is blowing 22 knots and we just made a very costly little mistake. What normally already is a rather tricky manoeuvre has now turned bad. The jib bag is inside out and we will have to redo it. The jib is already more than 80 per cent unhooked from the forestay, and it takes one bad wave for the whole sail to get washed into the ocean. It is a clear message that the champagne sailing of the last week is over. We have entered the South Pacific.

I have a quick check of my harness and safety line. Clipped on? You bet! It is in jib changes that people get washed over the side. We are always trying to minimise the time in the ‘dead zone’ on the bow, and now we are stuck. Not good.

We sort the bag out and wrestle the jib, which is now filled with hundreds of litres of water, back onto the stack at the back of the boat. No time to take a breath, as we are straight into the hoist of the new one.

"Change, overdrive second, three two, one, on the lock. Sheet in, first, double change, three, two one, ok all good. Nice work lads!" Almost halfway around the world, and these changes are now second nature, even for a navigator!

A few minutes later whilst catching my breath and having a drink, I have a smile on my face. The teamwork on the Green Dragon is great. We just pulled off another good change and recovered from the small mistake well. Every job we do on this boat requires at least two to three people. We are a hundred per cent dependent on each other. Not just for getting the job done, but also with keeping it safe.

The realty check of this evening is a harsh reminder for me of what lies ahead for the next two weeks. It will be all about keeping the boat and the crew together, and I have to think for a moment of our good friend Hans Horrevoets whose tragic loss at sea is a bleak reminder to us all of how easy things can take a turn for the worse.

Every time when we are out there in the dead zone, I am happy to see that everybody is taking safety seriously and clips on. As Guillermo (Guillermo Altadill/ESP) says: "clip on mate, the lifejacket only means that you will be dead floating. Stay on the boat." At the speeds these Volvo 70s are doing it will be impossible to get back in time. A harsh reality we all have in the back of our mind.

Kristine, my love, I know you are worried, but know this: I am sailing with a great team of the best sailors in the world. No heroes here, just fathers, husbands and sons looking out for each other whilst racing their hearts out. Sleep well.

Wouter Verbraak - navigator

TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG FIVE DAY 18: received 03.03.09 0733 GMT

Hi there,

A tough 24 hours for us all on Telefónica Blue - around about midnight last night we found ourselves under a massive cloud and didn't get out from under it until the morning. It really was the mother of all rain squalls.

For hours on end we were battling with massively shifting winds and long periods of calms as we struggled to make headway in the right direction. It was as if a massive foot had descended from the heavens and stamped right on us! Not good at all, the leaders have gained on us and Green Dragon rolled right past. However, we can take some solace in the fact that the rest of the fleet are also starting to slow now as they too have to deal with messy light winds too.

Time is running short to catch up before the first scoring gate though, so we have the bit firmly between our teeth and we are fighting hard to get back at them. Having the Dragons in sight has provided some extra motivation, and it is kind of fun to be in view of another boat after so many miles of empty open ocean.

In our efforts to find more wind today Jordi (Jordi Calafat/ESP) got quite a fright as what looked to be a massive humpback whale appeared just a few metres away from the boat travelling casually in the other direction! It was as if we had accidently strayed into the oncoming traffic! Luckily though, for both the whale and us a near miss was all it was and we both continued on our way unharmed if not a little surprised.

The sun has now set on us once again and it looks as though we are going to have another night of battling with clouds, as I sit here and type I can hear the rain pounding down on the deck and the boat slowing and accelerating as each gust and lull rolls over us... For me though it is into bed for a quick sleep before going up on watch again, hopefully by then we will be back in clear sky and breeze again. Wishful thinking maybe, but it's good to have a dream!!

Cheers,

Simon Fisher - helmsman