Volvo Ocean Race Leg 3 Stage 2 Day 3

Teams sweat over details with big gains to come

PUMA and CAMPER were sweating over minimal gains and losses at the head of the fleet on Leg 3 on Tuesday, with no let-up in the furious workrate among the fleet despite sweltering conditions and the prospect of far bigger changes in fortune to come.

A perfectly executed tack north overnight from CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand put around 12 nautical miles of lateral separation between them and leg leaders PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG.

At the 1300 UTC position report on day 3 of the second stage of Leg 3, PUMA held a 2.3 nautical mile advantage but CAMPER were confident they could still cash in on their more northerly position, with the only question being when to make their move.

“We’re only talking small changes, but there’s quite a battle being waged here to hold onto the lead at the moment,” said CAMPER skipper Chris Nicholson.

“It’s just a neck and neck race to the east at the moment. We have some leverage -- it’s just a tricky situation for us when to use it.”

The determination of the teams to squeeze out tiny advantages this early in the 3,051 nautical mile leg is notable given that far greater gains and losses are likely when the fleet gets into the Malacca Strait and beyond.

“They are small gains, because when we think what’s ahead in the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea, there’s going to be enormous gains and losses, but this is where the game’s at at the moment and it’s neck and neck,” Nicholson said.

Apart from PUMA, the main concern for Nicholson will be the sight of Team Telefónica making the biggest gains as they recover from the sail damage they suffered on Sunday.

Telefónica, who lead the overall standings by seven points from CAMPER, were the fastest boat at the 1300 report, still 16.3nm behind the leaders but pushing hard for the most northerly position. Telefónica skipper Iker Martínez said his team were looking for long-term gains rather than a short-term advantage.

“We know that the lost miles to the finish will be important but we’re hoping that it will be better for us when we arrive at the Malacca Strait within the next two days,” he said.

“It was a decision based on looking ahead two days rather than for here today. Now we have a little bit more wind and now we are pointing where we want to go. We’re working hard to catch up the boats in front and reduce the gap so that when we reach the unstable conditions in the Malacca Strait we can get closer.”

To the south, Groupama sailing team were just behind PUMA, followed by Abu Dhabi and Team Sanya.

While the consistent 10-15 knots breeze and warm waters have been ideal to power the six Volvo Open 70s towards the Malacca Strait, life below decks grows more uncomfortable with every day as temperatures rocket.

“On deck it’s shorts, t-shirts and sunshine and we’re sailing along in beautiful conditions but it’s very hot, sweltering heat at the moment,” said Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing bowman Justin Slattery.

“It’s hot and sticky down below. It’s difficult to get rest off watch because of the heat. If you’re off watch you’re in your bunk. If you can’t sleep you’re on the rail or you stay in your bunk – there’s not much of a choice.”

“On deck it’s wet when you do a sail change,” added PUMA bowman Casey Smith. “Of course, as soon as you put your wet weather gear on you sweat horribly, so you’re going to get wet either way, from sweat or from salt water.”

With just 20.5 nautical miles separating PUMA from six-placed Sanya, each of the teams have been pouring their energy into squeezing every last bit of boat speed from their yachts, desperately trying to get the upper hand on their opponents.

“It’s a meticulous job, with slightly open angles and a little bit of speed in the shifts,” Groupama sailing team watch leader Damian Foxall said. “Every 10th of a knot, every shift is important.”

The teams are expected to reach the Malacca Strait, the narrow body of water between Sumatra and Singapore, within the next two days.

“Getting around the corner of Sumatra is one thing but the Malacca Strait is a whole different animal,” PUMA bowman Smith added. “Right now it’s just about staying in the pack and making sure when opportunities come you take them.”

Position Report at 13:07:19 UTC:

www.VolvoOceanRace.com

Blog from the Seas (by Amory Ross, MCM, PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG)

We again find ourselves leading through the early stages of a leg. That makes three for three, and it only helps to reinforce our confidence in the boat, the sails, and the team. Now we just have to make it stick, something we haven’t been able to do so far!

The mood onboard this morning was a well rested one; it sounds like the guys had their first night of good sleep last night, and it’s a sure sign of settling into the offshore groove. I don’t think anyone has overcome the blistering heat though, and Michi still refuses to eat the freeze-dried until it’s at least a few hours “old and cold.” If you knew Michi’s passion for eating, you’d understand the gravity of the situation…

Last night was a busy one as we entered a region of overnight squalls and ominous clouds. CAMPER was a few miles behind and just above our line, and Groupama a few miles back of them. At some point we accepted a cloud-induced header and CAMPER did not, and they tacked away to the north; we have not seen them since. We mulled tacking several times after, mostly while monitoring clouds on the radar, but coolly decided against it. We see more value in sticking to our game plan than covering at this early stage.

Consequently, we are no longer the highest sailing boat as we have been from the start. Camper (and Telefónica further behind them) will likely benefit from more pressure, and we will hopefully benefit from better angles. Time will tell how that split unfolds, but we have Groupama dead astern to keep us busy in the meantime. We expect more of the same today, with a gradual easing up of winds to come.

- Amory

Slight repositioning (from Groupama in the Volvo Ocean Race)

Still sailing upwind with sheets slightly eased as they have been for the past two days, the fleet will continue in this vein for the next two days as it sails on virtually a direct course to Sumatra with little separating the boats. However, some of the crews have opted to lose a bit of ground so as to reposition themselves to windward of the group, with their sights on the tactical opportunity which they hope will arise as the monsoon eases and shifts round to the North-East.

There's not a lot that can be done other than remaining focused at the helm, refining the trim and sometimes switching headsails when the northerly (at times north-easterly) wind fluctuates slightly or picks up. Indeed the breeze isn't a steady one, especially when the fleet came to within 150 miles of the large island of Sri Lanka. A few squalls and wind shifts have come their way though and the New Zealanders were the first to tack away to position themselves to windward of the fleet. They were followed a few hours later by the Chinese boat, Sanya being the furthest South of the group. As for Telefonica, delayed after a problem with her Code 0 but back in contact with the leaders, she sat it out for another six hours before she too repositioned herself directly behind Camper. For now the results of this little shake-up are mixed as the Spanish have lost ten miles in the operation and their repositioning doesn't appear to have been timely, over the coming hours least, since the monsoon is further to the North. As a result of this, everyone is now on a direct course towards the North-West tip of Sumatra and, according to the weather forecasts, the wind isn't set to ease till Wednesday evening, once it clocks round to the North-East.

Same heading, same speed

"We're sailing upwind with sheets slightly eased making good speed, though the wind is fluctuating somewhat. You have to make the most of every little wind shift and we have a good pacesetter in Puma, which is just ahead of us. The differences in speed are minimal and everyone's sailing under full mainsail and genoa, making around a dozen knots of boat speed. There's hasn't really been a transition phase, other than yesterday's squall, where Camper made the most of it to position herself ten miles to windward of us. There are no changes of tack scheduled within the next day and a half, once we close on the Straits of Malacca. For now, we're enjoying a very pleasant sail on virtually flat seas with a pretty stable wind. However, you have to remain concentrated and we're being very careful during watch changes to ensure that the whole crew is very much on the pace. As a result it's not monotonous since we have the references around us for going fast and we immediately know if we're making the right speed: it's very interesting when it comes to refining our trim...", indicated Damian Foxall during the noon video link-up this Tuesday.

Ten miles further North than the American leader, this Tuesday afternoon Camper was sailing at the same speed as the rest of the group and so she hadn't made any losses or gains in relation to Puma, Groupama 4 and Abu Dhabi, who opted against repositioning themselves. As such the hierarchy isn't likely to change over the coming twenty-four hours as the Bay of Bengal is due to be pretty calm and stable until the weekend. The situation in the race will become clearer as the fleet approaches Pulau We, once the effects of coast begin to be felt with a light phase being followed by more breeze of around fifteen knots and an Easterly rotation. The fleet will be on a beat at that point and, theoretically, it'll be preferable to be to leeward of the others once the wind shifts round. In the meantime, the position of the New Zealanders is an attractive one for hoisting a larger headsail once the breeze eases and so it's likely that Camper will gradually be able to slip along the route opened up by Puma and Groupama 4... Indeed, to stand a chance of opening up a lead, albeit a small one, the only things which can make a difference are the sail and course choices.

"We'll have to be in on the action when we begin to tackle the Straits of Malacca: it could involve a bunching of the fleet, like the kind you get in the Doldrums, or you might be able to make a getaway thanks to some thermal breezes. The monsoon will subside on the mountains of Sumatra which begs the question, will it be better to hug the coast to benefit from the thermal effects or instead, distance ourselves from land to avoid any light spells? There will be some of these for a good two days, before we can escape this tunnel: it won't be easy, even though we have a good boat for such conditions. It will be interesting to see if Telefonica's torn sail will penalise her there... It's only on exiting Singapore that some more radical tactical options can be taken in the upwind sprint to China..." concluded the watch leader on Groupama 4.

This long preliminary port tack is simply a starter then, prior to a more meaty tactical phase where positioning will be key in the beat towards the Straits of Malacca. If everything pans out as it should, the whole fleet will be grouped within twenty miles of one another, and it's the positioning around Sumatra which may create some big separation. Right now though, Puma and Groupama 4 will be seeking to reduce the lateral separation gained by Camper so as to reduce the amount of risk taking in 24 hours' time...