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Records or drama – possibly both

Records or drama – possibly both

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Nu blir det åka av igen för Volvo Ocean Race-gängen. Fram tills nu har det varit hanterbart, och det är orimligt tätt i toppen. Men från idag blir det dragrace österut till Kapstaden med ett rejält lågtryck. Om ni minns hur det såg ut direkt efter start (bilden), så kan ni tänka er hur det blir de närmaste dagarna. Foto: Rick Tomlinson/Volvo Ocean Race.

Ian Walker @ Green Dragon:

The 24 hour record could fall to whoever can keep their boats in one piece and still push hard. In the last 3 hour sched we managed 68 miles and that included a spinnaker peel and putting a reef in. For the last hour we have averaged over 25 knots which would equate to a 600 mile day. Clearly doing this for 24 hours is another thing altogether and we are on the edge…

As I type this we bury the bow hard and I lurch forward in the nav seat – the laughter and joking seems to have quietened down on deck except for Neal (McDonald) who is driving and shouts out ‘get in there!’. I think it may be time to open negotiations with Neal about taking the spinnaker down. Watch this space over the next 3 days I guarantee records or drama – possibly both.

Enda analysen man behöver är Mark Chisnells “Ten Zulu Report”. Det var mycket snack första veckan men hans analyser är nu mitt i prick (och lite härligt nerdiga). Nick White (känd navigatör och utvecklare av Expedition) har ockås en bra analys likson The Daily Sail.

PS. I Sailonline.org (med strax över 1.000 båtar nu) har jag ju haft ledningen sedan doldrums. Nu har jag dock hamnat lite för långt söderut (framför lågtrycket i stället för strax norr om), och ett 50 tal båtar har kommit ikapp. Fullt dragrace i 20-30 knop. ETA Kapstaden är lite drygt 5 dagar (1.982 distans) och hela skiten lär avgöras i de svagare vindarna strax innan mål.

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4 Comments

  1. SK95SWE8
    Oct 28, 2008 @ 23:06

    Härligt och se hur bra det går för ERT3. Seglat up sig två placeringar.
    Heja Nordic

    Reply

  2. Pontus
    Oct 29, 2008 @ 03:56

    Ser ut att kunna bli tajt mellan Green Dragon och Ericsson3 om 3:e platsen. Telefonica båtarna verkar inte hänga när vinden ökar.

    Reply

  3. Ola
    Oct 29, 2008 @ 10:39

    …Ericsson 4 har piskat ABM Amros 24h rekord nu…..585 dm på ett dygn och ökar fortfarande löpande 24 timmar..

    Fy f-n…..håll i Er grabbs, nu åker vi!

    Reply

  4. Peter Gustafsson
    Oct 29, 2008 @ 12:49

    Subject to ratification, Torben Grael and his men on Ericsson 4 have shattered the 24-hour record set in the last race by ABN AMRO TWO.

    At 03:55 GMT, Ericsson 4 had sailed 565 miles over the past day, to break the record. But in the hours since, Grael and his crew have kept pushing and have been adding to the total. At 07:10 GMT, the number was up to 585 miles. It had grown to 589 by 07:55.

    At present, no other boats in the fleet have surpassed the old record.

    The run has vaulted Ericsson 4 to the head of the pack with a lead of 27 miles over PUMA on the 07:00 GMT position report. What’s meaningful this morning is not just that the fleet is spreading out again in terms of distance to finish.

    But of more significance, the boats immediately behind Ericsson 4 – PUMA and Green Dragon – are falling in line, sailing in the track of the lead boat. Green Dragon, for example, is just four miles south of Ericsson 4. That means the lead Ericsson 4 has built is more solid. The boats behind don’t have any leverage of them.

    Ian Walker, skipper of Green Dragon, promised broken records, plenty of drama, or more likely a bit of both, in an email yesterday. Overnight, he was just as forceful in describing the conditions.

    “This is insane – 35 knots of wind, pitch black, 1500 miles from land and we are desperately trying to squeeze more speed from a boat that feels and sounds like it is going to self destruct any second. We have to push hard to stay ahead of the (cold) front.”

    The entire fleet is churning up the miles. At the 07:00 GMT report, everyone had posted 24 hour runs of over 450 miles, and both Ericsson boats, PUMA and Green Dragon have all breached the 500 miles barrier.

    It’s interesting to note that on the 07:00 report, the Data Centre is showing average wind speeds in the 30 knot range, with gusts over 40 knots for all of the leading boats. And maximum wave height is now above 7-metres. That was recorded by Telefonica Blue.

    Before the day is out, it’s likely the record number will rise further. Be sure to check Mark Chisnell’s TEN ZULU report for more information on the weather the fleet can expect to see over the coming day, and further ahead into Cape Town.

    Reply

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