Volvo Ocean Race: Dongfeng piles on the pressure, Dee Caffari opts for stealth

Tatjana Pokorny

· 09.11.2017

Volvo Ocean Race: Dongfeng piles on the pressure, Dee Caffari opts for stealth

Photo: Dongfeng Race Team

Stage 2

While the front runners are jockeying for position at the Cape Verde Islands, those bringing up the rear have switched to "stealth" mode on "Turn the Tide on Plastic"

Against frustration and for a stealth attack? Dee Caffari's team on "Turn the Tide on Plastic" was the first boat in the fleet to switch to "stealth" mode on leg 2, meaning that opponents can no longer see its position or intermediate position for 24 hours. On the one hand, this measure may counteract the frustrating realisation of being the last boat in the fleet, but above all it serves to camouflage course changes and positioning in relation to the fleet. So it will be interesting to see where the crew stands when they become visible again.

Dee Caffari explained in a message from on board: "So we have decided to start our 'stealth mode' phase allowed on this leg. Each boat is allowed to do this once on each leg for 24 hours. There may be other occasions when this would be useful. But we can't look into the future and want to utilise the opportunity now. I know that this concept was created to encourage us to make big decisions and change course... We'll see and in the meantime we'll try to sail fast and close the gap on the fleet."

Watch leader and helmswoman Liz Wardley's reaction to one of the frustrating intermediate scores reported by her team in last position

Photo: Turn the Tide on Plastic Watch leader and helmswoman Liz Wardley's reaction to one of the frustrating intermediate scores reported by her team in last position

Clearly visible here, but still travelling in "stealth" mode until this evening and unrecognisable in the intermediate results: "Turn the Tide on Plastic" on stage 2

Photo: Turn the Tide on Plastic Clearly visible here, but still travelling in "stealth" mode until this evening and unrecognisable in the intermediate results: "Turn the Tide on Plastic" on stage 2

As long as Dee Caffair's team is now "invisible" for a total of 24 hours and will be visible again for the first time in the position report on Friday evening, the official lantern of the tail light will hang in the stern of Sun Hugn Kai / Scallywag for the time being. David Witt's team flying the Hong Kong flag was around 60 nautical miles behind Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team on Friday morning. In fifth place, Bouwe Bekking's Team Brunel had been able to reduce the large gap between his team and the leaders to 21.5 nautical miles, but is now sailing in the same lane as the leading boats and currently has little chance of drastically reducing the gap again before possible further course changes.

The first stage threw up a whole series of challenges for the fleet. How the teams passed their tests and where they currently stand

Photo: Team Brunel Brunel's boss Bouwe Bekking is at the helm, with Annie Lush, who is responsible for the yacht's sail inventory, at his side

Photo: Dongfeng Race Team Dongfeng skipper Charles Caudrelier and Carolijn Brouwer confer with each other

Sleeping in the Volvo Ocean Race is usually a short and cramped pleasure. However, most of the sailors can sleep under all circumstances and immediately because they crawl into their bunks so tired. On course for the equator, however, it becomes increasingly hot and humid below deck - another burden

Photo: Dongfeng Race Team Sleeping in the Volvo Ocean Race is usually a short and cramped pleasure. However, most of the sailors can sleep under all circumstances and immediately because they crawl into their bunks so tired. On course for the equator, however, it becomes increasingly hot and humid below deck - another burden

The fleet is currently travelling south towards the equator at speeds of between 11.9 knots (Sun Hung Kai / Scallwag) and 16 knots (Mapfre in second place) at around the height of Cape Verde. At this point in time, the top boats still had around 4150 nautical miles to go to the destination harbour of Cape Town, where they are expected to arrive at the beginning of the last week of November. It is to be expected that more teams will soon switch to "stealth mode", as this joker is often pulled in the Doldrums to hide large gains or losses from the competition.

Click here for the interim results

Photo: Dongfeng Race Team Natural spectacle on course for the equator

Tatjana Pokorny

Sports reporter

Tatjana “tati” Pokorny is the author of nine books. As a reporter for Europe's leading sailing magazine YACHT, she also works as a correspondent for the German Press Agency (DPA), the Hamburger Abendblatt and other national and international media. In summer 2024, Tatjana will be reporting from Marseille on her ninth consecutive Olympic Games. Other core topics have been the America's Cup since 1992, the Ocean Race since 1993, the Vendée Globe and other national and international regattas and their protagonists. Favorite discipline: Portraits of and interviews with sailing personalities. When she started out in sports journalism, she was still intensively involved with basketball and other sports, but sailing quickly became her main focus. The reason? The declared optimist says: “There is no other sport like it, no other sport with such interesting and intelligent personalities, no other sport so diverse, no other sport so full of energy, strength and ideas. Sailing is like a constantly refreshing declaration of love for life."

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Volvo Ocean Race: Dongfeng piles on the pressure, Dee Caffari opts for stealth

Tatjana Pokorny

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