The Dutch team Brunel has coped best with the conditions in the Southern Ocean so far. The entire fleet chose a south-easterly course in order to benefit from the strong west-south-westerly winds in the south. Brunel managed to set off from the centre with better speed. The lead over Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing was over 50 nautical miles in the morning. So far, the boats that have lost the most have been those that were furthest south. They had tried to escape from a light wind area on Saturday by tacking southwards. However, the better choice would have been to head directly east.
On board the leading team Brunel
The current conditions are already tough anyway, with an air temperature of just ten degrees, winds of well over 20 knots from astern and just as much speed. However, a cold front is forecast to pass through this evening and overnight, and it is likely to be a tough test for the crews and equipment. The front is expected to move through from the west and is forecast to blow 25 to 40 knots of wind. With its passage, the wind is expected to shift to the south-west and reach 35 to 50 knots, with gusts significantly higher.
The further south a team is, the more wind they can expect. The navigators speculate that some might therefore jibe to the north, where the conditions should be somewhat more moderate, but the route will also be longer. At the current update at 11.00 a.m., Team SCA had already jibed.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
