The passage of Sri Lanka a day and a half ago could have been a preliminary decision for the crossing of the Bengal Gulf. The most unlucky teams in the race were Brunel and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
Dongfeng Race Team in the lead kept furthest east, sailing the closest arc, but also closest to the lee of the island. The pursuers, above all Abu Dhabi, closed the gap to within sight; the Chinese boat had previously been in the lead by more than 30 nautical miles. But skipper Charles Caudrelier obviously had a better nose or simply more luck. He was the first to reach the fresh, accelerated winds on the south-east side of Sri Lanka and pulled away.
But things got even worse for Brunel and Abu Dhabi. The other three teams behind closed the gap, sailed a little further west and got the fresh wind almost at the same time.
By the halfway point of this leg today, Dongfeng Race Team had once again established a lead of over 40 nautical miles. And it even looks as if the team might have gained a speed advantage. The chasing pack of four is not catching up, even though they are within sight of each other and should be pushing each other on.
Video summary of the Sri Lanka passage
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
