The field is divided into two teams of three. Abu Dhabi, Brunel and Dongfeng are close together at the front, just four nautical miles apart. Behind them, with a gap of around 300 nautical miles, are Team Alvimedica in the far west, SCA in the centre and Mapfre in the far east. However, this trio is already 120 to 130 nautical miles behind the leaders. Now that the low-pressure system has moved southwards, the fleet is in a pronounced doldrums, with the boats recently making just two to four knots over ground. While Team Alvimedica initially benefited from the doldrums because everything was parked in front and so the gap of the Assistance stops for the damaged Team Vestas Wind could be made up, everyone is now on an equal footing.
"These are the days that count," says Charles Caudrelier, skipper of Dongfeng Race Team. "Whoever gets the fresh wind first could really be gone."
But that may take a while, as the next few days are also forecast to be calm. "Ten days with less than ten knots of wind," predicts Caudrelier.
In addition, it is now very hot and humid at ten degrees south. However, due to the low speed, the crews can finally do things that would otherwise be neglected - such as washing themselves in the cockpit. "There are fresh scents wafting over the deck here, which was quite different at times," writes Dongfeng reporter Yann Riou.
With the very smooth movements of the ship, even dental treatments are possible, as the video from Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing shows, in which a hole in a tooth is filled with epoxy.
Tooth surgery at Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
