After the long beat to the west, all the boats turned north yesterday and the classic picture of a cross developed. Different teams were able to make up ground and then lost it again and again. Team SCA, for example, closed the gap to 15 nautical miles during the night, but by the morning they were already more than 20 nautical miles behind again. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, on the other hand, regained the lead after losing it briefly.
At the current position report, the field had split into two groups. Abu Dhabi, Mapfre, Brunel and Dongfeng sailed eastwards towards a strong westerly current coming from there, while the other three chose the shorter route to the north.
The conditions were moderate with 17 to 19 knots of wind, with the boats making headway at around ten knots upwind. The most exciting development now comes from a storm depression near Mauritius, which could cross the course of the fleet during the night from Friday to Saturday. Winds of up to 40 knots are expected. It will probably be a case of being catapulted northwards on the western flank of the depression. But then the light-winded Doldrums will be waiting there...
At Team Dongfeng, the mast rail for the batten trolleys has come loose. The quick repair in the picture
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
