The South China Sea lives up to its reputation as a rough area. In recent winds of around 25 knots, the six boats sailed side by side on an approach course to the waypoints at the northern tip of the Philippines. From a tactical point of view, this first phase of the fourth leg is rather boring; the main aim is to maintain the greatest possible speed by perfectly coordinating the sail wardrobe.
Once again, the Chinese Dongfeng Race Team proved to be masters of this discipline. The early lead was defended on the first three days of racing despite a minor sail repair.
At this morning's position report, the fleet still had around 100 nautical miles to go to the waypoints, after passing which they can turn south onto a more comfortable course. At the moment, the teams are bolting against each other, the boats are jerking and falling hard into the valleys on the back of the often chaotic waves - a tiring course for man and material. Amory Ross from Team Alvimedica aptly wrote in the night: "The good news is that we only have 150 nautical miles to sail in the South China Sea. The bad news is that we still have 150 nautical miles to sail in the South China Sea."
A summary of the first few days clearly shows the tough conditions on board.
The South China Sea: Summary of the first days
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
