First in the trade winds is not everything, but it is something on this sixth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. Puma's navigator Tom Addis opted for a conservative route in the centre of the dispersed field and, with this decision and a little luck, found the fastest way out of the doldrums. And it was also comfortable. "This has nothing to do with the Volvo Ocean Race," joked Puma skipper Ken Read. "I can't get used to it. Nothing about thrashing, thrashing, dripping wet, freezing cold, blistering heat or a bloody cross. I think I'm dreaming, so I have to pinch myself."
Within a few hours, they were 20 miles ahead of the campers sailing further inland. This puts the two shoe ships in front. Telefonica, meanwhile, has made up one place and is now third ahead of Abu Dhabi, while at the end Groupama had to pay a high price for the daring tactic of sailing eastwards early on and has fallen a full 80 miles behind.
"Everyone wants to be upwind and furthest east," estimated Iker Martinez from Telefonica. "But that doesn't get you any closer to the next waypoint." The critical factor is when to decide in favour of the long northward leg. The trade winds are expected to subside before Recife, which should allow the boats to push together again. Then it's onto the motorway towards the north-west and the Caribbean, where boat speed will be the main factor, as there are unlikely to be any tactical manoeuvres on this space approach.
There are still around 3,700 miles to go until Miami. The arrival is expected on 7 May.
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