It was uncomfortable, just as predicted. Dark, wet and rough. After the constant manoeuvres and countless sail changes of the calm first few days, the six boats had to change pace considerably yesterday. But now that everyone had crossed the Agulhas Current, the turbo was switched on. Telefónica stood out and, according to the 02:25 position report, is once again the northernmost boat in the lead. Navigator Andrew Cape already had this trick in his repertoire in the last Volvo Ocean Race, back then with Puma.
But that could look better at the moment than it actually is, because the two areas of low pressure from yesterday have not yet merged, so there is a lull zone in between that has to be crossed before the race can continue with strong winds from the north. "This is the key section of this leg," says Ian Walker, who is currently in second place with Abu Dhabi. "If we get through here well, we'll catch the northerly wind, which will quickly take us to the high pressure area in the Indian Ocean. If not, we'll be stuck here for days and have to push hard."
The Groupama team, which has learnt from experience and is not prepared to go to extremes, is currently sailing at the bottom, right at the back. "If you don't know your way around the Atlantic, you have to head west," joked Charles Caudrelier on board the French boat. "If you don't know your way around the Southern Ocean, you should head south." And Franck Cammas took this to heart after the tactical debacle in Cape Verde on the first leg.
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