Although the start of the fifth leg was already very demanding tactically, it had nothing to do with what awaited the teams on this leg. In a stern wind of around ten knots, the teams jibed through the Hauraki Gulf to Cap Colville, one of the landmarks along New Zealand's North Island. It was necessary to jibe up to 15 times. The loser of this opening race was the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team, which dropped from second to fifth place. The cause was repeated seaweed on the saildrive, keel and rudders, which even forced them to stop and sail backwards.
At the midday position report, the fleet was roughly in the centre of the Bay of Plenty, heading for the East Cape, with conditions still very moderate in the cover of the island. The first five teams were within three nautical miles of each other, with Team SCA already some seven nautical miles behind.
After rounding the cape, the actual leg begins. Real Southern Ocean conditions are forecast just a few days later, with 25 to 35 knots of wind all the way to Cape Horn. The so-called ice limit set by the race organisers could prove to be an additional tactical difficulty. It extends to 60 degrees south and must not be sailed through. This is to prevent collisions with icebergs.
The recording of the stage start
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
