Ian Walker's crew on Abu Dhabi's "Azzam" is not wavering. The boat stoically leads the fleet of seven VO65 yachts through the icy cold and yet hot final phase of the first leg, which finishes in Cape Town. The pressure of the pursuers seems to have no effect on the British skipper's men.
Abu Dhabi's Anbord reporter Matt Knighton reported on his blog on Sunday morning: "As Abu Dhabi chases the sunrise on the eastern horizon, dawn is signalling the coming battle. A strong front has been announced. It's expected to throw 30 knots of wind at the fleet and push the teams across the final stretch to the finish. Our speed has already picked up, breathing new life into Azzam after last night's light and shifty winds. The latest results update has shown that Dongfeng has made big gains in the south and pushed the gap to the leaders to under ten knots. The competition has reached a new level. The guys are fully aware of the situation. This awareness has become ingrained in their daily rhythm. They know that they can hold out for another three days, despite the lack of sleep. The decisive factor is who wants it more."
As the three frontrunners raced towards the finish on Sunday evening at almost identical speeds - Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing at 22.3 knots, Dongfeng Race Team at 22.1 knots and Team Brunel at 22.3 knots - the new position reports that appeared every three hours often no longer showed any gains or losses. The teams were operating almost synchronised at the highest level. Heading east, the "Azzam" crew chose the most northerly route of the top three, Dongfeng the most southerly, ten nautical miles behind. In between, Bouwe Bekking's Team Brunel had positioned itself 31 nautical miles behind, thus keeping all options open. The Danish team Vestas Wind was also still within striking distance on Sunday evening, 60 nautical miles behind, and was following Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's more northerly route at the time.
The first finishes are expected on Wednesday. The Spanish team Mapfre, 304 nautical miles behind, will probably have to wait a day or two longer for the reunion with their loved ones on land, steaks and hot showers. The women's team SCA is also 438 nautical miles behind.
A voyage of discovery into the heart of the yacht:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
