One danger seems to have been averted, but the next is already looming. The second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race will probably not be a walk in the park for the seven teams either.
In order to avoid the risk of piracy, potentially dangerous areas are sailed around extensively. The African coast, for example, has been almost completely declared a no-go zone. The fleet must move outside a corridor formed by the following key points: Maputo, the southern tip of Madagascar, Mauritius and the eastern tip of Oman. To ensure that the fleet does not stray too far south, there is a 45-degree south exclusion line. There are also no-go zones off the coast of Iraq and in the Strait of Hormuz.
The bigger threat this time could come from the weather. Race meteorologist Gonzalo Infante says: "The tropical cyclone season has just started in the Indian Ocean and it looks like we will have a few of them on this leg." There are also expected to be tropical monsoon winds on reaching the Strait of Hormuz and scorching hot weather off Abu Dhabi.
The organisers expect 22 to 28 sailing days for the 6,125 nautical miles.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
