The Ocean Race field is getting closer and closer together as they crawl through the windless Doldrums. While the front runner "Biotherm" and the last-placed "Malizia - Seaexplorer" were still 200 nautical miles apart a good two days ago, the German yacht's gap has now melted to 70 nautical miles. Because the leading boats hit the calms first, Will Harris and Team Malizia were able to close the gap again. In the meantime, however, the crew on the boat flying the German flag have to make do with speeds of two or three knots.
Boris Herrmann: "It was painful to see the team 200 miles behind"
Boris Herrmann, who is recovering from his foot injury in Cape Town and is expecting his team there, told YACHT online: "Of course I'm very pleased to see how the team has caught up again. It was painful to see the team 200 miles behind. Even though the race is still long. 200 miles was a lot. Now things are looking much better again. I'd say we're back within striking distance."
On his team's investment in the west, Herrmann said: "Attacking the Doldrums further west can certainly be a tactic. As a rule of thumb, the further west the better. It's still a bit too early to say, but if things look good for us today, then this rule of thumb would be confirmed."
"You have to find a compromise"
To explain why it can be worth travelling further west on the southbound course to the Cape Town leg port, Boris Herrmann said: "The whole thing is simply due to the fact that the north-east and south-east trade winds meet more diametrically to the east and then run more parallel further and further west. This means that shortly before the Brazilian coast, the ITCZ zone (Editor: Doldrums) is hardly noticeable and you can simply drive through it. In other words, you always have to find a compromise: Further west is a longer way, but often a better passage. I hope we have a bit of luck with that."
Herrmann suspects that his team "saw something else" when looking at the satellite images and other information that "prompted them to make this relatively aggressive jibe to the west". The 41-year-old from Hamburg said: "In any case, they invested a bit there. But maybe they also said: 'OK, it's no good going right behind them now. Then we'll keep trying in the west. We'll only find out when they tell us." For the moment, Herrmann believes: "So far, so good. Let's hope it goes well today."
Boris Herrmann shares this hope with all five teams out there in the wide band of the Kalmen, where the Ocean Race doldrums poker has only just begun. Simon "Sifi" Fisher of US team 11th Hour Racing reported: "It now remains to be seen whether the work in the trades will be undone by the randomness of the doldrums. There is still no easy and obvious way through unless you want to sail all the way to the Brazilian coast. So it will be interesting to see how the next few days unfold as we all point our bows south and do our best to get through before the others."
"I don't have to try to think while my brain is being shaken by fast sailing"
In his sixth outing in the Ocean Race, the Brit can also see positive sides to the slow motion game, saying: "It's been great fun so far. It's an opportunity to study the clouds and follow your gut instinct instead of thinking about how we're going to position ourselves in relation to our opponents."
Describing the contrasting worlds on an Imoca, Fisher said: "I could just be happy that I don't have to try and think while my brain is being rattled by fast sailing. On previous days I've wondered if I wouldn't have trained better by taking my computer into an industrial washing machine and putting it on spin! But now I'm savouring a moment sitting on the foredeck in relative peace and quiet, letting the wind sweep across the deck after being able to leave the cockpit for the first time since casting off from Alicante."
Rain in the doldrums, more sleep for the crews
It's not all sunshine in the intra-tropical convergence zone, as Fisher explains: "It's starting to rain, but I don't really mind. It's just nice to be outside, and the cloud overhead means that the wind is pushing us steadily southwards. All is well on board and people finally have a chance to catch up on some sleep and do the little jobs that have been pending for days. The hectic pace has definitely slowed down now that we're in the doldrums. But as they say, a change is as good as a break. I think we'll make the most of it."
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
