VOR: Moment of Truth as Fleet Splits at Fiji

Tony Mutter drives Ericsson 4 past rain clouds. Image copyright Guy Salter/Ericsson Racing Team.

by Victoria Low

The first two weeks of Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race have been both thrilling (the initial days out of China) and monotonous (blast reaching through the trade winds).

Today, intrigue enters the lexicon because the fleet has split as it navigates past Fiji, the island nation archipelago that consists of about 322 islands.

Ericsson Racing Team's two yachts, which two days ago held first and second on the leaderboard, have relinquished the top spots due to their decision to sail east of the archipelago and, in particular, Vanua Levu, which lies to the north/northeast of Fiji.

Two other boats have chosen the western option and have assumed the top spots on the leaderboard. They're sailing freer and faster angles and have a shorter distance to the waypoint being used to calculate the distances between the boats. But that option could result in difficulties later on.

"The models do not favor the west at all, showing huge zones of no wind there over the next couple of days," said Ericsson 3 navigator Aksel Magdahl. "If we want to be east, we will have to beat upwind for many hours in light breeze, which will be very expensive.

"So take a probable big loss by going west, but with a chance to sneak through without too much pain? Or invest even more in the east and take a certain short term loss of maybe 12 hours to stay in an area where the probability for more consistent breeze is higher than in the west?" Magdahl said.

Team meteorologist Chris Bedford likened the current situation to the fleet running into a wall together, with no one wanting to split from the boat they were racing.

"It's quite predictable with the three-hour position reports. They end up sailing each other," said Bedford. "With 12-hour reports you wind up sailing the weather. They got to this position because of tactics, not strategy."

Aboard Ericsson 4 there was a bang loud enough to make the crew think they ran into a wall. Instead, it was the massive Code Zero genoa breaking free of the roller furling drum at the tack. The drum had failed and the sail was flapping behind the mainsail. The crew hoisted the genoa that had been lowered moments earlier, and then wrestled the other sail on deck.

"Then, as the sail was being packed on deck, the latest sched came through to reveal a slight split in the fleet around Fiji," said Ericsson 4 media crewman Guy Salter. "This has forced some tactical decisions and [a study of] routes and weather, but there seems no reason to change our game plan."

It will be a long weekend for fans of Ericsson Racing Team, as the three-hourly schedule reports will bring some nail-biting over the next 12 to 24 hours. The desired results of going east of Fiji likely won't be realized until Sunday or Monday.

VOLVO OCEAN RACE LEG 5 LEADERBOARD
(Feb. 27, 2009, 1303 GMT)
1. Puma, 8,364 nautical miles to finish
2. Telefónica Blue, +18 NM
3. Ericsson 4, +20 NM
4. Ericsson 3, +41 NM
5. Green Dragon, +78 NM

Ericsson Racing Team
Volvo Ocean Race