Ericsson 3 let out a reef, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro. Image copyright Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race.
Tension on board
by Gustav Morin
Pretty much since we entered the area with lighter winds about five days ago, if I remember correctly, we have been racing closely with Puma.
It is always fun to have a boat that you can measure speed and height against. It keeps the level of racing higher and makes the race more fun, both for the people following us from land and for us onboard. How fun is it to only look at a piece of paper with numbers that tells you if you have done well or badly?
Well, there is nothing like the real thing, when you can actually see your opponent and every five minutes take out the compass as see if we have gained or lost bearing. That makes it really exciting and all the sailors stay 100 per cent focused at all times.
But now the level of excitement has jumped up a couple of levels. Or should I say the level of worry.
The nerves are almost on the outside of some of the guys now. Before the last position report, the guys on deck were counting the minutes for it to arrive, wanting to know whether the other teams without doubt are going west of the Fiji islands.
We are getting closer and closer to Fiji now and we have to choose side. The wind has looked steadier on the east and we have been fighting for height the last couple of days to get there. Now it looks like the easterly option will force us to tack and sail on starboard for a couple of hours, which will not feel very good. You can take a shortcut between some islands but the waters there are unchartered and we do not want to end up in the same situation as we did last leg, when we entered the “Dangerous ground” area.
The next 48 hours will be extremely interesting. The guys that go west may get stuck in wind shadow or, if they are lucky, get pressure and a north westerly shift that will give them a good pace. On the east side the wind is more steady, but if that option means a 12 hour starboard tack while the others are going downwind, it might be a hero to zero situation.
Volvo Ocean Race
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