Volvo Ocean Race Leg 6 - Day 17

Rob Salthouse, Adam Minoprio and Stu Bannatyne searching for wind onboard CAMPER during leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race © Hamish Hooper / CAMPER ETNZ / Volvo Ocean Race

Top four in double match race to Miami

Having emerged from a windless day with their precious lead still intact, PUMA are still fending off second-placed CAMPER as the pair approach what could be the final strategic milestone in Leg 6 - the Eleuthera Island lighthouse at the top of the Bahamas.

At 1300 UTC on Tuesday, PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG had eked out a 14 nautical mile (nm) lead over CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand. Groupama sailing team were a further 27 nm back in third, 16.2 nm ahead of fourth-placed Team Telefónica in a second hugely significant match race to the finish.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing remained in fifth, 111 nm off the lead.

According to race meteorologist Gonzalo Infante, whoever rounds Eleuthera first will be able to breathe a little easier as steadier southerly winds fill in, meaning fewer passing opportunities on the way to the finish line in Miami.

Infante said that the high pressure system which slowed the boats on Monday is moving south east, meaning the leading pair will be sailing downwind to the turning mark as the wind veers progressively from north east to south east.

“After they reach the mark, 10-14 knots of southerly breeze should fill in between there and Miami making it harder for overtaking,” Infante said. “If this scenario plays out, it looks increasingly unlikely that these two can be caught now.”

Infante said the battle for third place between Groupama and overall race leaders Telefónica could also be decided by the time they reach the lighthouse on the north east corner of the Bahamas.

PUMA Media Crew Member Amory Ross said that at one point the previous day the leaders had been left drifting helplessly in a complete flat calm off the Bahamas, before fresh breeze arrived to get them back on their way.

“We managed to make an escape, barely hanging on to a small but meaningful 10-mile lead over CAMPER in the race to the Eleuthera waypoint,” he wrote.

Ross said that, relieved as they were to have kept the lead they have had virtually since the start of Leg 6 in Brazil, the PUMA crew were far from complacent about closing out what would be a second successive offshore victory.

“It’s hard to know whether we’ve seen the worst,” he said. “Weather systems like this can evolve quickly and according to our navigator Tom Addis, it’s a case of so far so good, but we’re not out of the woods just yet.

“The winds are still light and variable and the potential for big losses to the trailing boats still exists. With just 350 miles to go it would be easy to overlook the remaining distance, but nobody seems to be making that mistake.

“The proper mindset, and one we’re all emphasising, is that each mile is just as important as the next. Don’t look too far beyond the horizon because this race is far from over."

For Groupama skipper Franck Cammas, hopes of catching the leading pair have faded, leaving them to focus on defending the final podium position on the leg.

“We don’t have real lateral stretch with the two leaders, so we can’t expect to carry on getting nearer and nearer to them,” Cammas said. “At some point, we will get the same wind as them.

“After the south-southeast wind comes when we are crossing the Bahamas this should allow us to reach Miami in a more established breeze – about 10 knots – meaning more straight tacks until the end for everybody.”

Telefónica skipper Iker Martínez said it had been difficult to watch PUMA and CAMPER sail away in new breeze which never materialised for the overall race leaders, also leaving them unable to defend against Groupama.

Nevertheless, Martínez said he and his crew would fight until the end to get back to third before the finish, particularly given that Groupama are their closest rivals in the overall standings.

“I don’t really know about catching Groupama but for sure we’re going to try our best,” he said. “We need a little help from the wind and some opportunities.

“We have to be patient now. We are just waiting for a good shift to be able to be back in the game.

“For sure, it’s very important. We’re going to fight with Groupama because they are the boat in front on this leg and they are just behind on the overall scoreboard.

“Every point counts and we have to work hard.”

As it stands, Telefónica lead overall by 16 points from Groupama. CAMPER are nine points further back and PUMA are a total of 32 points off the pace.

The winners of each of the remaining four offshore legs, inlcuding the one to Miami, will pick up 30 points, with 25 on offer for second, 20 for third and so on down to five points for sixth. The four remaining in-port races deliver six points for the winners, with five for second, four for third down to one point for sixth.

The Leg 6 winner is expected to arrive in Miami around 1130 UTC on Wednesday, May 9.

Position Report at 13:01:58 UTC:

www.VolvoOceanRace.com

Blog from the Seas (by Amory Ross, MCM, PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG)

“Welcome to the Volvo 70. Capable of 550 miles a day, or 20.” – Rome Kirby

LOCATION: 100 miles SE of Eleuthera, Bahamas
WINDSPEED: 6.1 kts
BOATSPEED: 7.9 kts
HEADING: 320-degrees
DISTANCE TO FINISH: 350 miles

There was very little about yesterday that was easy, except maybe the sunburn. As forecasted, the winds quickly perished after sunrise making life more difficult than not, and we spent almost all day drifting around a small chain of Bahamian islands under the spell of high pressure. Complete and utter driftoff, zero point zero knots of wind, and three donuts on the instrument. At one point the current was carrying us towards a reef we couldn’t avoid, but thankfully anchoring wasn’t necessary and we instead went for a swim. Hot, hot, hot… who’s idea was it to make a black boat with a black deck and black sails, anyway!?

The good news: our wind returned – slowly – and we’ve managed to make an escape, barely hanging on to a small but meaningful 10-mile lead over CAMPER in the race to the Eleuthera waypoint. It’s hard to know whether we’ve seen the worst though as weather systems like this can evolve quickly. According to Tom, so far so good, but we’re not out of the woods just yet. We’ll gradually lift around to the north until we gybe onto port and lay the northern tip of the island. From there it’s through the Gulf Stream and across to the finish line, hopefully as first horse back to the stable.

But the winds are still light and variable and the potential for big losses to trailing boats still exist; they likely will until the end. With just 350 miles to go it would be easy to overlook the remaining distance, but nobody seems to be making that mistake. The proper mindset, and one we’re all emphasizing, is that each mile is just as important as the next. Don’t look too far beyond the horizon because this race is far from over!

- Amory

Gulf holes (from Groupama Sailing Team)

With a vast zone of light airs over the Bahamas, progress towards Miami has considerably reduced and the whole fleet are suffering the effects of this latest spell of calms, which is likely to last until sunset. Groupama 4 has managed to further reduce her deficit in relation to the two leaders, however Franck Cammas and his men are also having to keep an eye on the Spanish, who remain in ambush. The finish in Florida isn't scheduled before Wednesday evening...

There have certainly been some holes in this round! At least nine since the start in Brazil it would seem... And there are likely to be some more to deal with before Miami. And for now, nobody's scored an eagle, even though the Americans are well set up to take a birdie. It has to be said that the playing field has involved a fair amount of rough conditions, to the extent that Groupama 4 has been trapped in several bunkers since Itajai. However, thanks to a fine swing in the Bahamas archipelago, Franck Cammas and his men could still finish off on a par, whilst the Spanish have fallen into the drop zone above the Turks and Caicos. Now on the fairway with Puma and Camper within putting distance, the French boat is still well placed for a chip before the Gulf Stream.

A Puma at Cat Island

With a wind fading to less than four knots, it's becoming hard to envisage a very constructive strategy and the main aim of the crews is to make headway above all else, even if their heading strays several dozen degrees from the direct route. Making headway is primarily about standing up to the onslaught of your rivals on a sea which is as smooth as a golf green, so that you are well positioned for when the breeze kicks back. If all goes to plan, the wind is set to put in an appearance again tonight. In the meantime, the helmsman is keeping an eye on the wind and speed indicators, the trimmers are fine-tuning the sheets and the navigator is observing the slightest ripple on the water with his binoculars. On this Tuesday afternoon, the Americans are still leading the way in a very light breeze along Cat Island, the penultimate landmass before they enter Providence Channel...

Holding onto their second place, the New Zealanders are trying to undertake them to the South with a 14-mile deficit. It's a position that could prove delicate as Groupama 4 is just twenty miles shy of Camper and is managing to slip along a knot faster. Most importantly, Franck Cammas and his crew still have an opportunity to sneak below Cat Island where the pressure is a little steadier... A final sliced swing before exiting the wind hole perhaps?

Analysis at Eleuthera

However, it will certainly be necessary to await nightfall and its beaming moon before the wind finally deigns to blow more steadily, with around ten knots of south-easterly breeze on the cards. And this fresh breeze is set to kick in via the West, so it will be good to be as close as possible to the coral islands in order to be the first to power up again. However, the dilemma is as clear as the waters in a lagoon: on the one hand, a strategic option could enable a winning comeback on the New Zealanders; on the other, its tactically preferable to secure third place by covering the Spanish, who are just sixteen miles astern!

Indeed, once they're around the lighthouse to the North of Eleuthera (120 miles ahead of Groupama 4), the final looks even quirkier than in recent days: a southerly wind of around a dozen knots won't allow for any options as the navigators have to take in the coral reefs of the Biminis before they commit to the final home straight to Miami. At that point, there is still the oceanic current of the Gulf Stream to contend with, but as there will be just fifty miles or so of racetrack left, we shouldn't expect any major upsets, unless the crews are really close to each other. A moderate breeze will sweep across the fleet at this stage and if things pan out as they should, there aren't likely to be any last minute surprises. As such, it's the passage to the North of the Bahamas, which will very likely determine the final hierarchy of this extensive sixth leg. It's up to Franck Cammas and his 'caddies' to position their tee for the last pitch to the final flag!