Storm Conditions
Take Their Toll
15:27 GMT Saturday, January 24, 2009. |
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Day seven of leg four has seen the Volvo Ocean Race bring out the pure seamanship of the fleet rather than the hard racing ability of the seven crews.
As at other critical tactical moments in the race, today has been about making choices based on the weather forecast, competitive considerations and confidence in one’s crew and equipment when faced with such horrendous conditions.
Data from the boats indicates top wind speeds near 50 knots and maximum wave heights of 14 metres. |
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Ericsson 3 face 50 knots of wind, on
leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from Singapore to Qingdao,
China.
Photo © Gustav Morin / Ericsson 3 / Volvo Ocean Race.
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The main problem has come from the steep seas caused by the wind blowing against the prevailing current, producing a regular pattern of sharp and steep waves.
Over the past 12-hours, the fleet has been short-tacking up the coast of the Philippine Island Luzon, seeking whatever shelter it could find near the shore. |
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Ericsson 4 with a heavily reefed mainsail
in 50 knots of wind, on leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race,
from Singapore to Qingdao, China.
Photo © Guy Salter / Ericsson 4 / Volvo Ocean Race.
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"We have been sheltering behind Luzon Island for most of the day after trying to go upwind in 45+ knots," wrote Guy Salter, MCM onboard Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael / BRA).
"All I can say is that it was far from pleasant. We ended up sailing the last few hours under storm jib only, slowly creeping our way closer to the top of the Philippines before waiting for an ease in pressure to attempt the crossing over to Taiwan and through some very tidal seas, which could be boat-wreckers to say the least," he added. |
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Telefonica Black in 50 knot winds near
the Philippines, on leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race,
from Singapore to Qingdao, China.
Photo © Mikel Pasabant / Telefonica Black / Volvo Ocean Race.
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His words seem prophetic, as some of those ahead who ventured out into the Luzon Strait, found it didn’t take long for the challenging conditions to exact a toll.
At 02:00 GMT, PUMA (Ken Read / USA) turned south while in the lead and headed downwind. They have now anchored in a bay.
Ken Read said in an interview at 10:00 GMT, "We’re busted and we are in a harbour. It’s pretty disappointing. Quite a devastating day for us. We have broken our boom in half. At the time, there was 50 knots of breeze and 20-foot seas, with waves breaking over the top of the boat. We haven’t suspended racing, we just don’t happen to be sailing right now." |
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PUMA Ocean Racing, skippered by Ken
Read (USA), breaks their boom in over 50 knots of wind
and 20 feet high waves, on leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean
Race, from Singapore to Qingdao, China.
Photo © Rick Deppe / PUMA Ocean Racing / Volvo Ocean Race.
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At 05:30 GMT, the new leaders, Telefónica Black (Fernando Echávarri / ESP), who had been sailing conservatively under storm sails pulled off the racecourse to investigate a crack in the hull.
By 10:00 GMT, the team was back on the racecourse, heading across the Luzon Strait behind sistership Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking / NED), the new leader. However, the crew became increasingly concerned by damage to the hull and at 11:30 GMT they turned back to the coast. They will now take the necessary time to assess the damage. They have not suspended racing and the crew is in good shape. |
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Telefonica Blue takes a battering in
heavy storms, on leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race, from
Singapore to Qingdao, China.
Photo © Gabriele Olivo / Telefonica Blue / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Meanwhile at 07:15 GMT, Delta Lloyd (Roberto Bérmudez / ESP) turned back from the Luzon Strait for the calmer waters of the coast to repair a damaged steering wheel, ripped mainsail and a damaged mast track.
The team suspended racing at 10:10 GMT, (under race rules for a minimum of 12 hours) and is currently anchored in harbour with Green Dragon, in a bay just north of Vigan. |
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Delta Lloyd at anchor in Salonague
Bay, Philippines, on leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race,
from Singapore to Qingdao, China.
Photo © Guo Chuan / Green Dragon Racing / Volvo Ocean Race.
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At 08:30 GMT Green Dragon (Ian Walker / GBR), already nursing a damaged rig, followed Delta Lloyd’s lead and headed inshore. The boat has suffered damage to the forward ring frame and is heading for a safe haven, just 10nm north of PUMA.
"Our intention is to make some repairs and get underway," Ian Walker said moments ago in a radio interview. The forward ring frame has disintegrated, so the crew has to try to reinforce it and re-bond it to the hull. "We have some materials and some know-how and we will use a bit of ingenuity," Walker said. |
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Tom Braidwood leads the crew in repairing
damage sustained in 50 knot winds, on leg 4 of the
Volvo Ocean Race, from Singapore to Qingdao, China.
Photo © Guo Chuan / Green Dragon Racing / Volvo Ocean Race.
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For those teams making repairs, timing is critical. According to Walker, there is a three or four-day window to get to Qingdao before the weather turns bad there, so the teams will have to leave their safe havens when it is probably still rough, in order to get to China before the weather closes in.
Green Dragon has not retired from the leg. The team will try to make a good repair and carry on as best they can.
Telefónica Blue is now tackling the Luzon Strait. Bekking says is will be a case of ‘survival’ now, for the next 36 hours or so. "We are going to take it easy, there is too much at stake," he said. |
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Xabier Fernandez and Pepe Ribes traying
to pull some sails to windward onboard Telefonica
Blue, while Jordi Calafat is driving.
Photo © Gabriele Olivo / Telefonica Blue / Volvo Ocean Race.
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Leg 4 Day 7 - 13:00 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(Boat name / country / skipper / nationality / distance to finish)
1. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking / NED) DTF 1022 nm
2. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson / SWE) +78
3. Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri / ESP) +79
4. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael / BRA) +80
5. Green Dragon IRL / CHN (Ian Walker / GBR) +107
6. PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read / USA) +125
7. Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bérmudez / ESP) SUS
8. Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp / AUT) DNS
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all the latest news! |
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