Volvo Ocean Race, enigma Doldrums
Equipo TelefonicaEricsson RacingGreen Dragon RacingOceanoPuma Ocean RacingVelaVolvo Ocean Race 22 Febbraio 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic=1786,250,170,,left]Volvo Ocean Race – Qingdao – Ericsson 4, leader sin dalla partenza della quinta tappa della Volvo Ocean Race, ha fatto il suo ingresso nel Doldrums e a godere del netto rallentamento dello scafo di Torben Grael è Telefonica Blue, partito alla volta di Qingdao con un ritardo di 19 ore rispetto al diretto avversario.
“Ho appena letto l’ultimo report e ha visto che finalmente Ericsson 4 si è fermato e ho pensato che i Doldrums sono iniziati proprio dove immaginavo fossero: a bordo cominciavano a dubitare delle mie parole” ha fatto sapere il navigatore di Telefonica Blue, Tom Addis.
Dal canto suo, l’equipaggio di Bouwe Bekking avanza con passo deciso spinto da venti tesi e guadagna miglia su miglia nei confronti del leader: “Solitamente in casi come questi si cerca un approccio ai Doldrums ragionato, ma in questa occasione, a voler essere onesti, pensiamo prevalentemente all’opportunità di rimonta che si stà materializzando”. Opportunirtà sottolineata dalla differenza di medie tra gli scafi: Ericsson 4 e Puma avanzano a 9 nodi, mentre Telefonica Blue a 16.
A bordo di Ericsson 4, invece, l’umore non è dei migliori nonostante Puma sia tornato a perdere terreno, come spiega Joca Signorini: “Cerchiamo di tenere la barca in movimento e guardiamo cosa fanno gli altri, in attesa che anche per loro si aprano le porte dei Doldrums”.
Pare aver fermato la propria rimonta anche Ericsson 3, protagonista di un grande ritorno nel corso dei giorni passati. Da bordo dello scafo di Magnus Olsson, posizionato una decina di ore davanti a Telefonica Blue, giungono notizie poco incoraggianti. L’equipaggio, portatosi a sole 25 miglia dalla vetta, lotta con il vento inferiore ai cinque nodi, segno che le temute calme equatoriali non sono poi così lontane.
Nell’avvicinarsi all’Equatore, la flotta è ormai giunta nei pressi delle Isole Marshall, arcipelago composto da 29 atolli e 5 isole maggiori. A sfiorarle sarà Green Dragon, posizionatop 100 miglia a est rispetto alla scia di Ericsson 4. Descritte come luoghi paradisisaci, le isole muovono le fantasie dei membri dei vari equipaggi. Addirittura c’è che pianifica un ritorno in viaggio di piacere: “Credo che tornerò da queste parti con la mia famiglia – ha affermato Tom Addis dal ventre di Telefonica Blue – Se mi incotrerete per le strade, però, ricordatemi che sono in ferie e non deve pensare a riprendere il mare”.
L’avvicinarsi ai Doldrums ha portato con sé la pioggia che, a tratti, è caduta in modo quasi torrenziale. Una nota positiva per i velisti che hanno potuto concedersi il lusso di una doccia e, di conseguenza, di un cambio di vestiti. Una vere e propria manna dal cielo, utile a ripulire anche gli interni dei VOR 70, dove la puzza si era fatta davvero insopportabile.
Leg 5, day 8, 13.00 GMT, rankings
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 9545
2. Puma Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +21 nm
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +25 nm
4. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +170 nm
5. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +196 nm
Team Delta Lloyd NED/IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS
DOLDRUMS COMPRESSION GIVES HOPE TO BACK MARKERS
[Volvo Ocean Race Press Release] Ericsson 4 (Torben Grael), pathfinders in this 12,300 nm leg from Qingdao to Rio de Janeiro, has arrived in the Doldrums, much to the relief of the Telefónica Blue (Bouwe Bekking) who started leg five of the Volvo Ocean Race some 19 hours behind the rest of the fleet and now has a chance to close their deficit.
“The last sched has just come in and Ericsson 4 has finally parked – so, at last, the Doldrums are really there – people were starting not to believe me,” wrote Tom Addis, the navigator onboard the blue boat.
Telefónica Blue still has good breeze and is all set to make up some miles while the pressure holds. “We normally dread the light breeze that comes with this sort of transition, but, to be honest, we are all looking forward to the change in routine and the opportunities that it presents,” Addis said. The boat is still averaging 16 knots to Ericsson 4 and Puma’s nine.
Meanwhile, in the thick of clouds and light winds, Joca Signorini, the Brazilian trimmer on Ericsson 4, says the last 10 hours or so have been painful. “We are now trying to keep moving and waiting to see what happens with the others,” he said.
It will be an exciting few days now, as the backmarkers make gains on the leaders who are struggling. Ericsson 3 (Magnus Olsson), currently in third place, reports wind speed of below five knots, so this team too, has arrived at the ITCZ (Inter-tropical Convergence Zone otherwise known as the Doldrums). The Telefónica Blue team reckons they only have a few hours to go before they too, will be fighting with clouds and fickle winds.
The fleet is still picking its way through the Marshall Islands, a group of 29 atolls and five islands. Green Dragon (Ian Walker) on her course, some 100 nm east of the track of Ericsson 4, will pass closer to the islands than the rest of the fleet. The islands sound so interesting, according to the digital version of the Pacific Ocean pilot book, which Telefónica Blue has onboard, that Tom Addis thinks he might like to return one day for a more relaxed sailing holiday with his family, although he says, “If you see me in the street, please remind me not to set out from Qingdao in a Volvo 70.”
With the Doldrums comes rain, often in heavy bursts, which in turn, means clean crews and less smelly boats, as everyone onboard is able to have a tropical shower and a change of clothes. Ken Read, skipper of second-placed Puma, says he has been in some smelly situations, but the interior of Puma is rapidly passing them all as a top player in this week’s smelliest place on earth.
The monotony of a week of blast-reaching has not even been broken by wildlife to observe. Magnus Olsson (Ericsson 3) is very disappointed about this. No dolphins, no whales and no birds have been sighted, just the odd flying fish. That will all change, once the fleet reaches the Southern Ocean and the home of the Albatross and other sea life. “The birds down there are just fantastic,” says Olsson, who has a big fascination of the Albatross and its way of sweeping over the surface and diving between the waves without moving its wings.
Magnus will be pleased to learn that a large part of the monies raised from the Virtual Volvo Ocean Race competitors is to be donated to the Save the Albatross campaign in order to help prevent the extinction of these majestic birds.
At 13.00 GMT today Puma is 21 nm behind Ericsson 4, but averaging the same speed. Ericsson 3, however, is putting the pressure on Puma from just three miles astern and is still averaging just over 11 knots. The gap of over 200 nm for both Telefónica Blue and Green Dragon has now been cut significantly. Telefónica Blue has closed to 170 nm, making a gain of around 90 nm in the last 24 hours, while Green Dragon is still going strong, out to the east, and has cut 77 nm out of Ericsson 4’s lead.
Leg 5, day 8, 13.00 GMT, rankings
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 9545
2. Puma Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +21 nm
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +25 nm
4. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +170 nm
5. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +196 nm
Team Delta Lloyd NED/IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS
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