Volvo Ocean Race, verso il profondo sud
Equipo TelefonicaEricsson RacingGreen Dragon RacingOceanoPuma Ocean RacingVelaVolvo Ocean Race 3 Marzo 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic=1872,250,170,,left]Volvo Ocean Race – Oceano Pacifico – Le temperature scendono, le cerate tornano in coperta, a bordo si effettuano ispezioni approfondite ad albero e sartiame e si mettono in sicurezza gli effetti personali in vista del deteriorarsi delle condizioni meteo. Segnali che richiamano il profondo sud, ma prima, per gli equipaggi, l’imperativo è stare concentarti sul raggiungiemnto del cancello posto a 36 gradi di latitudine sud, primo mark della frazione che assegnerà punti pesanti ai fini della classifica generale.
A spiegare come sta cambiando la vita a bordo è Guy Salter, media Crew Member di Ericsson 4: “La temperatura è scesa parecchio e a bordo abbiamo iniziato ad aprire le sacche contenenti gli abiti pesanti e i capi termici. Il mare è mosso e si balla, anche se forse ci eravamo abituati bene nel corso degli ultimi giorni. Anche se il tempo volge al peggio non ci preoccupiamo di tanto. Il cancello non è troppo lontano: una volta lì potremo fare rotta verso est, verso Capo Horn”.
Anche Rick Deppe, da Puma, conferma che a bordo si comincia a sentire freddo: “Nelle ultime 24 ore il meteo ha virato vertso il freddo e credo che sarà così per le prossime due settimane: termiche e capi pesanti no ci abbandoneranno”.
Per quanto riguarda le posizioni, le cose non sono cambiate molto. Ericsson 4 guida con 10 miglia di margine su Ericsson 3 e 11 su Il Mostro. Attardati rispetto al gruppetto di testa sono Green Dragon e Telefonica Blue, entrambi tornati a ridosso dei migliori, ma incapaci di piazzare il colpo vincente.
A proposito di Telefonica Blue, ad accollarsi le colpe della scelta tattica costata svariate miglia è stato il navigatore Tom Addis: “E’ inutile nascondersi dietro un dito: la notte scorsa, quando siamo finiti sotto un fronte carico d’acqua, ho fatto la scelta sbagliata e abbiamo sofferto per oltre cinque ore, perdendo tanto terreno”. Una dichiarazione ripresa con umorismo da Bouwe Bekking, lo skipper: “Siamo passati da una situazione a cinque a una situazione di m…. in una manciata di miglia”.
Se da un lato si sorride, dall’altro si pensa con serietà ai pericoli che il profondo sud porta con sé, Wouter Verbraak, navigatore di Green Dragon, ha scritto: “Mi fa piacere vedere che tutti stanno prendendo sul serio l’aspetto sicurezza: dentro noi c’è ancora il ricordo della morte di Hans Horrevoets, finito in mare nel corso dell’ultima Volvo da bordo di ABN Amro Two. Proprio ieri Guillermo Altadill ha esortato tutti ad indossare le cinture di sicurezza, ricordando che il salvagente garantisce solo di poter galleggiare anche da morti. Alle velocità raggiunte da queste barche, non c’è tempo per tornare indietro prima che l’ipotermia abbia completato il suo lavoro. E’ una realtà da tenere bene a mente”.
Leg 5, day 17, 13.00 GMT, rankings
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 7.353 nm
2. Puma Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +11 nm
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +11 nm
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +57 nm
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +57 nm
Team Delta Lloyd NED/IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS
BRACED FOR ACTION
[Volvo Ocean Race Press Release] The temperature is dipping, the heavy layers are going on, rigs are being checked … a sure sign that the Southern Ocean is preparing to puff out its chest. All on board are assuming the brace position. As reported in today’s Ten Zulu, the chess game of the past few days is about to become a full-blown contact sport.
Before then, the chance to put the first points of this Leg 5 on the board lies at the scoring gate at latitude 36 degrees south some 200 miles away for the front runners.
The first whiff that life on board was turning from the cerebral to the corporeal came via an email yesterday from Ericsson 4 Media Crew Member Guy Salter. “Do the words port tack, upwind, cold weather ring any bells? They do for us – he wrote – The temperature has dropped a fair amount today and one by one the kit bags have been emptying a fair amount as the first layer of thermals are put on. The sea is starting to get choppy and we are starting to slam a little – but most of this is probably us getting used to the motion once more after the calm waters of the last week. At least with the first signs of the deteriorating conditions we know that the left turn and the east heading isn’t too far away – which means the finish, the families and freedom are just around the corner. When these boats get going it’s just a matter on head down and hang on as the miles dissipate.”
Rick Deppe also reports that the crew on Puma is bracing for the advancing chill. “In the last 24 hours the weather has taken a noticeable cooling off, a temporarily reprieve before things change once again and then its thermals and foul weather gear for two weeks.
On the race track, battle rages on two fronts. To the east, three’s a crowd, as Puma is still impaired by the double vision of the Ericsson twins. By the 16.00 GMT Position Report, Ericsson 4, lying 300 miles from New Zealand’s East Cape, was 10 miles ahead of sistership Ericsson 3 which was one mile better off than PUMA. Meanwhile, out west, Green Dragon and Telefonica Blue have been trading places over the past 24 hours. At present they are locked together at +57 miles in an ongoing saga of gain versus pain.
Telefonica Blue navigator Tom Addis spent some time in the confessional cubicle after a tactical call went awry overnight. Before entering, he cast his mind back to Emirates Team New Zealand chief and Volvo veteran Grant Dalton during the last America’s Cup. Dalton adopted the policy of sending his key decision-makers to the post-race press conference, irrespective of results on the day. “I’m sure that Dalts’ method was partly in respect for the audience but also to front-up to situations and not hide away and pretend that bad things didn’t happen – Addis recalled – Well, writing this feels like one of those situations for me after a very painful, expensive night last night. Surrounded by rain clouds, I chose the wrong option course-wise and we ended up in a world of pain for the next five hours or so.”
For Telefonica Blue skipper Bouwe Bekking, there was a sense of humour malfunction. “From the penthouse to the s**thouse in a matter of miles,” he declared.
The culprits were a massive cloud and shifting winds. According to team-mate Simon Fisher it was if a “if a massive foot had descended from the heavens and stamped right on us”.
The end result was long periods of calm, an overtaking move by Green Dragon and the loss of several miles to the leaders. The Blue boat has since overturned the deficit and is back on the Dragon’s case.
Finally, a poignant reminder of the perils of the profession and a reassuring note to his wife from Green Dragon’s navigator Wouter Verbraak. In a reference to fellow Dutchman Hans Horrevoets, the crewman of ABN Amro Two who lost his life in the 2005-06 race, he wrote … “The next two weeks will be all about keeping the boat and the crew together. And I have to think for a moment of our good friend Hans Horrevoets who`s tragic loss at sea is a bleak reminder to us all of how easy things can take a turn for the worse. I am happy to see that everybody is taking safety seriously and clips on. As Guillermo (Altadill) says, ‘Clip on mate, the lifejacket only makes sure that you will be dead floating. Stay on the boat.’ At the speeds these Volvo Open 70s are doing it will be impossible to get back in time. A harsh reality we all have in the back of our mind. Kristine, my love, I know you’re worried, but know this, I am sailing with a great team of the best sailors in the world. No heroes here, just fathers, husbands and sons looking out for each other while racing their hearts out. Sleep well.”
Leg 5, day 17, 13.00 GMT, rankings
1. Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 7.353 nm
2. Puma Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +11 nm
3. Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +11 nm
4. Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +57 nm
5. Telefónica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +57 nm
Team Delta Lloyd NED/IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telefónica Black ESP (Fernando Echávarri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.