Team Brunel and Team SCA have made the first bold moves on leg four of the Volvo Ocean Race, with the duo hoping a push north for more wind will pay dividends.
Both SCA and Brunel took the decision to tack north towards Taiwan, while the other four crews chose the more direct, diagonal route towards the Solomon Islands on Wednesday.
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The former means more miles, but potentially more wind and therefore speed, whilst any navigator choosing the shorter, latter option risks getting caught in light airs. As the fleet entered the Pacific Ocean, Sam Davies and Bouwe Bekking’s crews face an agonising wait of around a week to discover if their tactics have paid off, although early indications suggest they have.
We’re still up north with @team_sca trying to get on the highway to Auckland! Let’s hope this move pays dividend! pic.twitter.com/CW9xrjTPB6
— BrunelSailing (@brunelsailing) February 11, 2015
“So far, the weather models say they have got it right, but it will be six or seven days, or even more, before we know for sure,” said the race’s official meteorologist, Gonzalo Infante.
“The danger for SCA and Brunel will be as they enter a stretch of Doldrums, which can be random. But they could well end up in a very strong position by the time they reach the South Pacific.”
The four-strong main pack was being led by Spanish boat Mapfre late last night, with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Alvimedica both two miles back.
Overall race leaders Dongfeng Race Team were chasing hard in fourth, just another mile behind.
The strain of the opening days of Leg 3 is written large on @ADORSkipper’s face #InAbuDhabi #GoAzzam #VolvoOceanRace pic.twitter.com/fW0nMxW7zP
— AbuDhabiOceanRacing (@ADORlog) February 11, 2015
Brunel and SCA were both 132nm adrift in fifth and sixth.
While ADOR skipper Ian Walker will be delighted at being near the front, he said prior to the leg start that it was not essential for his team to win the race to Auckland.
“I don’t think we need to win the leg, we need to be in the top three and be solid, and be ahead of our nearest rivals,” said the 44-year-old skipper. “If we were to finish second with Dongfeng in third and Brunel in fourth that would be a fantastic result.”
