Sport-heute: Sailing - Munteres Warten auf bessere Winde

28. Februar 2009, 22:57

Munteres Warten auf bessere Winde

Es ist verteufelt. Hier bei den Fiji Inseln herrschen eigene Sitten. So muss nun unser Plan B und wenn dieser nicht hilft Plan C zum Einsatz kommen. Das Schöne ist, dass wir in dieser Zeit wenigstens reden können und miteinander Karten spielen und alles andere Mögliche machen können. Das Problem ist, dass die grösste der Fiji Inseln sehr hoch ist und es dort überhaupt keinen Wind gibt. So fällt auch Plan B ins Wasser. Was aber viel mehr zählt ist, die lanschaftliche Schönheit dieser Inseln und der Gegend.

brüttisellen, 28.2.09 (mk) Originalberichte direkt von den Yachten

PUMA LEG FIVE DAY 15 QFB: received 28.02.09 1404 GMT

It is decisions like these that make racing fun and also makes the hair fallout in clumps. The ‘Fiji’ decision, as we called it on the boat was not made in haste or without an amazing amount of thought. Capey (Andrew Cape – navigator) was essentially analysing it for days. First goal was to get to the east of the islands by sailing tight to the wind for literally four or five days. That was our own personal drag race with Ericsson 3.

But once we decided that getting up and over the island wasn't to be without a couple painful tacks, the emergence of plan B and plan C came into effect. Plan B, go through the middle as we did and Plan C was to go to the west of both islands.

Plan C never really got much traction because the western island of Fiji is huge and very high and we were really concerned about a huge wind shadow under the island.

Plan B started to take shape when the weather routing for the next week began to unfold. Essentially we liked being to the west of the group after Fiji, so the plan to get around Fiji wasn't really that big a deal - it was where we wanted to be after the fact. And at this point in time we like where we are and we came out with a 20 mile lead or so. What's not to like?

As I sit here writing, I can rationalise to myself that ‘Plan B’ could have been a lot better for us, and a lot worse. First of all, we had wind all the way through. We had no idea really what to expect in that channel although we did have good current information. We expected some common sense geographic changes to the wind and directions and strengths and it really played out almost to plan. Pretty fortunate really. So for this reason it could have been a lot worse

On the other hand, the guys that went east got much better shifts and the breeze stayed stronger than we were anticipating, based on the weather analysis onboard. They got out of there about three to four hours better than we thought. To be honest, if we had thought it would have been that close, we probably would have stuck with our Plan A.

But that is why it is called ancient history. We are done with Fiji for this day. Gorgeous sail. We certainly won the ‘scenic beauty while sailing’ award for our route. Really deep water with about a million living reefs growing to the surface everywhere. That is why it was so tough. We had to sail a lot of extra distance to get through the minefield of reefs. Amazing green mountainous terrain, at least on the western island. It was cool to smell land again.

When it is all said and done, I really don't think that Fiji will have been the deciding factor in this race, but it did bring a bit of added stress to this young man for about 24 hours. I hope to come back to Fiji some day. But next time with an umbrella in my rum drink, enjoying those reefs, and not trying to dodge them.

Off to the races heading south towards New Zealand. The Kiwi's aboard have already started the banter about God’s country and the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’. One thing is for sure, if NZ can be as friendly to il Mostro as Fiji was, it will be God's country in my mind.

We live to play another day.

Kenny Read - skipper

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ERICSSON 3 LEG FIVE DAY 15 QFB: received 28.02.09 2049 GMT

Adrenalin, beards and celebration

I just had a moment. One of those moments when you start to think that everything about this race is pretty cool again. Living in this bubble that we do sometimes makes you forget that.

We have been going pretty slowly for a couple of days and it has been really warm. It is very nice to be on deck during the mornings and afternoons when the sun is low. But it gets a bit boring, in the long term. These boats are built for action. And yesterday we got some.

Clouds were surrounding us. They sucked up all the wind and left us lying almost still. But all of a sudden, one cloud started to rain and push gusts of 20 knots on us. At the same time, we got a lift and the boat accelerated in seconds. 10-13- 15- 17-18-19-20-22 knots!

The traveller was released instantly, also some mainsheet.

“Release checkstay and pump more outhaul, Magnus Woxén was calling from windward with the traveller in his hand. Martin Krite was on the project before Woxén finished the sentence. The sail was quickly becoming more flat, releasing more air from the top with a more efficient shape for the higher speed.

It was completely flat water and we were swishing along with the adrenalin- rushing shout from the daggerboards and some nice speed swells behind. Everyone were instantly smiling and on top of the game. At the same time we were crossing our fingers for the wind to stay.

It brought my thoughts back to sailing skiffs. With the long bowsprits, huge gennakers and flat hulls, it doesn’t take much wind before you take off and get a thrilling ride. A VO70 is like an enormous skiff with the same feeling that there is no stop to it. But is has a swing keel instead of trapezes and it’s equipped with a galley, bunks and navstation so you can take on any sea.

The movements in the boat are pretty much the same – very quick and intense –and you have to hold on.

On the housekeeping front Magnus Olsson had a big moment today. He is a true coffee addict and he was very disappointed when there was no ‘real’ coffee in the day bag the first days. Just cappuccinos and small bags with ready mixed coffee. Magnus wants the real stuff, with only coffee in it, ‘no sugar or any other crap’.

I had a look through almost half of our food bags but couldn’t find it. At this stage, 15 days into the race and 18 days at sea for most of us, he has got used to it. But this morning I opened a bag I didn’t look in before. And there it was. Magnus was celebrating.

Since it has been pretty calm and very warm down below, the last couple of days some of the guys have a hard time sleeping during their off watch. There is more emailing to girlfriends, more news reading, and the magazine that Magnus Woxén brought onboard will probably fall in pieces soon. Also Magnus Olsson has had more quizzes going on than usual. In seconds he can come up with a bunch of tricky questions. It can be about mountains, actors, movies, capitals, sports, and today also cars. “Name four brands that start and end with the same letter?” At last something I could answer, joining the club of worthless knowledge..

We also have a beard competition going. We start to look pretty bad out here. Not that anyone cares, but if I send some close ups you will get a good laugh.

Gustav Morin – MCM

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TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG FIVE DAY 15 QFB: received 28.02.09 1404 GMT

We have now nearly passed the last group of small islands of Fiji, and soon we are back in lonely mode, just us and the big ocean. Even though we did not like to sail between the islands, it gave us no other option, and it was nice change of scenery. But we are still in it, and haven’t lost too much ground to the teams in the east. Actually we did very well compared with Puma, who was well over three hours ahead of us once we entered the islands, and we reduced that deficit back to two hours. The stacking of the 3500 kg of gear gave our legs, back and arms a good workout. I don’t know how many times today we shifted it from side to side, when it was necessary to tack for yet another reef.

Now it is just after midnight, just got rained by a heavy rain squall, and another one is lurking on the horizon. Went down to observe the radar and it looks like it is getting bigger and bigger. It will be again a fine line of either hanging on to the big sail, or make a change sail change, which most likely will have to be done again after the squall is over. Each cloud is still different.

I have a quick peek in the bunks, the off watch has ‘passed’ out, not much sleep for anybody in the last 20 hours, but now back on a steady course, I hope for them that we don’t have to wake them up, but if we change sails, no mercy for anybody.

The first two weeks are nearly behind us, and still a very long way to go, the outlook in the south is still not so flash. I might be in for a new personal record, for the amount of days at sea in one stretch, good to know that we brought plenty of food with us.

Bouwe Bekking - skipper

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PUMA Ocean Racing off the North Coast of Viti Levu, Fiji, on leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race

Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race Norwegian squad. Eivind Melleby helming, Aksel Magdahl holding on and Arve Roaas trimming.

Ericsson 3Leg 5(Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race For EDITORIAL USE only, please credit: Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race

Ericsson 3 passing a couple of islands just norh of Fiji. Arve Roaas trimming.