Sport-heute: Sailing - Eine sureale Welt aus Nebel und Wasser

19. Mai 2009, 13:58

Eine sureale Welt aus Nebel und Wasser

Wir segeln allein in einer surealen Welt nur der Horizont, Nebel und Wasser. Die Segel tropfen und ständig geht ein ekelhafter kalter Nieselregen. Die Verschlechterung nimmt stündlich zu. Wir haben Goretex angezogen und nur einen kleinen Schlitz für die Augen offen. Das kalte Wasser spielt mit dem Wind. Auch wenn wir mit 20 Knoten unterwegs sind, ist die Wasseroberfläche spiegelglatt.

Brüttisellen, 19.5.09 (mk) Delta Lloyd Leg Seven Day 4 QFB: received 19.05.09 0825 GMT

6 Grad ist das Wasser - 10 Grad die Luft lange konnten wir keine 50 Meter sehen, jetzt sind es immerhin 100. Auf das Wertungstor hin gibt es eine direktoe Linie die von Telefonica Blue und Green Dragon genommen wurde, wir auf der Delta Lloyd ziehen es lieber vor den längeren Weg zu nehmen, zu gross ist das Risiko.

Wir sind auch glücklich, dass das Missgeschick im Hafen ausgebügelt ist und der Tanker heil davon gekommen ist. Bald werden Eis, Eisberge und gefährliche Stürme auf uns warten. Heute Abend werden wir die Zone erreichen, wo das warme Wasser auf das kalte trifft.

Wouter Verbraak - navigator

It has been almost two days since we saw the last boat off the southernmost point of Nova Scotia. Since then, we have been charging along in a surreal world of fog and grey water. The sails dripping with water and a constant light drizzle making the already cold wind feel even colder.

We have maxed out on clothing and have only the smallest slit of our faces uncovered to look at the instruments on the mast. We might as well be blind folded as the numbers are mostly telling lies. The cold water is playing tricks with the wind. While there is 20 knots at the top of the rig, the water is like a mirror with not a ripple on the surface. Things are improving a bit as we cross from six degrees water into 10 degrees. The fog lifts a few more metres, and we can now see 100 metres instead of the usual 50 or less.

Tactically the scoring gate is complicating matters. With valuable points on the table going fast towards the gate is tempting, but will be costly for the long term. As the positions between Telefónica Negro and Green Dragon are pretty much fixed, we decide to go for the long term and go a more southerly route.

Crossing the scoring gate in sixth is not what we hoped for, but we are happy to have passed the Dragons after our tanker incident at the start. We are with the pack and ahead of us lies a tricky bit of sailing through more fog, light winds and variable currents.

We don’t expect big splits in the fleet, but there are big gains and losses to be made in the details. Later today and tomorrow we will be entering the zone where the cold water from the north meets the much warmer waters from the Gulf Stream. This enormous river is known for its unexpected twists and turns. Hit it right and you get a good 3-4 knot boast for a few hours. So it is all the play for to get to the first corner of the ice exclusion zone. Now after we have crossed the scoring gate a new challenge.

Wouter Verbraak - navigator

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Telefónica Blue Leg Seven Day 4 QFB: received 19.05.09 0942 GMT

Another four points in the bag, although this time is wasn’t over until the end.

At first, yesterday afternoon, it wasn’t looking good at all. For some reason we had been losing ground and were in 4th place, a couple of miles behind the leaders. We had been checking our foils regularly but nothing to see, but during one more check Pepe Ribes saw something. So immediately called or a back-up, (sailing backwards) to get the keel clean. It seemed to take forever before it was off, but finally it cleared. Then the fight was on, and slowly but surely we reeled the boats ahead in.

First Ericsson 3, then Ericsson 4 and finally PUMA. With the last boat we sailed for four hours nearly in reach of other. We could just see them in the fog, and we were in full inshore mode. Giving the helmsman speed numbers to sail to match PUMA. They could have nailed about two hours before reaching the gate, by reaching hard over us, as we had a little less pressure, but they didn’t.

We clawed back and edged a length ahead. For the last six miles, we put the bow a bit more down and slowly stretched on them, and I think we reached the gate about 35 seconds in front of them. No cheers, just a quick well done, as we had to tack to avoid the ice box. Of course we lost miles against the others, but that was the call, still we are close, and it looks like that the high pressure system will slow everybody down, so a small re-start.

Bouwe Bekking - skipper

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Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race On deck instrumentation onboard Green Dragon, on leg 7 from Boston to Galway

Gustav Morin/Ericsson 3/Volvo Ocean Race Aksel Magdahl and Thomas Johanson checking the weather charts onboard Ericsson 3, on leg 7 from Boston to Galway

Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race Weather charts showing route, sea temperature and the ice gate, onboard Green Dragon, on leg 7 from Boston to Galway

Gabriele Olivo/Telefonica Blue/Volvo Ocean Race Rough weather onboard Telefonica Blue, on leg 7 from Boston to Galway