Ocean Drag Race

Boat speed contest as Volvo Ocean Race boats head for Barbuda

Positions at 1000

PS	Yacht	Latitude	Longitude	DTF	DTL	DTL-C	SMG	CMG
1	Illbruck	11 22.24N	053 21.68W	1775	0	0	14.2	310
2	Assa Abloy	11 17.52N	053 09.76W	1787	12	1	14	313
3	Tyco	11 07.68N	053 12.44W	1791	16	2	13.9	305
4	SEB	10 08.28N	051 49.40W	1892	117	3	13.7	311
5	Amer One	09 51.36N	051 14.12W	1930	155	3	13.8	305
6	News Corp	09 32.68N	050 52.04W	1959	184	3	13.8	305
7	Amer Too	09 22.80N	050 51.56W	1965	190	5	13.3	313
8	djuice	08 37.44N	050 24.24W	2015	240	5	13.6	306

Forecast for 22 March



The drag race up to Barbuda on the corner of the Caribbean chain continues. Crossing the Doldrums there was a 200 mile split between News Corp to the north east and SEB to the south west, but now the boats are out of the Doldrums the fleet have gone back more or less into a single lane as they file north west at speed.

All the teams are now out of the Doldrums and powering along in the stable Trade Winds which are blowing at around 20 knots from the east to north east. As a result all are power reaching - regularly clocking up 14-15 knot average speeds, their boats fully cranked up under genniker, full main and will full water ballast pumped up to weather. Anything that is not nailed down - but mainly sails, spares and crew - is stacked up on the starboard side of their boats to order to get the maximum stability and therefore speed out of their craft.

Compared to the Doldrums or the Southern Ocean this stage of the race is relatively relaxing for the crews. Aside from the occasional sail change to respond to changing wind strengths, there are few manoeuvres to be done and few tactical options in these conditions - it all quite simply about sailing as fast as possible.

Yesterday Amer Sports Too lost a place to News Corp which they will be keen to regain. On board their watermaker has packed up and they are having to operate the hand pump, which tends to lose the pumper more in sweat than it gains in water.

One for the girls...'gorgeous' Gordon Macguire at the helm of News Corp