Over the Equator

Next stop Fernando de Noronja later today for the Volvo Ocean Race front runners

Image above courtesy of Expedition and Predict Wind

Positions at 0655

Pos	Boat	Skipper	Lat	Long	24hr	DTF	DTL
1	Green Dragon	Ian Walker	02,59.88S	032,42.48W	272	3412.5
2	Puma	Ken Read	02,36.26S	032,43.17W	279	3435.8	23.3
3	Ericsson 4	Torben Grael	02,34.16S	032,35.89W	284	3436.1	23.6
4	Telefonica Black	Fernando Echavarri	02,09.64S	032,13.55W	291	3462	49.5
5	Telefonica Blue	Bouwe Bekking	00,58.94S	031,50.06W	285	3535.7	123.2
6	Ericsson 3	Anders Lewander	00,10.02S	031,37.36W	278	3586.1	173.6
7	Delta Lloyd	Ger O'Rourke	00,05.42S	030,47.17W	293	3606.1	193.6
8	Team Russia	Andreas Hanakamp	00,23.28N	031,58.28W	271	3615.7	203.2

This morning finds Ian Walker's team on Green Dragon continuing to lead the charge down the Atlantic, at the latest sched she is 23 miles ahead of Puma, with the turning mark/scoring gate at the Brazilian archepelago of Fernando de Noronha just over 50 miles away. Since leaving the Doldrums the boats have been on port tack close reaching towards the mark with the leaders sailing into more pressure ( Green Dragon currently has 23 knots TWS compared to back marker Delta Lloyd with 18 knots).

In the conditions Walker's team have been doing well to hang on in front of the more powerful (and stable) Puma and Ericsson 4 and over the last 24 hours the top three have tightened up with Puma closing in from 30 miles yesterday morning to 23 at the latest sched.

Sadly after rounding the turning mark there appears to be no reprieve. At present the South Atlantic high is way to the south of its usual position (in the middle of the south Atlantic) and is currently centred at 35degS. Thus once round the turning mark the direct course to Cape Town is 3300 miles upwind to Cape Town at present, the wind directly on the schnoz.

The boats are certain to head south on port tack to see where the high moves but they seem set to be hard on the wind until at least they reach the latitude of Rio, more than 1000 miles away... nice.

In fact the longer term forecast shows the high being shoved east beneath South Africa in two day's time while a new area of high pressure develops to the southeast of Rio and eventually moves east more to its typical position mid-South Atlantic (stil further south than it should be). It looks possible that the positioning of this relative to a depression that is rolling through the Southern Ocean in around 4-5 days time could reward the front runners with the possibility of 'cutting the corner' to Cape Town (typically you have to sail many more miles to skirt the west and then south sides of the high) with a fast lane of northwesterlies between the two. However they can but dream, for before then they will have several days of filling loosening upwind work to deal with first.

Yesterday of course, the boats crossed the equator with Green Dragon first to cross at around 1500. For four crew members on board the Chino-Irish leader, including skipper Ian Walker, this was their first crossing of the equator. Prior to the crossing King Neptune (aka Neal McDonald) appeared just on cue with his vindictive wife Queen Codfish (aka Tom Braidwood). They summoned all first timers to cross the equator, Walker, Freddy Shanks, the Chinese media crew member Guo Chuan and Andrew McLean underwent a traditional ceremony onboard as they paid homage to King Neptune. The grisly ritual included drinking a rather unpleasant concoction and being covered in the slops of two days meals! Proceedings came to a close before it got out of hand with Ian Walker being forced to bite the head off a two day old flying fish. All of the above was of course carried out on the ‘high side’ so as not to lose speed as Anthony Merrington helmed with distinction throughout. King Neptune gave safe passage to Green Dragon and her crew who passed into the Southern Hemisphere with a 29 mile lead.

Guy Salter reports from Ericsson 4 :

It became apparent a few days ago that at least one essential piece of kit had been overlooked, the scene played out like it has done so may times before over the centuries: Where is it? I thought you were bringing it! No I thought you were...

We have no apparatus for shaving, and all onboard are feeling the beardy itch! It will be a chance to be like the Whitbread hero's - Blake, Dalton, Shoebridge and even Brooke - and sport some facial hair parked on the top lip (may even get some tight rugby shorts and aviator sunnies for that maxi ketch look). Not sure how my long-suffering wife will put up with me trying to look like Magnum PI but looking more like something from the 'Planet of the Apes’ for the couple of weeks before I’m in Cape Town.

On a more sailing-related note - we are out of the Doldrums and sailing on the wind on port. Just before a sail change an hour or so ago I heard the line ‘Well looks like we are back to normal sailing then,’ as everyone struggled back into their kit. So it's a push on to Noronha with a short break for the Brazilian version of the equator crossing. I'm expecting Horace (Carabelli) to have big colourful feathers on his Neptune outfit in true Rio carnival style.

Bouwe Bekking reports from Telefonica Blue :

Have to have a chat with our Dutch friend who supplied some of our freeze dried food, first it was the mince pot with hardly any mince in it, and now it the Nasi Goreng with chicken, who gets some complaints: We are all entering the Mazda competition here onboard. Jono (Jonathan Swain) is the judge, whoever is going to find the first piece of chicken wins the car.

So far no luck for anybody. We all know by now that the west paid of hugely, but probably the best route has been by the Telefonica Black, they will make some good gains on the leaders in the next 36 hours. So what about ourselves? Of course not happy. We would have liked to be more west, but missed literally the boat, when we parked up. But finally out in the south east trades, and making some miles in the right direction. We have been very generous with our food calcs, we have taken food for 24 days, so that is okay, and enough fuel for the boys to keep going. But still very anxious about our diesel amount, thought we were very safe, but it looks like very soon have to take some drastic measurers.

By the way all the guys are doing well, some ‘butt rashes, but for the rest healthy and happy.

Nick Bubb reports from Team Russia

Finally a few spare minutes where I’m not desperate to ‘hit the rack’. It’s around 1800 local time and it’s the end of another scorching day at the middle of the earth. The boat is still stinking hot down below and the last thing I want to do is sweat a Kg of warm slightly salty liquid on my watch buddy below. Sitting at a computer isn’t that thrilling an option either, but Mark’s kindly lent me his which is loaded with funny stories, pictures and videos, all of which seem all the more hilarious after 10 days at sea.

It’s been an awesome start to this epic race and to be so close after so many hours hard racing is fantastic for everyone involved in the event. It still feels a little surreal for me to be out here as a competitor. So many of my idols have cut their teeth on this race track and I’m ‘stoked’ to be given my chance. It only seems a few years ago that I remember visiting St Catherine’s dock in London to see Steinlager 2, back after her stunning victory in the ‘89/90 race. I was ten at the time……which makes some of our crew today feel a little old…. but I can still clearly remember the experience and we still have the pictures at home.

Is it what I expected? Every bit and more!! By the end of this race I will have clocked up well over 100,000 offshore racing miles but each time I go offshore, I’m struck by how simplistic life can be. No ‘phone calls or emails, no day-to-day hassles, just four hours on and four hours off. One of the really interesting parts of my role within the team, compared with the short-handed sailing I usually do, is no real involvement in the navigation side of things, which right now is where the real stress is at. I just need to keep the boat in one piece, do my share of the driving, trimming, grinding, stacking……and sleep, happy days.

What do I miss the most? I’m not sure I should really say this but my dog Shackleton; quite simply the best friend a man could ever have. He’s off having adventures of his own and like his buddy, he knows how to have fun too so no worries there. Take care Shack!

Although we are pretty cut off from the outside world, it’s nothing compared with the sailors of days gone by and it’s great to receive occasionally updates on world news, gossip and especially sport!! On a sad note I was gutted to hear of Alex Thomson’s dismasting just prior to the start of the Vendee Globe. Anyone who has worked hard on any campaign will surely feel for him and I hope it all comes together in time for him to fight it out in one of the other truly great ocean races. I know we will be in Cape Town before they start….fingers crossed, but best of luck to all the guys and girls in the Vendee Globe 2008.

Just a few minutes to look ahead now, ocean sailing is always a great time for contemplation and my life-long dream of running a small boatyard back in Suffolk still burns brightly in my thoughts. Building a boat or two a year, looking after my friends’ yachts and generally enjoying a relaxed pace of life…..I’m not even 30 and I’m looking forward to slowing down, something must be wrong, the Doldrums must be getting to me!! I know I’ve got a few more Volvos and a least one Vendee Globe left in me yet!

In the more immediate future……Cam (Cameron Wills) and Mikey, (Mike Joubert), our resident South Africans, constantly talk of the fun we’re all going to have in Cape Town and the great people we’re going to meet. The last thing I want to do is wish the race away, but I am really looking forward to finally getting to stop at some of the beautiful places that I’ve only ever raced past before.

Right, now it’s time for ‘the rack’, it sounds like punishment but it’s heaven. We’ve got every chance in this race still and despite the stories of rolling around in no wind, I can promise you we are fighting hard to be at the front of this race and there is still a long way to go. Take care all, thanks for your messages of support, hang in there with us!!

Ger O'Rourke reports from Delta Lloyd

Delta Lloyd Skipper Log Day 10, position 615nm NNE of Fernando scoring gate off Brazil, just on 5 degrees north. Boat speed a slow 5 Knots in 5.9 knots of wind speed - yes still in Doldrums with the rest of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet. Code Zero and mainsail plan. We are left of the course now spread over 240nm, nearest boat are the Russians (60nm ahead of us) just 30nm off our Stb. beam whom we gained 3 miles as measured to ate over last two scheds.

140nm ahead the Dragons are now getting early pay back for a right hand move taken 4 days ago - well done to them as they had to take some loss at that time to gybe west away from gate. Looks like they picked the winning side this time. We now concentrate on the Russians and pick off one by one to the gate and Cape Town. Some 4,500nm sailing to be done yet. Weather forecasts are again accurate outside the Doldrums for this stage of the leg compared against not one grid file I have seen that was accurate for the Doldrums Delta Lloyd has experienced.

Highlights for today were spotting a few whales 200 metres of the Stb side and a close ship crossing who decided not to give way to sail. The chicken run was the highlight with the watch leader miss calculating our crossing, calling for permission to cross, the master of the 200m ship holding his ground and speeding up and eventually passing us an embarrassing half a mile ahead, was the source of much amusement.

Rig repair’s holding well, tack line repair of chambered spectra carried out on prod. Other wise the boat is good. As we prepare for the night ahead we load any sails, sheets and halyards we may need for any sail option we may encounter to allow for easy fast response to weather conditions.

Crew are still in good spirits and will fight place by place to Cape Town.

Freeze dried desert is like baby food but going down well as a change in flavour from the chicken.

More photos on the following pages...