Slow boats to nowhere

Prolonged Doldrums crossing for the Volvo Ocean Race fleet

Image above courtesy of Expedition and Predictwind

The outbound Atlantic Doldrums crossing for the Volvo Ocean Race boats is lining up to be one of the most prolonged in the recent history of round the world racing.

Trying to edge across the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, to give the Doldrums its proper title, over the last 24 hours the fleet has effectively dived into three. Furthest west, Team Brunel and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing converged as they entered the Doldrums yesterday. Some 170 miles out to their east has been Team Vestas Wind, with MAPFRE initially inside (ie to the west of) her, with the three remaining boats between her and the western boats.

For Brunel and ADOR, the wind disappeared yesterday afternoon and several times during the evening, but since around midnight UTC they have been making slow but solid progress south with the wind shifting from northeast to southeast. Their choice of tactic appears to have been the best of a bad bunch on this occasion...so far.

The boats in the middle, including MAPFRE, have had the hardest time. Leading in this group, Dongfeng Race Team, ground to a halt yesterday mid-afternoon and again for a longer spell mid-evening, at roughly the same times as Team Alvimedica and Team SCA got stuck astern of her. All three have spent the early hours of this morning heading southeast but the wind remains light and in the northeast, indicating that they are not yet through the Doldrums (indicated by the wind settling in the southeast). However their progress has been much slower than the western boats - since 1700 yesterday Dongfeng, for example, has dropped back from being 32 miles behind the race leader (ADOR) to being 81 miles behind at the 0640 UTC sched.

On board MAPFRE, Michel Desjoyeaux appears to have used up his Doldrums lucky charms in his last Vendee Globe as the Spanish team has been hit hardest of the seven by the light, fickle and entirely unpredictable conditions that has caused them to drop back to last place. MAPFRE was 61 miles off the lead mid-afternoon yesterday and has now dropped back to being 120 miles behind at the 0640 sched. However this is good news for female race fans because it means that Team SCA is no longer the tailender.

The surprise success story is that of Team Vestas Wind where skipper Chris Nicholson and navigator Wouter Verbraak since around 1700 yesterday appear to have struck air-born gold. For the Danish team the wind may still be in the northeast, but at least there has been wind and this has allowed them to make solid progress south, over the last two hours at speeds exceeding 10 knots - the fastest in the fleet. However this glory could well be short lived as at some point they must cross into the southeasterly and in the Doldrums this transition is rarely an easy one.

Weather-wise the satellite wind radar images are providing no help this morning. The GRIBs, for what use they are in this part of the ocean, indicate that Team Vestas Wind might get the most solid breeze in the east today however the teams need to get their skates on as a giant area of nothingness appears to be developing at around 5°N tomorrow (the boats are currently between 6°30 and 8°N.

From Matt Knighton on board Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing:

We’re playing a “dancing game” onboard Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing – both onboard and on the water.

Since entering the Doldrums, our position at the far West of the fleet has resulted in big gains.  A consistent wind, not seen in the weather files, was driving us South at around 10-15 knots of boat speed.

Looking at a position report, Ian commented, “In many ways we ignored what the weather data was saying and bet on the traditional route through the Doldrums which says go West.  Still, anything can happen.  We could get a building breeze that takes us into the trades or the wind could just quit on us at any moment.  It’s the Doldrums.”

And moments later…it quit.  Dropping to nothing, we were forced to tack several times with flapping sails as we shuffled across the glassy water looking for wind.  Our only respite was Brunel’s faint and still mast light on the horizon saying they were seeing the same.

Onboard, it has been a constant waltz as all the members of ADOR have taken full advantage of this time to rest; prepping for the drag race that’s sure to start.  The watch system has been rotating efficiently and it seems for the first time, there are always 4 people sound asleep down below or up on top of the sail stack.  Whispering has become the new rule.  Even during tacking maneuvers, we are trying to keep at least 2 to 3 people in the rack so as to maximize the resting.

As I write, the wind has starting to build again.  8 kts of boat speed.  This could be the build Ian talked about…or we might take two steps back again.