Global Ocean Race - High speeds mean increased discomfort

For the six Class40s in the double-handed Global Ocean Race (GOR), Week 3 (9-15 October) of Leg 1 from Mallorca to Cape Town began with the fleet leaders, Campagne de France and BSL slowing as they entered the Doldrums and the offshore elastic band between the boats began to expand and contract at the front of the fleet. Phesheya-Racing and Sec. Hayai in fifth and sixth place left the Cape Verde Islands to port, trying to sail as far west as possible and avoid the worst conditions to the south. By Tuesday, the mid-fleet Class40s, Cessna Citation in third and Financial Crisis in fourth, were snared by the Doldrums as Campagne de France and BSL broke into the South East Trades and escaped south-west with Phesheya-Racing and Sec. Hayai closing in from the north in more stable breeze.

On Thursday, the mid-fleet pack, locked in a cycle of squalls and calms, were compressed to 350 miles in the Doldrums while Campagne de France and BSL extended their lead to just under two days, passing through the Fastnet Marine Insurance Scoring Gate at the Fernando de Noronha archipelago separated by four hours with Campagne de France taking the maximum six points.

Over Thursday and Friday morning, Cessna Citation and Financial Crisis found the Doldrums exit door and entered the Trades, followed late on Friday by Phesheya-Racing and Sec. Hayai. During the weekend, Cessna Citation and Financial Crisis crossed the Equator on Saturday with Cessna Citation taking four points at the Fastnet Marine Insurance Gate shortly after 01:00 GMT on Sunday and Financial Crisis just a few miles north of the gate at 15:00 GMT on Sunday.

Campagne de France and BSL have been picking up speed as they reach south with averages between 11 and 12 knots on Sunday afternoon: “We’re about 500 miles east from the city of Salvador at the entrance of the beautiful Baia de Todos os Santos,” reported Miranda Merron from Campagne de France on Sunday afternoon. “Salvador was the finish of the Transat Jacques Vabre race and it was after one such race that Josh Hall outlined his plans over a beer or a caipirinha for what is now the Global Ocean Race,” she continues.