Portimao Global Ocean Race Leg 3, Week 2 in review

2:34 AM Tue 10 Mar 2009 GMT

'Race tracker for Leg 3, Week 2' Portimao Global Ocean Race

As the Portim?o Global Ocean Race moves into its second week in the Pacific Ocean, the mandatory southern limit at 45?S becomes a major feature, sandwiching the fleet between high winds to the south, and a windless, high pressure zone to the north.

Dramatic compression occurs as the fleet try numerous options to escape light airs and the four boats bunch together before lining up for the scoring gate at 130?W as the wind builds for the first Southern Ocean storm.

Day 8. Saturday 28th February:
With the fleet spread only 20 miles north-south and 20 miles east-west, the four boats reach the western end of the Pacific Ocean ice gate at 45?S, led by Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson on Team Mowgli with Felipe Cubillos and Jos? Mu?oz on Desafio Cabo de Hornos in second and Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer furthest south in third. With SW breeze of 10-18 knots and frequent squalls, Desafio Cabo de Hornos explode a spinnaker.

Day 9. Sunday 1st March:
Beluga Racer begins to drop back behind the fleet while Desafio Cabo de Hornos takes the lead. On Roaring Forty, solo sailor, Michel Kleinjans, reports a broken block for the headsail tackline system. By midnight GMT, the fleet's speed average drops below five knots as a high pressure system to the north begins to stall progress.

Day 10. Monday 2nd March:
Desafio Cabo de Hornos continue to lead with Team Mowgli in second. Recording the slowest speed averages in the fleet at 2.3 knots, Beluga Racer remains in third. As the high pressure and light winds grip the fleet, Roaring Forty drops back to 40 miles behind the race leader.

Day 11. Tuesday 3rd March:
Desafio Cabo de Hornos and Team Mowgli move down from the north away from the high pressure area to rendezvous with Roaring Forty and Beluga Racer. Dramatic compression occurs with Team Mowgli 3.7 miles behind Desafio Cabo de Hornos and Beluga Racer back in the competition just 6.7 miles behind the leader. Michel Kleinjans and Roaring Forty are only nine miles behind the double-handed leader. All yachts are within visual range of each other at around midnight GMT.

Day 12. Wednesday 4th March:
Beluga Racer takes the lead in the early morning, but Desafio Cabo de Hornos regains pole position by 0620 GMT with the double-handed fleet separated by under seven miles. Roaring Forty is furthest north, but there is only a 17 mile north-south spread within the race fleet. Average speeds drop quickly to below one knot for the double-handed fleet with single-hander, Roaring Forty, fastest at three knots. Team Mowgli takes the lead briefly as Desafio Cabo de Hornos and Beluga Racer move north.

Day 13. Thursday 5th March:
Solo sailor, Michel Kleinjans, leads the fleet on Roaring Forty. Desafio Cabo de Hornos leads the double-handed class with Beluga Racer two miles astern and Team Mowgli trail by 11 miles.

Day 14. Friday 6th March:
The south-westerly breeze begins to build as Desafio Cabo de Hornos creates a 12 mile lead over Beluga Racer. To the south, sailing close to the 45?S exclusion zone, Team Mowgli deliver the highest speed averages and Roaring Forty trails the leading double-handed boat by just six miles as the fleet prepare for the first big winds of Leg 3.

www.portimaoglobaloceanrace.com

by Oliver Dewar

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Portimao Global Ocean Race Leg 3, Week 2 in review

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