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8:35 AM Fri 27 Mar 2009 GMT
Portimao Global Oceab Race - Leg 3, Week 4 Review (Saturday 14th March - Friday 20th March):
In the race south-east through the Furious Fifties towards Cape Horn, Desafio Cabo de Hornos continue to extend their lead over the German team on Beluga Racer. Team Mowgli stays west, until moving further east on Monday, regrouping with the fleet.
A Force 12 gale leaves the fleet shaken but safe as the leading boats close in on the coast of Chile and downwind conditions for Desafio Cabo de Hornos and Beluga Racer in the final sprint to the cape results in the two boats rounding within 11 hours of each other on Thursday. The following day, Team Mowgli and single-handed entry, Roaring Forty, round the cape in far stronger conditions, with a violent broach for Michel Kleinjans. The race leaders opt for different strategies after the cape with Desafio Cabo de Hornos taking the longer route east of Isla de Los Estados, while Beluga Racer cut the corner through the Le Maire Straits.
Day 22: Saturday 14th March
As the fleet descend south-east towards Cape Horn, Felipe Cubillos and Jos? Mu?oz continue to extend their lead on Desafio Cabo de Hornos, moving 94 miles ahead of Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer with Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson on Team Mowgli dropping back to 130 miles behind the German Class 40. Desafio Cabo de Hornos averages 11 knots, three knots faster than Beluga Racer.
Day 23: Sunday 15th March
The Chilean team on Desafio Cabo de Hornos continue to pull away from the fleet, adding 21 miles in 24 hours, leading the German team on Beluga Racer by 115 miles and the British duo on Team Mowgli by 192 miles. Michel Kleinjans on Roaring Forty - 124 miles north of Team Mowgli - is passed by the Volvo Ocean Race entry Green Dragon, with Ian Walker's team sailing seven miles from the Belgian single-hander.
Day 24: Monday 16th March
The fleet recover from a Force 12 South-westerly gale with no major damage reported. Desafio Cabo de Hornos record 65 knots gusts; Team Mowgli report 50 knots. Beluga Racer trails Desafio Cabo de Hornos by 100 miles with Cubillos and Mu?oz furthest east, 300 miles off the coast of Chile. Team Mowgli are furthest west, 213 miles behind the leader with Roaring Forty a further 122 miles behind Team Mowgli. In the afternoon, Salvesen and Thomson hitch east, dropping further back to 248 miles behind Desafio Cabo de Hornos.
Day 26: Tuesday 17th March
The entire fleet continue through the Furious Fifties on starboard gybe in 20 knots of south-westerly breeze. Sailing 180 miles off the coast of Chile, Desafio Cabo de Hornos leads by 97 miles over Beluga Racer with Team Mowgli 124 miles ahead of Roaring Forty as the fleet's solo sailor, Michel Kleinjans trails the bright red Chilean Class 40 by 372 miles.
Day 27: Wednesday 18th March
Desafio Cabo de Hornos and Beluga Racer are sailing dead downwind, 70 miles off the coast of Chile with the Germans gaining a handful of miles from the Chileans, trailing the race leader by 89 miles. After 25 days at sea, the spread of the fleet is 400 miles.
Day 28: Thursday 19th March
At 0050 GMT, Desafio Cabo de Hornos rounds Cape Horn, escorted by the Chilean warship, Sibbald, carrying friends and family of Cubillos and Mu?oz. Beluga Racer rounds the cape just over ten hours later at 1030 GMT, passing very close to Horn Island and turning hard left as the wind shifts round from the north. Beluga Racer win the 'Navigator's Prize' for the closest ETA for rounding Caper Horn submitted earlier in the week before the yachts were within 1,000 miles of the cape. The German team's submitted ETA was -1 hour 30 minutes from their actual rounding.
Day 29: Friday 20th March
Team Mowgli have 60 knot gusts on the final approach to Cape Horn, hand steering for the final six hours, passing the cape in darkness at 0400 GMT. The fleet's solo sailor, Michel Kleinjans, is knocked down and broaches in huge seas shortly before rounding Cape Horn at 1425 GMT on Roaring Forty, just 291 miles behind the leading double-handed boat, Desafio Cabo de Hornos. By 2100 GMT, the Chilean race leaders have rounded the eastern tip of Isla de Los Estados and four hours later, Beluga Racer exit Le Maire Strait having taken the shorter route and reduced the Chilean's lead to 60 miles. In the early evening, Team Mowgli exit the strait as Desafio Cabo de Hornos commit to leaving the Falkland Islands to port and the Beluga Racer leaves heads west of the islands.
www.portimaoglobaloceanrace.org
by Oliver Dewar
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Hogan Island, VIC
Foiling - Components (Wings,Masts,etc)
Kitesurfing - Kites
Windsurfing - Sails
