7:30 AM Fri 28 Nov 2008 GMT
Volvo Ocean Race spirit levels are rising on board as the gloom of two days in the Doldrums begins to lift. The slow march to the exit ramp for Cochin has begun.
When an email arrives in race HQ's inbox with a subject line of 'Good morning from Ericsson 4' you know that moods have taken a swing for the better.
That was precisely the nature of the dispatch from bowman Ryan Godfrey. 'Warm times aboard today as we leave the rain clouds of the Doldrums and head into clear blue skies,' he wrote.
'Several of the boys have moved their mattresses up on deck now in the hope that sleeping temperatures are slightly more bearable than down below. The boat is humming to the sound of our little bunk fans desperately trying to get some air flow happening below decks.
'Race wise, 665 miles to go - similar to a Sydney-Hobart race, but at six knots of boat speed, the finish is looking a long way off. Spirits are still high and the conversation has turned to what lay ahead for us at the Cochin stopover.'
The boat speed Godfrey mentioned had slipped to two knots by the 16:00 GMT Position Report for Ericsson 4 as they continued to cling to their lead. Their pursuers, meanwhile, battle squalls and clouds with no trace of silver linings.
Torben Grael's men held a 72-mile lead over the pack. With conditions likely to be fickle for much of the next 100 miles, there was intense rivalry between the pretenders to podium positions.
With just 12 miles separating the gang of five behind E4, places are being regularly traded. Telefonica Blue (+72 Distance To Leader) gained two places in the last three hours jumping both Ericsson 3 (+81) and Green Dragon (+86) who are third and fourth respectively.
Delta Lloyd (+88), still making inroads, is now ahead of PUMA (+93). The cat was stopped in its tracks by 'bad clouds' - a cost of 15 miles and two places. 'I was told this Doldrums place could be a real killer, but I had no idea it could be this bad,' said PUMA skipper Ken Read. 'Believe me, we aren't trying to sail in the bad clouds, just the opposite. We were in a virtual pinball machine of bad clouds.'
At the tail, Telefonica Black (+154) out west, and Team Russia (+187) to the east, have swapped places.
For the navigators, the skies above have been clouding their judgement and respite from the tactical intensity of the past 48 hours is long overdue. For Team Russia's Wouter Verbraak, it has been all about 'cloud chasing'.
'The Doldrums are making themselves felt with huge squall systems followed by dead calms. Think the Atlantic Doldrums are a challenge? Try these for a laugh,' he says.
'One of the big things to get us home are the squalls. In our world we deal with either 'suckers' or 'dumpers'. The first ones we try to stay away from, the second are like a godsend.
'Dumping clouds are a whole different story all together. We love them. Typically these clouds come with a fair bit of rain and wind, so we can get a good boost through the light winds.
'We are active cloud chasers. Every cloud gets sized up and gets points. One for a really bad sucking cloud, 10 for the top dog 25-knot gust clouds. Find one of them to ride for an hour and you are looking good on the next sched (Position Report).
Simon Fisher, on Telefonica Blue, has been similarly engrossed in scheds. The feeling of dread every three hours, he says, has been replaced with anticipation with all those on board keen to learn of gains on their westerly track.
'I have been fortunate to be the bearer of good news for the last few scheds,' he reports. 'Every three hours there is a news and weather update as I disappear downstairs only to return on deck, paper in hand to deliver the news, then answer all sorts of questions that usually follow: Who was higher? How much wind has so and so got? Why did we gain? Who was the fastest? All questions that I'm always happy to answer, even more so when the results are swinging in our favour.'
'Life on board is pretty pleasant now. The stress of being parked has left us (hopefully for a while at least) and it is warm and dry on deck. Everyone's mood improves with the sun.'
www.volvooceanrace.org
by Cameron Kelleher
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Cape Byron, NSW
