6:21 AM Wed 25 Feb 2009 GMT
As the fleet continues to battle through the doldrums, the majority of the boats have made a new decision as they head towards Fiji, everyone apart from Telef?nica Blue. The current leader Ericsson 4 has found some steady conditions as they have extended their lead from the pack behind and are now 47 miles ahead of second placed Puma.
Whilst Green Dragon believed they were through the doldrums, the reality is not so clear cut. The next 48 are going to be interesting tactically. Green Dragon is expecting very complicated weather conditions over the coming week. You can listen to Ian Walker here click here
Volvo's race expert Mark Chisnell explains the situation: 'In the Pacific, and particularly in the area that the fleet is now sailing through, the easterly trade winds are well formed so well formed that the fleet is sailing at 15 knots in them. So another definition of Doldrums would be a substitute for the term convergence zone. After all, the convergence zones are where we find all the clouds and squalls that we really associate with Doldrums weather. So, Ian Walker is correct in saying that Green Dragon is through the Doldrums, if by that he means the ITCZ. But after transiting the easterly trade winds, he might normally have to expect a second band of Doldrums in the South Pacific Convergence Zone or SPCZ. Or you could view - as I was and other people writing in boat emails may well do - the whole area between the two convergence zones as the Doldrums'.
Green Dragon's navigator Wouter talks through the route to Fiji below, whilst it is clear that the fleet is splitting, it is also clear that not everyone will pick this track towards the Fijian Islands. Either way there will be some serious gains and losses for everyone over the next week.
'What it looked like a promising highway south three days ago, now has turned into a dirt track with some very nasty potholes. Risk of a complete stop is about 70%, and the less than 30% chance of a swift arrival at the other end are making it look less than ideal. It is not a surprise that the fleet has made a sharp left hand turn and that prefers a close look at Fiji over the no doubt beautiful islands of Vanuatu. The limited weather info package we are receiving (the satellite rearrangement upstairs is interfering with our comms) gives us only a tantalising hint of what is going on in the Southern Ocean, and for a days the route south was a mystery. The weather studies that we worked on before the start with weather expert, Jean Yves Bernot, and fellow navigator, Ian Moore, already showed a more easterly route along the Marshall and Kiribati islands to be favourable, but also some more risky options for a direct southerly route with huge benefits.
So we have so far chosen the more conservative easterly route. It already gave us stronger winds and a better wind angle in the North East Trades, and yesterday a swift doldrums crossing. Now with the southerly route blocked we have a great chance to cut the corner and get back in touch with the fleet too! The reverse isochrones (lines of equal time to the mark) to Fiji are actually showing us ahead of the fleet. We will be modest and happy with being in touch with the fleet near Fiji. It really looks like a 1,000 nm drag race up there with not too many options.
It is a case of being as fast as you can! In the meantime down in the dungeons Ian Walker and myself will be rattling our brains on how we are going to get to the westerlies of the Southern Ocean. Every grib file shows a little window, but we know that the weather models are generally overestimating the development of the low pressure systems. Sure enough, the next grib file we get in the low is less intense. The promising winds have disappeared and we are moving our waypoint further east waiting for the next opportunity.
Eventually it will come and we feel confident. In the meantime we are enjoying the great gains to the fleet of the last days. The Green Dragon team is a happy bunch with a good dose of determination. We have 3,600 fast miles under our belt and only 9,000 miles to go. We are in with the bunch and are going to give these guys a good fight. Hey guys, you might be fast down there, but be aware the Dragon has sharp claws to fight back with all the way to Rio!'
Leg Five Day 11: 1300 GMT Volvo Ocean Race Positions
(boat name/country/skipper/nationality/distance to finish)
Ericsson 4 SWE (Torben Grael/BRA) DTF 9,036 nm
PUMA Racing Team USA (Ken Read/USA) +47
Ericsson 3 SWE (Magnus Olsson/SWE) +50
Green Dragon IRL/CHN (Ian Walker/GBR) +105
Telef?nica Blue ESP (Bouwe Bekking/NED) +123
Delta Lloyd IRL (Roberto Bermudez/ESP) DNS
Telef?nica Black ESP (Fernando Ech?varri/ESP) DNS
Team Russia RUS (Andreas Hanakamp/AUT) DNS
www.greendragonracing.com
by Lucy Harwood
Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:
  |
Lord Howe Island Windy Point, NSW
Foiling - Wind Wing Foilboards
Kitesurfing - Kites
