[Source: Volvo Ocean Race] The British sailor talks about the return of Abu Dhabi in the Volvo Ocean Race with both a stopover and a team he will skipper:

About the team & stopover announcement:
“ Weave worked on this since the end of the race. We’ve put so much energy into the team in the last race; we just desperately wanted to see it carry on. I’m really pleased in that regard to see that Abu Dhabi Ocean lives on. And I guess for me personally, I’m thrilled because I get another chance at the race. I’ve not been happy with the positions we’ve finished in previous races. There has been a bunch of reasons behind it but with the new rule and the team behind us, for me it’s all about trying to win the Volvo Ocean Race.”

About the continuity with the sponsor:
“Abu Dhabi are a great sponsor and the continuity is really important. So much energy goes into setting up a team and understanding relations with your sponsor and what everybody is trying to achieve… You’ve got a big head start if you’ve got continuity from having done it before.

“It’s very easy to underestimate how much work goes into setting up and, in fact, setting down the Volvo Ocean Race. To be able to keep that going will be of real help. It means we can spend much more time focusing on the sailing side, which can help us winning the race.”

About the team:
“ I’ve certainly become a very popular person on email! We’re not employing anybody really; we’re employing our time working with the Tourism Authority on exactly what they want to do this year and to make a plan for training with the new boat next year. Obviously we’ve strong ideas about some people we want to have in the team and it would be great to keep a core group from last race. Again that’s adding to the continuity if you can keep the same people moving forward. But we also want to strengthen the scenario and to freshen things up a bit. So I think we’ll see a mixture with some people from before and hopefully some exciting new figures as well.”

Abu Dhabi returns to the Volvo Ocean Race with a stopover and a boat. Alicante, 5 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info

About the One Design Volvo Ocean 65:
“Initially, I was one of the skippers who didn’t have an interest with a sail making or a boatbuilding company and I had the biggest boat background in One Design sailing compared to, say, a Franck Cammas or Mike Sanderson. And I struggled with the boat in the last two races so I’ve always been very keen on the One Design. And particularly because I’ve had to do with the commercial sides of these projects, I understand the commercial reality and the fact that if they didn’t change the rules, then there probably wouldn’t be another race. It would have been too expensive and people wouldn’t have had time to raise the money in order the design the boat. I’ve always been a big supporter of it.

“If it hasn’t been for the new rule, then I probably wouldn’t have done the Volvo Ocean Race again. It’s just too painful. Too much work goes into these projects and I think one of the biggest advantages is not just the reduction of the budget, but it’s the fact that anybody who invests in the Volvo Ocean Race, whether they start now or in six months’ time, know that they will have the same equipment and that they are gonna be competitive. That’s definitely going to be the tightest race in history – it has to be! All of which excites me. Having been so enthusiastic of it, I was even more desperate, I guess, to get a chance to race in a One Design race.

“As far as the boat is concerned, I haven’t been hugely involved in the details. I’ve been focused on making sure that we’ve a team in the race. They got good people. I have a lot of confidence in Farr Yacht Design and the people, who’ve been advising them. I’m perfectly confident that will be a good boat.”

About the team’s schedule:
“I’m in Abu Dhabi at least half the time and it makes it much easier to work with the Tourism Authority. We will almost certainly sail Azzam this year, maybe trying to break the Fastnet race record this summer and trying some potential crew and new ideas. The team won’t come together fully until the new boat is launched, which will probably be in the New Year. We’re also looking to do things in Abu Dhabi as well because there is more and more sailing in the region. We need to look at ways to involve the team and Abu Dhabi.”

Now that the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race route is getting more defined and three official entries have been made public, we take a look at the state of affairs of the premiere round-the-world sailing race. Parts of the following information have already been divulged while the remaining are based on sources that are deemed to be very reliable.

Route – Stopovers
A little bit over a month ago, we published what we thought was going to be the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race route. In general lines our sources were very accurate even if we missed the first Brazilian stopover, it turned out to be Recife instead of Rio as we speculated, and got the Chinese stopover wrong as well. The VO65 fleet will not visit Hong Kong as our sources were claiming but instead Sanya, something that will be officially announced in a few weeks.

The race will start in Alicante, head to Recife in Brazil and from there to Abu Dhabi. This part of the route has been officially announced but what is still unknown is how race organizers will tackle the issue of piracy off the east African coasts and the delicate issue of sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. In the previous race, the fleet stopped at the Maldives, the VO70′s were loaded onto a cargo ship and transported to the northern UAE coast from where they sprinted to Abu Dhabi.

It seems that this time the preferred solution to that issue will be sailing to an Indian port, probably Mumbai, hence our call for an Indian stopover. If that occurs it will not be a full-fledged stopover but more of a technical stop. It appears that scoring will only apply from Recife to the Indian port. From there on, teams could have the liberty to sail to the UAE but will not score any points towards the overall race. Racing will resume, similar to 2011-12, at a certain point off the northern Emirati coast and the fleet will then sprint to Abu Dhabi. The same scheme, but in reverse order, will apply on the leg from Abu Dhabi to Sanya. Again, this is a possible, plausible scenario, according to our “spies” in Alicante, but it seems no definite decision has been taken yet.

Once the VO65′s sail off the Chinese city they will go to Auckland, then Itajaì and on to Newport, their final stopover before sailing to Europe. The first stop could be again in Lisbon but that will depend on the city council that is voting this week whether to fund another event or not. Volvo Ocean Race organizers would rather have a European stopover with a local team but that seems highly improbable with the exception of Rotterdam. The French port of Lorient had signed for two editions, so it could be the first European stopover. However, the only fact that has been officially published, in regards to Europe, is that the race will finish in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Team SCA is, so far, the only active entry of the the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race. Photo copyright Rick Tomlinson / Team SCA

Teams

1. Team SCA: The all-female team, sponsored by Sweden-based forest products multinational group, was the first official entry of the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race. The team, headed by Richard Brisius, was officially presented on August 21st, 2012, and is currently holding its crew selection trials in their training base in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote.

2. Team Recife: The Brazilian team was the second official entry and was presented on January 17th, 2013. Very little is known about the team or its crew, other than it is backed by the city of Recife and the state of Pernambuco.

3. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing: The capital of the United Arab Emirates returns to the Volvo Ocean Race with a stopover and a team, skippered, once again, by British Olympic medallist Ian Walker. The entry was presented earlier today.

4. Alinghi: The two-time America’s Cup winners haven’t made their entry official yet but everything points to an official presentation in Geneva on March 2nd, a symbolic date that will mark the tenth anniversary of their first America’s Cup victory. On that date, Alinghi, skippered by Russell Coutts, scored their fifth and final win against Team New Zealand and claimed the America’s Cup. We have little information on Alinghi’s crew for the 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race other than the fact that Brad Butterworth will be the skipper.

5. Ambersail / Lithuanian-Baltic Team: A Lithuanian-Baltic project, Ambersail, is said to have acquired the first VO65 boat. Ambersail is headed by Lithuanian skipper Simonas Steponavicius and currently owns the former Assa Abloy Volvo 60. According to various sources within the race and the teams, it seems Ambersail had the necessary budget to purchase the boat but not to run the project.

6. Team Campos / MAPFRE: Despite his initial criticism of the one-design VO65, Pedro Campos is eager to enter. Telefonica will not continue its sponsorship and his team is now called Team Campos / MAPFRE. It appears MAPFRE (a Spanish insurance group) will provide, at least, part of the necessary funding. The team is currently trying to break the Discovery Route record, with their rebranded VO70.

7. Dutch Team: This is probably one of the strongest and most plausible efforts, led by Team Heiner sailing events organization together with Dutch VOR veterans Gerd-Jan Poortman and Bouwe Bekking. They are aiming at a reasonable budget of 16 million euros but the tough European situation will surely not be in their favor.

8. Chinese Team: There is strong appetite for a Chinese entry and there are good indications it could become a reality but this time in the form of a real Chinese team, not just a foreign-led project with the usual one-two Chinese sailors to justify its name.

9. Indian Team: An Indian entry is also rumored to be planned but we don’t have any further information.

10. South African Team: There is talk of a serious effort to build a South African team, based out of Cape Town but it is difficult to see how they could get any local corporate funding with the absence of a South African stopover in this, and probably the next, edition of the race.

Boats
If you are a regular reader of our website and haven’t been stricken by lightning that resulted in total memory loss, you must be aware that for the very fist time, the Volvo Ocean Race will be sailed on one-design yachts, VO65′s, that are being built by a consortium of boatyards, commissioned by race organizers. As a result, teams are no longer involved in the design and construction of their yachts and have to buy them from Green Marine.

The hull of the very first VO65 was recently finished and the entire yacht is scheduled to be launched next July. Subsequent yachts are scheduled to be delivered with a frequency of one each 8 weeks.

VO65 Boat #1: As we stated earlier, the first boat has been, allegedly, purchased by Ambersail. This could be an awkward situation if the project is unable to find the necessary funding to continue.
VO65 Boat #2: Team SCA is said to have the right to this yacht
VO65 Boat #3: Team Recife is said to have the right to this yacht
VO65 Boats #4 & #5: According to an insider in Alicante there seems to be a rivalry concerning the delivery of Boat #4, in view of an alleged delay in boat deliveries after the fourth one. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Alinghi are apparently vying for Boat #4 as it could mean an advantage of various months! However, it seems that the first to write the check and transfer the close to 5 million euros will get the rights to Boat #4.

[Source: Volvo Ocean Race] Monday’s double announcement gives the race a third confirmed team for 2014-15 more than 18 months before the start and sets up a massive challenge for the sailors on Leg 2, with the route from Recife in Brazil to Abu Dhabi set to take the teams and their brand new Volvo Ocean 65 racing yachts deep into the Southern Ocean.

Abu Dhabi staged a groundbreaking stopover during the last race – its first in the Middle East. The 2011-12 Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team, skippered by Walker, was also the first Arabian team to contest the race.

“Abu Dhabi presented a truly original and massively appealing stopover during the last edition, with its own unique feel, and this announcement will only strengthen the legacy of the Race in the city and the country,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad.

“The leg from Recife to Abu Dhabi will be one of the longest and most challenging in the 40-year history of this race. Heading into the Southern Ocean is never easy and this route will test the sailors to the limit. The finish line in Abu Dhabi will be one of the most eagerly awaited in the race.”

Abu Dhabi returns to the Volvo Ocean Race with a stopover and a boat. Alicante, 5 November 2011. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info

Abu Dhabi will be the third Host Port along the route after the start in Alicante and the Leg 1 finish line in Recife, in the state of Pernambuco in northeast Brazil. The other two teams so far declared are the all-women’s Team SCA and a Brazilian boat.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing scored some notable successes under Walker, including an emotional victory coming into Lisbon on the transatlantic leg from Miami and three in-port race wins, including one on home waters in Abu Dhabi.

“Ian has been a terrific ambassador both for Abu Dhabi and the Volvo Ocean Race and this announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter for sailing in the United Arab Emirates,” Frostad added.

Over 120,000 people visited the Abu Dhabi stopover, which provided an experience fully in keeping with its deep-rooted maritime history.

“Our involvement with the Volvo Ocean Race captured the imagination of our people, who have strong maritime heritage links,” said His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).

“The legacy of the last race is an increase in the breadth of sailing and watersport facilities available, which is something we will build on over this second outing.”

During the last edition, the problem of piracy in the Indian Ocean meant the boats had to be shipped part of the way from Cape Town in South Africa. For 2014-15, organisers are looking at a number of options to ensure the sailors are not exposed to undue risk, based on the experience in the last race and the continuous monitoring of the changing piracy situation in the Indian Ocean.

“There is a long way to go before the race so we cannot rule anything out but at the moment we are confident that the boats could sail the entire route,” said Frostad.

“What we do know for sure is that the Southern Ocean will be a real hazard, and we’re already looking at ice exclusion zones to protect the fleet.”

Abu Dhabi is the seventh Host Port to be announced on the route for the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, which began life as the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973 and is established as offshore sailing’s greatest challenge.

The race will start in Alicante in Spain before visiting Recife and going on to Abu Dhabi. Later in the route, the teams will race from Auckland in New Zealand to Itajaí – a second Brazilian stop – before heading to Newport, Rhode Island in the United States.

The Race will finish in Gothenburg, Sweden, with the remaining ports to be unveiled over the coming weeks before a final announcement including leg distances and timings.

Raw Power – The Best of Leg 8 – Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12

[Source: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing] In the dark of night in Lisbon, Portugal, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, the Abu Dhabi-backed outfit in the Volvo Ocean Race, was the shining star as it became the first Arabian team to win a leg in the gruelling round-the-world sailing odyssey, after a highly tense Leg 7 battle that went right down to the wire.

Widely regarded as one of the Everest of Sailing’s ‘blue ribbon’ legs, this year’s 3,500 nautical miles Trans-Atlantic crossing from the USA to Western Europe has been one of the most thrilling in the 39-year race history. The six-strong fleet exchanged blows from the very offset to the closing stages.

It was the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi)-backed outfit, skippered by double Olympic medal winning Briton, Ian Walker, that snatched the history-making win, after defending resolutely to hold off a late surge by French outfit, Groupama, to finish five-and-a-half minutes ahead after more than 11 punishing days at sea.

Speaking dockside, a visibly emotional Walker – who has been a mentor to the team’s young Emirati star, Adil Khalid, the first Gulf national to take part in the race – said the win was a huge relief.

“This is a big outpouring of emotion. It’s been a tough, tough leg. We had such high hopes coming into this race but we’ve been struggling for pace. We have such skilled people involved with us, both on the shore and in the sailing team, but we weren’t getting results leg in leg out. It’s brutal but now we’ve won a leg it’s all worthwhile,” said the 42-year-old father-of-two from Southampton, UK.

“For all the people who follow the team in Abu Dhabi, and around the world, this victory is for you. Our yacht is called Azzam, which means determination in Arabic, and we hope we have proven that the whole team has as much determination as anyone out there. This is my second Volvo Ocean Race; that means I’ve sailed about 70,000 miles around the world and I’ve never won a leg. To clock up that many miles around the world is a lot of effort. To win a leg was a personal and the whole team’s goals for this race, and it feels great.”

Walker was also full of praise for 23-year-old Khalid, who notched up the race’s first Atlantic crossing for a Gulf national in style.

“Let me tell you that this leg, more than any leg, Adil came of age. Adil sailed the boat as well as anyone we could have put on the boat. He’s now won the transatlantic, he’s sailed across the Pacific, he’s sailed most of the way around the world, and that’s a tremendous achievement,” added Walker.

A beaming Khalid, the young Olympian who beat off more than 120 hopefuls for a spot on the team, dedicated the win to the people of Abu Dhabi.

“It’s a great day for Abu Dhabi, and we hope to be able to do this on the remaining legs also and make Abu Dhabi proud of us. It’s such a great feeling, everyone dreams of representing their country, it’s so great to be waving the flag and being here right now. This is for all our fans back home and around the world,” said the wide-grinned youngster.

Having left Miami, USA two weeks ago, after soaring to victory in the stadium-style In-Port Race, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, sailing its Azzam (determination) race yacht, lived up to its namesake from the offset.

Despite the fleet sailing straight into the Gulf Stream and a tropical depression, before being forced to head north to dodge a high pressure system blocking the direct path towards Lisbon, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing held its nerve with navigator Jules Salter picking the perfect path through shifting breezes and swirling Atlantic currents to a low pressure system that powered the team to within a couple of hundred miles of the finish.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, which led from day six of the leg, didn’t have it all its own way. On more than one occasion, the chasing pack pushed Abu Dhabi to the limits, sometimes closing its lead down to less than a mile. In the final 24 hour stint, it looked like Groupama might roll the team to spoil the party, but some deft tactical manoeuvres and gritted resolve from Abu Dhabi ensured the outfit weaved through the unpredictable waters of the River Tagus up to the Lisbon finish in first, sparking wild celebrations that were further boosted by a booming firework display.

Faisal Al Sheikh, Events Manager, TCA Abu Dhabi, which was also behind the United Arab Emirates’ capital hosting the race earlier in the year, said the win was another important chapter in the emirate’s long sailing history.

“The determination shown by the team is incredible and epitomises everything we have hoped to achieve from day one. Abu Dhabi has a deep-rooted and very proud sailing heritage that stretches back many centuries when Emiratis, sailing traditional dhows, would ply the ocean waves, forging routes that are still used today. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has continued that tradition with this win, and we hope that it will inspire future generations of young sailors to take up the sport and keep our relevance on the global stage, both competitively and as a world-class winter watersports destination, alive,” said Al Sheikh.

On the shore, jubilation was running high. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Emirati shore crew member, Butti Al Muhairi, said the win was a great boost for the team.

“We have been working round the clock for the last 18 months, so this win is the culmination of all that hard work and dedication. It is a great moment for Abu Dhabi and everyone involved in the project. I am very proud to be an Emirati today and hope we can add a few more wins before the Volvo Ocean Race finishes next month,” said Al Muhairi, who trained with his countryman Khalid, all around the world before the race started.

After a much needed rest, the action resumes with the Lisbon In-Port Race on June 9, followed by the start of Leg 8 to Lorient, France the following day. The entire 39,000 nautical mile race concludes in early July in Galway, Ireland.

[Source: Volvo Ocean Race] The lead, which Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR) has built up in Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Miami to Lisbon, Portugal, is approaching the critical time, with just 467 nautical miles to run to the finish. Will it be enough of a buffer to hold off PUMA Ocean Racing powered by Berg (Ken Read/USA) and Groupama (Franck Cammas/FRA), both of whom have a shot at winning the race overall?

In the three-hour period to 0700 GMT today, PUMA had reeled in another six miles to close to within 22 nm, while Groupama (Franck Cammas/FRA) had taken eight miles to lie just three miles astern of Ken Read and his PUMA crew.

On the upside, Ian Walker and his men have seen the breeze drop and head, which has allowed them to sail a slightly lower and faster course. “Hopefully, our tighter angle can give us an advantage,” commented bowman Wade Morgan. But although the team morale still burns strong, navigator Jules Salter and skipper Ian Walker have been analysing performance and weather updates nonstop according to Media Crew Member Nick Dana. “It feels like we are being chased by a pack of dogs, and one cat,” he said today.

By midnight tonight, the fleet is expecting to be becalmed in a ridge off Portugal’s coast and Thursday will be tortuous. “Should make for some nail-biting hours in the sun,” said Abu Dhabi helmsman/trimmer Anthony Nossiter, as the crew prepared for what could be a ‘mind-bending’ experience in the last few miles to the finish.

A slow day yesterday led the crew of second-placed PUMA to re-appraise the setup of the boat, dropping the daggerboard lower, putting water back in the stern ballast and changing staysail combinations. “Thankfully the boat responded,” wrote MCM Amory Ross today. The team, who is looking for its third consecutive win, is more concerned with their nearest rivals for the overall lead; Telefónica (Iker Martínez/ESP), Groupama (Franck Cammas/FRA) and CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand (Chris Nicholson/AUS). “There is more to lose against them than there is to gain against Abu Dhabi,” explained Ross today.

Meanwhile, the crew of CAMPER are smarting about their fifth position, having a tough time against Groupama and Telefónica who are now ahead of them. “These hard reaching conditions are right in their sweet spot,” said MCM Hamish Hooper. “They are like rockets in this stuff. Unfortunately for us, we are quite the opposite. It’s our Achilles heel and, as a result, we are bleeding miles, unable to stop them,” he added. “It feels wrong for us to still end up in the fifth spot, so we need to pull something out of the bag,” declared skipper Chris Nicholson.

Mike Sanderson and Team Sanya are still in touch and sailing fast enough to take six miles out of the lead. Although in sixth position, they are now within 60 nm of the lead and planning to try to ride the front for as long as they can.

With the breeze progressively easing between noon today and midnight tonight, the leading boat is expected to cross the finish in Lisbon late on Thursday night.

[Source: Volvo Ocean Race] Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing clawed their way back into the Leg 7 lead on Saturday as the six-boat Volvo Ocean Race fleet fought to position themselves for what could be a leg deciding 24 hours, with light winds from a high pressure system slowing them down.

By 1300 UTC, Abu Dhbai had pulled out a 20-nautical mile lead which skipper Ian Walker put down to smart thinking from navigator Jules Salter.

“It’s been a great 24 hours for Azzam,” Walker said. “A big dilemma between sailing for the predicted right-hand shift and going left to get in the Gulf Stream created a big split in the fleet and lots of opportunity. This is exactly what we need as we can get away from the other boats and try to find something tactically.

“Jules did a nice job as we initially tried to play the current but on finding it wasn’t as forecasted we decided to take the shift instead.”

Wade Morgan and Anthony Nossiter keeping each other on their feet during a sail change, onboard Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing during leg 7 from Miami to Lisbon. Photo copyright Nick Dana/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing

Previous leaders CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand dropped to third when PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG edged past them after 24 hours of tacking.

Meanwhile, the top two boats in the overall standings Team Telefónica and Groupama sailing team are engaged in a close tussle for fourth place, just two nautical miles apart and 38 nm behind Abu Dhabi.

Telefónica navigator Andrew Cape said the day could be the key turning point in the leg as the boat making the best of the increasingly unpredictable weather scenario would be first into fast downwind sailing and could get a huge jump on the fleet.

“The big decider will be today,” Cape said. “It all depends on how we end up this afternoon. Then we’re into some nice high speed sailing on the way to Lisbon.”

Despite dropping out of the top three in the last two days and struggling to make headway in light winds, Cape said Telefónica still had everything to play for.

“Right now we’re on a down,” he said. “We’re totally stopped in a high pressure system today. It will be very variable and there’s lots of snakes and ladders.

“We’ll just have to see who comes out if it the best. Roll the dice and see what happens.”

Telefónica have a seven-point lead over Groupama, with CAMPER and PUMA poised 13 and 14 points off the pace, respectively, in what is a four-way battle for the overall title, with three legs to complete.

Groupama watch captain Damian Foxall said conditions were getting lighter as the French crew skirted the edge of the high pressure system using the Gulf Stream current to help them.

“Yesterday, we had 22 knots, now we are now sailing with the code zero (head sail) up in 10 knots of wind,” Foxall said. “We are following the Gulf Stream, which gives us a good one and a half or two knots push. It isn’t that wide and we have got to tack every couple of hours – just enough not to disturb the watch system.”

Craig Satterthwaite likes being out front. Photo copyright Nick Dana/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing

Foxall said the more traditional Atlantic crossing experience should begin as early as tonight, with fast downwind conditions offering up what could be the last chance for a crack at the monohull 24 hour distance world record of 596.6 nm nm set by Ericsson 4 on Leg 1 of the 2008-09 edition of the race.

“We are almost half way to Lisbon and didn’t see much of that yet, so everyone is looking forward to it. The North Atlantic may be our last chance to beat the 24 hours record,” Foxall said. “This usually is a leg where the boats get fast and furious with a lot of downwind and reaching sailing. Downwind sailing should start tonight or tomorrow.”

Foxall said he was hoping the vagaries of the high pressure system would serve up a chance for Groupama to get back in the scrap for the lead before the fast sailing began.

“The high pressure will surely change the fleet positions, so we are hoping for a little gift,” he said. “We will get closer from the leaders before the start of a three to four day drag race, which could favour our boat. “

At 1300 UTC, sixth placed Team Sanya were 84 nm off the lead, still in touch with the five latest generation boats, and with the option to play a wildcard by breaking away from the fleet in a do or die attempt at a podium position.

Navigator Aksel Magdahl said as the only early generation boat in the fleet they might be more prepared to take risks than the rest, but after staying with the pack so far by making smart decisions, they were wary of making too bold a call.

“The opportunities we’ve seized so far have proven to be the right ones and obviously that’s what we want to keep doing,” Magdahl said. “One opportunity would be to head north and hope that high is not exactly as expected, but I don’t have any information about it right now. It’s definitely something we’re looking at. We need to try to catch the leading boats in the next 24 hours, otherwise the next option will be closer to Lisbon with a high pressure ridge there.”

Latest estimates suggest the leading boats will arrive in Lisbon, Portugal on May 31.

[Source: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing] It was a bit of a tough night for us on board Azzam. We have been matching Camper over the last day now in slowly lightening conditions while the rest of the fleet continue to sail North East several miles below our line. While we were confident that our more northerly route would take us comfortable past Cabo Frio and into the trades, an unexpected course change has now landed us a bit tighter to land and in less wind.

Just before dark last night, a large research vessel dragging nearly 5 miles of seismic cables crossed ahead of both Camper and us. We were quickly hailed by the ship’s captain and asked to divert our course immediately North until we were crossing safely behind. Sadly, all the hard work to keep the boat lifted and fast over the previous 12 hours was lost in a matter of minutes. Furthermore we suffered a few bad scheds to the boats to the South and currently are sat in less than 5 knots of breeze trading gybes with Camper.

Jules Salter: “It was a very frustrating decision for us. For a moment it looked as if we might be able to pass in front of the research vessel while Camper would have to duck – but no such luck. That’s ocean racing for you.”

Simon Fisher: “It was definitely a tough pill to swallow at first, but it’s a long race and these things happen.”

Wade Morgan: “Luckily it looks like the rest of the fleet is lightening up as well, so we didn’t suffer to badly in our course change. Again, just pleased to be tight racing with the fleet again – so I’m happy.”

Sail Change Onboard Azzam. South Atlantic Ocean, 24 April 2012. Photo cpoyright Nick Dana, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing