EARTH DAY

LEG 6  ITAJAI - NEWPORT

It is day 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race Itajai Brazil to Newport USA. The glue and tool skills of Kevin Escoffier saved the day. Dongfeng's water maker is back in the land of the living. The onboard Dongfeng Race Team can now drink fresh water again. There is no need to place a crew member on water pumping duty for four and a half hours per day. Water is once again available at the push of a button.  

Currently the entire fleet is sailing at a speed of 15 knots and has been clumped together.   The distance between the race leader and the last yacht in the fleet has not exceeded 7 nautical miles yet and all of them crossed the Tropic of Capricorn within minutes of one another.

Since the start of leg 6 Mapfre has been in the lead for the longest time however Abu Dhabi has now taken the lead, lost it to the  girls in second place and somehow managed to get into the lead again. Dongfeng and Alvimedica was in the lead at one time but for a very brief period. Dongfeng in in fifth place.  But it's still early days and hard to tell what's going change and when. A big congrats to the girls who now hold second position and has circumambulated the world on earth day.

The red dot marks the position of the flest at the time of writing.

An apple a day keeps the blues away

Team Alvimedica on Earth day

Checking out the competition ahead

The wind seemed to have picked up 

Team Dongfeng on Earth day

Water bottle seem to stay empty - hanging from the  grab rails above the gunwale - when the watermaker  was busted

The Girls in second place and having circumambulate the world,

Staying in the lead is tough work.