ITAJAI STOP OVER

ITAJAI HERE WE COME

Ocean racing teams Abu Dhabi Ocean, MAPFRE, Alvimedica  and Brunel have all completed leg 5 - Auckland to Itajai of the Volvo ocean Race.  But Team SCA is still out there and will arrive in Itajai shortly. However the worst news ever is that Dongfeng Race Team has retired from Leg 5 due to their mast breaking in the middle of the night on the 29th night of March at around 4:00AM. This is very distressing for me but I sincerely hope they can effect repairs and be in Itajai for the start of Leg 6. They somehow did a temporary repair in the Falklands sailed through the Beagle Channel got tangled in about 200kg of kelp which delayed them somewhat. They experience some nasty blizzards which gave rise to snowball fight  amongst the crew which was very entertaining after having to contend with so much weed in the dark of the night. They somehow managed to acquire another main sail and are on the way to Itajai and expect to get there by the 13th of March,  hopefully. I have both my toes and fingers crossed for Dongfeng Ocean Racing Team.

Regardless of  the mishaps experience by Dongfeng Race Team they current hold second place in the Volvo ocean Race and still stand a chance of winning successive leg if the winds are with them.

Itajai yacht basin

The Ocean Race Displays at Itajai

Volvo ocean race spectators at the Itajai Race village Expo

Mapfre and Abu Dhabi in the foreground

Alvimedica in the night glow.

SCA has amazing staying power.

Team Mapfre enjoying their fan's support.

Team Abu Dhabi

Alvimedica in the bay

Brunel in the bay at Itajai

DAY 13 AUCKLAND TO ITAJAI

CAPE HORN

It is the twelfth day of the leg 5 of the  Volvo Ocean Race -Auckland to Itaji.  The entire fleet is sailing around  the tip of cape horn  situated some 56 degrees South. Just above the ice exclusion zone a degree or two further south, the wind is merciless, the dark blue water is 3 degrees, everything is cold, and there isn’t a single inch of the boats that havn’t been touched with water.  Everyone has been sailing at 20 to 25 knots speed, through the surfs and at times it looked like they were submarines, sailing in the tube of a wave like a surfboard. There has been so much water coming through all the nooks and crannies of the boats that it seems as if it was  raining inside the  galley.

But with all the havoc, the Southern Ocean is a very special place, beautiful and breathtaking. Probably one of the most spectacular places on the planet.  Last night the Dongfeng team were sailing at a speed of 28 knots when they broke their  mast.  The  FRO is still intact horizontally, with the top of the mast is moving around and difficult to establish exactly what the problem is. Fortunately nobody’s injured, because at that speed the wind force can do tremendous damage. The sad thing is Dongfeng is now sailing towards Ushuaia at a speed of 7 knots and the question that begs t asked, is "Will they make it to Itajaí or at least be in time for the start of the next leg".  Black (Liu Xue) seems very disappointed but Kevin says no worries the boat is safe.

Dongfeng with a broken mast above the third spreader.

At least the broken mast holds no danger for the Dongfeng crew.

For the past few days its been bitterly cold, so much so that the water stings on contact and everyone is dressed in 4 to 6 layers of clothing.  Alvimedica  is in the lead and clinging to a three-mile on the rest of the fleet and is averaging between 25-30 knots and Itajai is their goal.

Brunel in the foreground and Mapfre in the rear the Cape Horn in the Distance

An overcast day in the Southern Ocean with Abu Dhabi passing Cape Horn.

Alvimedica is currently the race leader as can be seen from the above to pics its position relative to Cape Horn 

Weather and water conditions last night.

Mapfre inundated with water. Not a dry speck on the entire boat

Dongfeng bowman on the bow.

The Dongfeng Team scrambling to take the mainsail down  after the mast broke.

Spellbound by the surfs coming on deck.

Icy water covering the entire boat.

At 28 knots and leading the fleet, the mast gives up the gost in the dead of the night

The main sail flapping uncontrollably in the wind due to a broken mast above the third spreader.

LEG 5 AUCKLAND TO ITAJAI

THE START OF LEG 5

Leg 5 of the Volvo ocean Race Auckland to Itajai is underway. The route will take the fleet through the cold Southern Ocean toward the ice exclusion line. Seas are rough and winds are strong. 

Final goodbyes before the cold and the wet of the Southern Ocean.

Dongfeng with the city of Auckland in the background

Preparations before the start of the Auckland to Itajai Race

The race is about to commence

The start of leg 5, the Auckland to Itajai race.

Dongfeng heading out to high seas.

The girls may be last but they are determined and consident

The city of Auckland in the background.

And they're off to Itajai

Final strategies to win the race

Fully loaded with hardly any space to walk

Enjoying the calm while it lasts.

Forty winks before the fun starts.

The angry east cape seas

Icy foam and froth of the sea chilling the bones of the crew.

Elodie Mettraux fast asleep without a care in the world

At least Command centre is dry and perhaps even cosy.

Two albatrosses following the girls. 

The girls mounting the radar / satellite system.

AUCKLAND STOPOVER

AUCKLAND STOPOVER

Finally leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race has come to an end. The girls of team SCA showed up the men's teams by winning leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race - Sanya to Auckland. Well done ladies. Spectators attended to Race Expo enmass and it appears that the displays in Auckland are somewhat different from what we became accustomed to in the previous 3 legs. 

The farewell ceremony was postponed due to  cyclone Pam. The In-Port race was a huge success and the teams were making preparations to leave for Leg 5.

Jandir Bellini Mayor of Auckland & Mayor of Itajai exchanging gifts at the Auckland Farewell Ceremony

The race displays were somewhat differnt from that of the first 3 legs.

The boatyard

View the size of the bus on the bridge

Getting read for the Herald In-Port Race

The In-Port Race 

Repairs after the In-Port Race before the Auckland to Itajai Race

Nothing a bit of epoxy can't fix. In preparation for the Auckland to Itajai Race

AUCKLAND OVER THE HORIZON

100 NAUTICAL MILES TO GO

The first sight of Dongfeng at sunrise this morning but still approximately 100 nautical miles from the finish line. Unfortunately as much as Wolf desired Team Dongfeng to stay at the forefront of Leg 4 until the race ends, Mapfre has taken the lead position.

Kevin Escoffier of the Dongfeng race team keeping an eye on the competition.

SCA Leader of the fleet racing to Auckland - So just wake me when we get there.