Friday 30 December 2011

Nip and tuck over ‘final miles of madness’

After spending Christmas at sea Team Telefónica claimed 24 points for first place in the first of a two-stage, 5,430-nautical-mile race to Abu Dhabi. 

Telefónica stole the lead from CAMPER, only eight miles from the finish line. 

The last push to the finish was a battle royal, with the lead changing many times. Iker Martínez described the run in as “final miles of madness” as the pair switched the lead repeatedly. In the end Telefónica secured victory by just one minute and 57 seconds.

Cat and mouse
The rest of the fleet finished the leg in similar cat and mouse stile, changing places all the way into the undisclosed safe haven port. 

To reduce the risk of piracy, race organisers implemented a stealth zone in which the positions of the yachts were withheld for the latter part of the leg to mask the identity of the safe haven port.

Telefónica took first place then Camper second, Puma third, Groupama fourth and then a frustrated Abu Dhabi in fifth. They will respectively claim 80 per cent of the leg points for the first part of this leg then 20 per cent for the second.

Day-long sprint
The five boats have now been loaded on to a ship – a risky manoeuvre that has never been done in the race before – and are being transported to a point off the Sharjah coastline in the northern United Arab Emirates, from where the leg will be completed with a day-long sprint to Abu Dhabi.

Team Sanya, the sixth boat in the Volvo Ocean Race fleet, was forced to suspend racing and head for Madagascar after sustaining rigging damage while in the lead on day nine.

Their current focus is on getting the boat in the best shape possible for leg three into their home port of Sanya in China.

Priceless cargo
So a ship laden with the priceless cargo of five Volvo Open 70s is now heading for the northern Emirates.

I look forward to bringing you first-hand comment on how the loading went and the journey north to the hidden location off the Sharjah coast.

Mark Covell

Thursday 22 December 2011

Bold move gives Groupama early lead in second leg



Franck Cammas: prepared to take a gamble, makes a call
via Inmarsat.
Photo: Yan Riou/Groupama/Volvo Ocean Race
Risk management is the backbone of every Volvo Ocean Race team. 

How innovative to be with the boat design, how hard to push the boat and equipment and how adventurous to be when navigating the leg.

At the beginning of leg one, Groupama’s skipper Franck Cammas took a gamble when they took the unconventional route down the east coast of Africa.

French flair
Unfortunately the gamble did not pay off.

When pressed on the matter during his first dockside interview, he put the navigational gamble down to “French Flair”.

Before leg two, Franck went on record saying he didn’t want to make the same mistake again. 

Big gate
And yet, which boat has taken the first flyer in leg two? Yes, Groupama.

This "French Flair" took the team south, breaking away from the fleet in an effort to get round the low and into the trade winds that would catapult them round the head of the fleet and north again.

“We did have some kind of complex after the first leg - we didn't want to go it alone. When we saw that big gate in the south of the front, we went for it but no one else did.” Cammas explained.

No walkover
“We are coming back step by step,” he added as his Groupama sailing team pressed on.

“We are leading at the moment and it is great. There are lots of smiles on faces when the position report comes in now."

However it will not be a walkover.

Bold decision
Ken Read's Puma is hot on their heels pushing hard to catch them.

Ken, currently steering his boat in third place, said he took his hat off to Cammas for making the bold decision to break from the fleet and go south: “I give the French credit. They took matters into their own hands.

"They stuck to their guns and went for it and it looks like it’s going to pay off for them, at least for now.”

Risky business
Risk is everything in this game.

It looks like the French are happy to up the risk and do something different.

As this race goes on, we will see the stakes getting higher, together with the amount that the teams are willing to risk.

Monday 19 December 2011

Low pressure torments the fleet

Like a bully in a schoolyard, holding off a small kid’s punches that never connect, a massive low pressure has been tormenting the fleet.

Each boat tried again and again to push through, but was set back into the pack again.

The low is not made up of strong, stable winds that you would expect, but of a light shifting, volatile and unpredictable mismatch of grey cloud and cold rain that makes for a sailor’s nightmare.

Frustrating sailing
From my warm dry office in the UK, it’s hard to work out what’s happening as the teams flick back and forth almost randomly with no set pattern.

I’d hazard a guess that they’ve collectively made more sail changes in this leg already than for the whole of the last one.

Team Telefónica’s navigator Andrew Cape - who is one of the most experienced sailors in this year’s edition with five previous Volvo Ocean Races appearances - said the hold-ups, plus the fluctuating winds and confused seas, have made for frustrating racing.

Stop dead
“I’m not even going to put a time on when we might get through the front,” he said.

“When you approach the front you physically stop dead in the water, and because the front’s moving at about 10-15 knots it jumps back over the top of you and you’re forever stuck in it.

“It should have been any time in the last three days but could be another two. It’s pretty frustrating, but I’ve been in these situations before and know the way it works. It’s one of those things.”

Sail round
The patience of the fleet finally snapped when Team Groupama headed south to seek her fortune while Team Sanya almost doubled back on herself to try to sail round the low to the north.

However, just as it looked like Team Sanya had made the race-winning manoeuvre, early this morning they discovered a broken shroud - and have just announced that they have retired from leg 2.  Desperately disappointed they are limping to the island of Madagascar.

The lines of communication once again kick into place as the laborious logistical task begins of getting the crew and boat safely to Abu Dhabi for the start of leg 3.
Mark Covell

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Careful what you wish for

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's Rob Greenhalgh at the helm  
Photo: 
Nick Dana/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race 
For the last few days the fleet have been struggling to make gains along the South African coast.
The stop/start routine was becoming very familiar, with the sea breeze forming further offshore during the day and then the night breeze overriding it nearer the land. 
This split the fleet on the first night - leaving Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing stuck in a windless hole while the others sailed away. 
Lack of wind
Luckily for the trailing fleet, the frontrunners didn’t find the going that easy. Without the low pressure to form a solid wind system, all the boats suffered both with lack of wind and the adverse Agulhas current. 
Reading the team blogs and news that filter out from the crews, they were all wishing for more wind. 
Well finally last night they got what they wished for. Winds up to 28 knots blowing against the current resulted in 4.5-metre (14.8-ft) waves.
Sickening crash
Travelling at over 20 knots, the boats have taking off over these waves, often landing with a sickening crash. 
Darkness did not make the situation any easier for the crews.
Puma caught a fishing net round the keel. They did well to work back to second place this morning, 20 nautical miles behind new leader Ian Walker’s Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
Tense night
Abu Dhabi’s more northerly route close to the coast - avoiding the worst of the current for now - had paid dividends, but the night had been a tense one, Walker said.
“After making big gains on the fleet by hugging the coast we have been running hard all night in 20–30 knots with our big spinnaker,” he reported.
“Starboard tack was almost unsailable due to the head seas but port tack was fine – the only problem was we kept coming up against the land and having to gybe on to starboard!
Dangerous waters
“We made it through without breakages by slowing down and nursing the boat – we are now threading our way north-east between the land and the Agulhas current which we must soon cross.
“These are infamously dangerous waters and nobody really knows how bad the next 24 hours may or not be as anybody with any sense stays well clear of here.”
Mark Covell




Monday 12 December 2011

You don’t always get what you want

Team Sanya during leg two, from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi
(Andrés Soriano/Team Sanya/VOR).
As if to remind all the crews that Cape Town is perched on the edge of two oceans, and that the weather can change in a shake of an umbrella, race day started cold windy and raining.

By the time the fleet docked out and said their good-byes to Cape Town the sun was shining bright and a light breeze was blowing down the coast into Table Bay.

The excited spectator fleet jostled round the 3pm start. For two of the boats this was time to re-join the race again and show their potential to the rest of the fleet after missing leg one.

Overall leader
Ironically, the overall leader Team Telefonica stalled on the line and didn’t get going for almost two minutes.

It was Abu Dhabi who blasted down the reaching leg to win the race start.

The forecast was for a baptism of fire for the fleet as they headed out into strong winds, possibly up to 30 knots. The other curve ball waiting for the fleet was the Agulhas current flowing against them.

Doing battle
This is the Indian Ocean’s version of the Gulfstream, one of the largest and strongest currents in the world.

Given what happened on the first night of leg one, none of the teams were looking forward to doing battle with huge standing waves and boat-breaking conditions.

As I awoke this morning and eagerly switched on the race tracker I could see that they had had a very quiet night indeed. Presently they are short tacking up the coast in winds only averaging one knot.

No wind
Ian Walker, skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, said: “We made a great exit from Table Bay and built a nice lead before getting swallowed up by the fleet as we sat in no wind further up the coast.

“We have only managed to sail 0.6 nautical miles in the last two hours and have been sitting bobbing up and down looking at the notorious Cape of Good Hope for about 10 hours.”

This must be hugely frustrating for them. To make matters worse, the adverse current is sometimes washing them closer to the rocky shore and dangerous outcrops.

Sluiced backwards
So light were the conditions that Team Telefónica were forced to put down their anchor to avoid being sluiced backwards.

If you expect sun you get rain - expect wind and you get drifting conditions. I guess this is what the Volvo Ocean Race is all about - “life at the extreme”.

Mark Covell

Friday 9 December 2011

Praise where praise is due

Frank Coles, president, Inmarsat Maritime presents
Hamish Hooper with the award (Paul Todd/VOR)
The time has come to look back on the last leg and give praise where praise is due.

As we know, the winner of leg 1 was Team Telefónica. After the prize-giving hosted at the V&A waterfront, the Spanish skipper and Olympic gold medalist Iker Martínez said: “Obviously we’re very happy to have won. It’s always very nice to win, and the first leg is the most important.”

His reference to the importance of winning the first leg is that history has proved that time and time again, the winner of the first leg often wins the overall event.

Media award
It will be interesting to see if the same thing is true of the Inmarsat Media Award.

The nominees shortlisted for this years Leg 1 award were Groupama sailing team’s Yann Riou, Amory Ross of PUMA Ocean Racing and Hamish Hooper from CAMPER.

As the three MCMs gathered on the stage, the audience was shown a selection of the footage that the MCMs had shot.

High standard
Frank Coles, president of Inmarsat Maritime was on hand to present the award. Mr Coles gave praise to all the MCMs and the standard of the media. He was even more impressed with how they all work from such a small and uncomfortable space, tucked under the dark decks.

The award was finally given to Hamish Hooper of CAMPER. He had captured crashing waves, on-board injuries and even a dive to free rope from the keel.

Among the highlights of Hooper’s coverage was the mid-sea surgery to bowman Mike Pammenter, who lost his front tooth and split his lip after being washed into the rigging by a wave.

Front teeth
“I guess I should thank Mike for losing his front teeth - I was there to film it,” Mike said.

Congratulations to Hamish as we look forward to more great footage from all the MCMs on Leg 2

Mark Covell

Tuesday 6 December 2011

It's a shore thing

Piggyback: Puma rides to Cape Town on the carrier Bremen

Photo - Amory Ross / Volvo Ocean Race
For all the shore team managers, the fact that only 50 per cent  of the fleet made the finish line on leg one will be preying on their minds. 

If you were in the unlucky half to have had an issue, it’s about finding out what caused the problem and somehow making sure it doesn’t happen again.

In a strange way these teams have an easier job as they’ve already found their Achilles heel and are rejoining the race with even more passion - and a point to prove.

Eternal question
But the teams that got to Cape Town in one piece face the eternal question: what to check over? The answer has to be, everything. Every rig terminal, every fitting, every square inch of carbon will have been pushed, pulled, tapped and tested before the re-start next weekend. 

Out of the three boats that retired from leg one, two dropped their rigs. So, the reason for mounting the satellite communication gear at the back of the boat is clear: masts fall down and when they fall they normally fall sideways or over the bow. 

And when they do fall, what’s the first thing a team needs to do after they have checked all the crew are safe? Commence safety operations. 

Robust systems
It’s at that point they thank Inmarsat for the robust systems. A FleetBroadband FB500 andFB 250 are there, standing by for essential communications with the outside world, not only for safety, but for logistics, crew comms and even media usage too. 

For more than three weeks now, Puma Ocean Racing have been battling to get back to Cape Town after dropping their rig. They’ve been travelling piggyback on the 350-foot multi-purpose carrier ship that came to their rescue. They are still transmitting from the boat’s comms. 

As I sign off this blog the Puma MCM, Amory Ross, has sent out his blog for the day. He is still working hard, as his media duties don’t finish until he steps ashore in Cape Town.  

You can feel his pain, of the never-ending leg and how much they want to get back into this race.

Mark Covell

Wednesday 30 November 2011

Relief all round at the end of leg one

Less than 24 hours separated the first and second placed boats at the end of the first leg. It was Team Telefónica who ultimately claimed victory in a time of 21 days 5 hours and 14 minutes.

They were followed a day later by Camper. In winds gusting over 45 knots and bright sunshine, the New Zealanders were just relieved to finish safely. After all, three of the original six boats that started in Alicante on 5 November had failed to reach Cape Town in one piece.

Navigation error
Skipper Chris Nicholson commentated that after a small navigational mistake at the beginning of the leg, they had played catch-up for the next 18 days – an error they’ll not want to make again.

I caught up with Camper’s media crew member Hamish Hooper as he hung over the rail greeting friends and family. I asked him how it went and what the worst moments were for him.

Worst times
His reply was simply: “Amazing! It was awesome! It was great - the first and the last nights were the worse!”

When I asked him how he got on with all the Inmarsat equipment he just looked back at the dome and the FleetBroadband 500 and said: “That big dome at the back does some wonderful things.”

Looking happy
Hamish just couldn’t stop smiling and looking around, happy to have leg one under his belt. You can see full interview on YouTube shortly.

Groupama’s story was a lot more painful. They came in three days behind the winner after succumbing to light winds. The wind door had slammed shut behind Camper, leaving the French to sit in the ocean, wallowing in frustration.

Sense of relief
When they did get within spitting distance of the finish line, the wind shadow from Table Mountain then stopped them in their tracks. Speaking to their MCM Yann Riou on the dock later that day, the sense of relief on his face was clear.

Now there’s only a brief period for the boats and crews to recover, to receive some love and attention, before they prepare once again for the next in-port race and the start of leg two on the 11 December.

Mark Covell

Monday 28 November 2011

Team Telefonica arrives in Cape Town

Team Telefonica finishes first on leg 1 in Cape Town
Photo: Ian Roman/Volvo Ocean Race.
Sometimes Mother Nature reminds sailors who is boss. This was no exception at the finish line of leg one in Cape Town.

Assembled journalists, race organisers and spectators eagerly gathered on the dock to see Team Telefonica arrive victorious into Cape Town.

Blowing hard
The sailors had been battling the conditions for the past 20 days, but the motley crew on the dock had stood there for just an hour and were grumbling about the wind. It was blowing hard. When it blows in Cape Town, it really blows.

After sailing 6,500nm, for skipper Iker Martinez it was all about bringing the yacht into port safely. The 47-knot winds just added to the drama of this extreme race.

With cameras flashing and the crowd cheering Team Telefonica pulled into the dock.

Well-earned celebrations
I caught up with the team’s very happy media crew member, Diego Fructuoso, for a quick chat before he began his well-earned celebrations.

While he fought to kick off his sea boots and soaking foul-weather gear, I asked him that classic question: what was his hardest moment?

He a simply replied, “Sunday! That first Sunday, the first night of the race - it was difficult, very difficult”. Racing into the storm that so battered the boats during the first 24 hours that two of the six competitors were forced to limp ashore was a baptism of fire indeed.

Extreme conditions
Naturally I wanted to ask him how all the Inmarsat equipment coped with the extreme conditions. Almost as if shaking off the question as if it wasn’t worth asking, he just shrugged and said, “Yes, it just worked”.

After going into this race with so much to be concerned and worried about. It seams that the Inmarsat satellite communications on board are not on his worry list.

Congratulations from all at Inmarsat to Telefonica for a well-earned leg one win!

Mark Covell

Friday 25 November 2011

The mad dash to Cape Town

It’s all on for young and old! They’ve skirted round the St Helena high that blocks the more direct route across the Atlantic. Now they can hook into the rolling cold fronts that blast through the Southern Ocean.

In the last Volvo Ocean Race, in 2008-09, I can remember the temperature plummeting as we shot south. After the warm trade winds the boat hits the cold water and damp air, and everything starts streaming with condensation, even in areas of the boat that don’t normally get wet.

Thermal shirt
If you haven’t kept your last clean dry thermal shirt for now you’re going to get cold, because nothing will dry in these dank conditions.

It was on leg one that Torben Greal on Ericsson 4 set a world record of 696.8nm covered in just 24 hours. They hit the cold front perfectly. The sea was still relatively flat as the storm enveloped them. They averaged 24.84 knots. By the time the rest of the fleet got there the sea was already too big to break records.

Record breaking
This time the three boats are pushing hard in favourable winds sailing at speeds creeping up into the low 30s. The fleet is now in record-breaking territory.

The leader Telefonica has just reported that they are flying and continuing to push the boat to the max. The big question that must be on their minds is, how hard do they push it?

Camper was reminded that there are still pitfalls out there, after they ran into a fishing net at full speed. The only way to free it was to stop and reverse back down to free the net before pushing on.

The ETA into Cape Town for Team Telefonica is looking like late Saturday night.

Mark Covell

Thursday 24 November 2011

Inmarsat helps solve Puma's logistical nightmare

Floating city: Puma re-fuels alongside Zim Monaco
Photo - Amory Ross
Puma Ocean Racing experienced a harrowing few hours hovering next to what Ken Read described as a floating city.

After some smooth communication with captain Bondar of the super-freighter Zim Monaco, skipper Ken positioned the tiny 70-foot carbon race boat just metres away from the huge ship, with it drifting towards them at 3 knots.

Lines were hurled on to the yacht and the precious diesel fuel was lowered down.

Safety status
Satellite communications played an essential part in the rendezvous. In fact, the team on board the race boat must feel they are permanently using Inmarsat systems. 

Only days earlier they'd had to report the loss of the rig and their safety status in the race. The video and photographic coverage of the incident was then sent by the media crew member Amory Ross using the boat's FleetBroadband 500.

Then a huge logistical nightmare was carefully dealt with - starting with the mid-ocean hook-up with the tanker to transfer the fuel.

Replacement mast
Puma's support team is now airfreighting the replacement mast down to Cape Town.

And in the meantime the shore crew are leaving on a ship to meet with up the yacht on the island of Tristan. They will then work on the boat while it sits on the deck of the rescue vessel.

With 400 nautical miles to go, the yacht is now motoring slowly to the tiny island.

It’s not surprising that Amory, in his Thanksgiving blog, lists Inmarsat as one to thank.

Mark Covell

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Not just a sitcom from the sea

Shattered: PUMA skipper Ken Read slumps over the broken mast
Photo - Amory Ross
Since the action of the first night when both Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Sanya suffered damage that put them out of leg 1, the crew communications have settled into a relaxed daily routine - of amusing tails of life on board and race commentary reacting to every three hourly position report.

And the teams were beginning see the end of the leg and the final push for Cape Town. The lead was still up for grabs - it was looking like a battle royal between Telefonica and PUMA with Camper. It was all playing out like it should.

It’s so easy to sit back with a cup of tea in a comfortable chair and view all the fantastic footage coming off the boats, thinking how wonderful it is to be almost there, looking over the shoulders of the crew as they sail through the warm trade winds.

Real problems
Then bang! Sit up, spill your tea and realise that the Inmarsat satellite communication isn’t just bringing you another sitcom from the sea. It’s solving real problems and saving real lives.

Last night’s shocking news that PUMA had lost their rig over the side came with an almighty jolt. The communication traffic turned from talk of freeze-dried food and smelly crew kit to saving lives and logistics.

The shock of loosing the rig in only 23 knots of wind in broad daylight has shattered the team.

Safe port
Devastated that they have had to retire from the leg, they now have the long and arduous mission of getting to a safe port and start to recover and regroup.

They have set course for the small Island of Tristan de Cunha, 700 nm away. There is no airport as the Island is serviced by boat alone, but I guess this is a real case of any port in a storm.

It will be up to PUMA’s logistics team to solve the next problem and join that other race led by Team Sanya and Abu Dhabi - the race for leg 2.

Mark Covell

Monday 21 November 2011

From lazy days to crazy days

Slop is caked over Neptune's inductees on Camper.
Hamish Hooper/CAMPER ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race
The lazy days of the Doldrums seem far behind the fleet now. The last week has been a frenetic checklist of milestones and to-do lists.

Such as:
  • Get the hell out of the erratic Doldrums
  • Prepare for the royal visit that comes to those that have not crossed the equator before
  • Welcome King Neptune and Queen Codfish to reside over the sinners, confessions, punishments and absolutions
  • Take a brief moment to realise exactly how much hair the poor sinners have lost and how much fish head slop they were made to eat.
  • Fly by the Island of Fernando de Noronha - the only mark of Leg 1
  • Start looking forward to the southerly trade winds and hauling south for those westerly cold fronts that roll around the Southern Ocean
  • Check over the whole boat for any signs of damage before the mad ride starts in the high winds and big waves of the Southern Ocean.
Telefonica managed to get the right side of a great shift and a little more wind than their leg nemesis Puma. They are now enjoying a 17nm lead as the tables continue to turn.

Camper is still very much in the picture as they trail Puma by 130nm.

Groupama deficit
Groupama has a lot more to do with a deficit of 422nm from the leader.

The teams are bracing themselves as the water and wind gets colder by the day and the “slay” ride to Cape Town gets closer by the hour.

Lazy days will soon become crazy days.


Mark Covell

Thursday 17 November 2011

Media reporting from a floating sauna in the Doldrums

Ken Read watches weather forming behind PUMA Ocean Racing
Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race
The fleet has now navigated through the tricky conditions of the Doldrums, and crossed the equator and past the turning mark of Fernando de Noronha, a small Island just off Brazil. When a Spaniard says it’s too hot then you know it’s hot.

Diego Fructuoso from Team Telefonica commented that it was too hot to use his laptop during the day because of the sweat on his fingers.

It’s not the temperature; it’s the humidity he said. “At 95 per cent, it melts everything down to an uncomfortable salty sticky mess.

Hot and sticky
"It’s a wonder that all this electrical equipment still functions, but it does! It’s times like this that I thank Inmarsat that the connection is fast and efficient, so I don’t spend any more time down below decks in what’s become a floating steam room."

For a land lubber traveling through this area, it's just hot and sticky, with annoying thundershowers. For a sailor it’s a minefield of stop/start passing lanes.

Each thunderhead that forms from the hot air rising is watched very carefully by the sailing crews. They are looking for any signs that will tell them if the wind under it sucks or blows.

Darkening energy
The difference could mean a helping hand down the track from a stiff breeze or a slow drift in a torrential downpour. From a small dot on the radar, the humid air grows larger over just a few hours.

The mass of darkening energy can move miles forward, and sometimes even back again - like an aerial game of bumper cars.

If the outcome is no wind but torrential rain at least the pay-back is a fresh shower. Life on board resembles a laundry with the crew taking every chance to use the fresh water falling from the heavens to wash both body and clothes.

Limited squalls
If the outcome is wind then sails are rapidly changed and the equipment is stacked to eke every inch of boat speed and mileage from the limited squalls. 

Puma’s media crew member, Amory Ross said: "Since we entered this region of 'lost days' progress hasn’t been without its drama.

"Naturally, unpredictable weather has done its best to keep us busy, and tonight has been one of squall dodging and sail changing. Everyone’s tired.

Less relaxed
"It has also become uncomfortably hot below deck.  We smell bad enough as it is, but we now have the equatorial heat and humidity to make things worse," he explained.

"Clothes won’t dry, sleeping is hard, and life is generally less relaxed. The fans are on and the shirts are off!"

When I crossed this region last, we fell between the cracks every time. We didn’t get any rain or wind squalls.

Tapping fingers
We just drifted for days looking for a door out of the windless walled garden.  At least the fleet has had an eventful crossing and will be back in the southerly trade winds very soon.

With the front three boats so close together, the sailing action will come thick and fast. Diego’s laptop will be just as hot as before, but this time it will be from tapping fingers, reporting, blogging on the action, and sending us the news video and stills.

Monday 14 November 2011

Western way thrusts pursuers headlong into the Doldrums

Have you ever tried to cross a muddy field covered with long grass with a group of walkers?

You will note that everyone spreads out and thinks their route is best. An element of competitive exploration creeps in, especially when your mate gets stuck in the mud.

That’s exactly what the fleet of four boats have been doing as they creep ever closer to the elusive ITCZ, or Doldrums if you’re a sailor.

Convergence zone
The north-east and south-east trade winds converge in a low-pressure zone known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ.

Solar heating in the region forces air to rise through convection, which results in sporadic tropical storms. They’re short-lived, but can push a team a few precious miles forward over a rival boat that’s not so lucky.

The general consensus is that west is best. The French sailing Groupama tried sniggling down the West African coast. At first they made good gains and looked like pulling it off, with a lead of over 240nm.

Chasing teams
But after four days of frustrating sailing westwards, the shift that others had been hoping for finally came. The chasing teams have now overhauled the French and are heading headlong for the Doldrums at 20knots.

Looking at the tracker now, it looks like a freshly painted blue wall with four coloured drips running down it. Some drips are running faster than others.

The analogy of the muddy field works well, because just like the stagnant pools of sinking sludge you don’t know where they are. The Doldrums morph and move around like a watery windless ghost.

In the next day or so, this windless spirit will develop around the fleet, stopping them in their tracks. Who will be blessed with the hand of fortune? Or who will get a boot full of mud?


Mark Covell

Friday 11 November 2011

Abu Dhabi team loses the battle, but not the war


Ian Walker makes the tough call to retire from Leg 1 
Nick Dana/Volvo Ocean Race
Skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Ian Walker, has just made one of the bravest calls of his racing career - he’s retired from Leg 1 and will ship the boat to Cape Town.

There were just too many unknown variables for the team to deal with.

I guess this is a case of losing the battle, but not the war.

Wishful thinking
After they lost the mast and suspended racing just six hours into the race, the team put in a massive effort to get back out racing again.

They launched and set off late on Wednesday evening. The most optimistic outcome for them would have been that the four leading boats sailed into a ‘doldrum car park’ and allowed Abu Dhabi to catch up.

However, with all the wishful thinking in the world, they are over 900 miles behind and it was very unlikely to happen.

Be confident
You sometimes have to take one step backwards to take two forward in life. By getting to Cape Town as soon as possible they can concentrate on preparations for leg 2.

They will now sail to the port of Lisbon and ship the boat to Cape Town around the 28 November. Leg 2 starts on the 10 December and they want to be ready to race.

When sailing across oceans with teammates, a skipper must have the confidence in boat, rig and sails to get the finish line safely.

With such a rush job - getting an untested mast and setting out to sea - I guess Ian could not comfortably say he was 100 per cent confident.

Mark Covell

Thursday 10 November 2011

I can honestly say it’s not normally like this


Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing  leaves Alicante to rejoin leg 1
Photo: Tim Stonton/Volvo Ocean Race
If you ever go to a sailing event and look around at the bobbing boats in no wind, or stand sheltering behind a yacht club wall because there is too much wind, and grab a chat with a local, you will hear the ever so common phrase, “It’s not normally like this.”

Leg 1 Alicante to Cape Town 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race: four days in and I can honestly say, “It’s not normally like this.”

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing dramatically broke their mast in heavy air and steep waves after only six hours of racing, and had to return to Alicante to step a new mast.

Hull damage
Shortly after that, Team Sanya suffered massive hull damage after probably hitting something floating in the water and delaminating an area the size of a table tennis table. To make matters worse, in an unrelated incident bowman Andy Meiklejohn sustained an injury during a sail change.

I’m pleased to report that throughout all of these incidents, the reliability of the Inmarsat satellite communications was a great comfort to the teams.

Those four boats which forged on were battered for another 24 hours before breaking out into the Atlantic Ocean, led by the race favourite, Camper.

Out on a limb
Only a few miles separated them until the next dramatic event happened. This time it was down to a choice made by a team. Groupama decided to split from the fleet and dive south and hug the coast. They are now way out on a limb.

As I write, the fleet is about as far apart at this stage of the race then ever before. Team Telephonica is 450nm ahead of Groupama and they are 880nm ahead of Abu Dhabi, who are desperately trying to rejoin the race and play catch-up.

Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya has unfortunately retired from Leg 1 and will be trucked and then shipped to Cape Town where they will effectively cut and shut a new bow section on.

In my next blog I will endeavour to shed light on the high v low options and the big question, can Abu Dhabi catch up? But for now I’ll sign off with that age-old observation: “It’s not normally like this.”

See Team Sanya’s dramatic damage here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g99Pdy-TGe4

Mark Covell

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Passionate skipper suffers hefty blow from broken mast

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing prepare their new mast and rigging
Photo: Paul Todd/Volvo Ocean Race
I know Ian Walker, skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, very well - I sailed with him for three years. I know how passionate he is both to win a race and to protect his crew and get them all home safely.

Losing the mast after only six hours’ racing in such a dramatic way will rock Ian to the core. I found it hard just watching his dockside interview, as he struggles to hold his emotions back.

I can’t imagine how he felt after so much hard work and preparation to get to the start in good shape.

Smashing hull
The second it happened the whole team sprung into action. Every second the rig lay in the water, the waves where chewing the carbon fibre rig and sails up, and smashing against the hull, causing even more damage.

Watch leader Wade Morgan had to jump into the water to cut the sails off their locks and get retaining lines attached. This is an extremely hard and dangerous thing to do as it would be easy to get caught up in loose lines and carbon splinters.

The team made it back to Alicante where they are fitting a new mast and repairing any additional damage. Luckily they had a spare rig already being shipped on. A quick phone call turned the lorry round from Madrid to save the day. It looks like they will be back on racing by Thursday.

Gather thoughts
Just as Ian’s passion drives him harder than anyone else I know, his pragmatic and logical approach to set-backs is even more impressive. He will gather his thoughts and then his team and get back into the business of racing to Cape Town.

By now he will know that Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya have even more problems on their plate. A huge hole on the starboard side of the hull has forced them out of this leg and possibly on to a ship to get to South Africa. I will explain more in my next blog.

So only four boats are still racing and they have just ironically run out of wind and slowed right down.

Checking boats
They will be counting their blessings that they are still in good shape and checking their boats and equipment over very thoroughly indeed.

Watch Ian’s Interview:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-pBiSsiPLk
Listen to his press conference:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeRJPE4Jtas


Mark Covell

Monday 7 November 2011

Drama as two yachts suspend racing in stormy seas

Azzam's broken mast lies in pieces on the deck as they motor back.
Paul Todd/Volvo Ocean Race
The Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 got off to a turbulent start when two out of the six entrants were forced to suspend racing in stormy seas, shortly after leaving Alicante.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing came back into Alicante under engine after the mast on the team’s racing yacht Azzam had broken in five-metre waves and 30 knots of wind the previous night, just six hours and 85 nautical miles from the start of Leg 1, a 6,500-nm haul to Cape Town.

While Ian Walker’s team were on their way back to the start port, rivals Team Sanya were reporting damage to their hull while sailing upwind in 35-38 knots.

Wind blowing
The boat was about 30nm south-east of Motril, on the coast of Spain. The wind was blowing 43 knots and the waves were around 10.5 metres, the team reported.

They suspended racing and made their way to the port of Motril to assess the damage. Sanya bowman Andy Meiklejohn injured his foot during a sail change and once ashore sought medical advice. Doctors confirmed his foot was broken.

In a graphic demonstration of the problems all the boats were facing, an interview filmed on board CAMPER with Roberto “Chuny” Bermúdez resulted in the Spaniard being blown to the ground and slammed across deck.

Knocked off feet
“The Mediterranean sometimes gets like this… but the boat is going fine,” the video shows him saying to camera, just as he is knocked off his feet. Unscathed, he continues the interview below deck.

Abu Dhabi had left Alicante at the top of the leaderboard having won the opening in-port race and they were challenging for the lead in leg one when disaster struck at 1915 UTC on Saturday, about 30 miles southwest of Cartagena.

The crew recovered the rig and came back to Alicante before launching into a round-the-clock repair effort. The replacement mast arrived in Alicante at around 1400 UTC.

Full of emotion
“I think it is too early to start making judgements but certainly we believe we can [win the race],” said Walker, his voice full of emotion.

“We have put so much work into this project – everybody, and you just don’t… don’t want to let anyone down. When you have worked so hard every day for 18 months you are desperate to do well. We still are desperate to do well – the race isn’t lost.”

Describing the moments leading up to the loss of the mast, Walker said his “heart was in his mouth” as Azzam leapt off the back of a steep wave at around 12 knots before crashing back down.

Big wave
“I was steering and we just came off a big wave,” he said. “I know it’s a big wave when my feet leave the ground. You always have your heart in your mouth when that happens.

“When we landed the mast just kept going. We immediately numbered off, which is our safety drill to make sure we haven’t lost anyone over the side. Then we set about trying to retrieve whatever we could.”

Mike Sanderson, skipper of Team Sanya, the first sole Chinese entry in the race, also promised to bounce back from the setback in a message from the boat written while they were an hour away from port.

All safe
“Right now we have no idea how major the damage is,” Sanderson said. “We are all safe though.

“The guys are doing a fantastic job, all very positive and working incredibly hard even though you can see the bitter disappointment on all their faces.

“Be under no illusion though, we will be back with vengeance.”

Cause unknown
Sanderson and the team were still assessing the damage to Sanya, the only one of the six boats that is not brand new, in Motril on Sunday. It was not immediately clear what had caused the incident.

“We are fighters and our goal remains to take some scalps and get ourselves on the podium a couple of times and get in everyone’s way and see how many points we can earn,” said Sanderson. “We can do that – there’s no doubt about it.”

Mark Covell


The first night at sea – and the weather is not looking good

The fleet crosses the starting line on leg one
Photo: Mark Covell/Volvo Ocean Race
Dark black cloud and the odd splash of rain added to the drama that was about to unfold in front of thousands of spectators. After a short lap around the bay of Alicante the six boats navigated the last buoy and headed out to sea.

A few brave spectator boats followed them, but it wasn’t long before the steep waves and constant sea spray forced them to turn back to port and they wished the fleet good luck for the last time.

Camper (looking strong) led the fleet away, followed by Telephonica, then Puma. Abu Dhabi had suffered a few sail change issues, but had done well to catch up. Groupama was hot on the heels of Abu Dhabi, leaving a long gap back to Team Sanya.

Huge test
The next 24 hours were going to be a huge test for all the boats. I went back to the dock and walked out onto the long breakwater where I sat for a while, looking out at the horizon.

The wind was getting up and the temperature was dropping. It felt very strange to think I was out there this time on the last race.

I remembered that feeling of stepping out into the unknown. I felt very odd heading back to the hotel for a shower, before sitting down to an evening meal.

Creature comforts
The sailors will be without any creature comforts for the next 20 days. Doing without a shower, real food and a bed is only tiny fraction of the hardships those lads will be enduring.

And this first night was going to be one of the hardest.


Mark Covell

Baptism of water as Volvo Ocean Race gets under way

The fleet is finally racing, on leg one from Alicante
Photo: Mark Covell/Volvo Ocean Race
After many months of meticulous planning, race day finally arrived. The talking was over - it was time for action.

Boats were loaded with all the sails, food bags and spare parts needed for leg one to Cape Town and thousands of spectators arrived to watch the start, including a who’s who of sailing.

Alicante had welcomed the great and the good from past races for a veterans' regatta in the proceeding week and 16 boats from past races descended on the regatta village.

Legends Regatta
More than 400 competitors took part in the Legends Regatta, some dating back to the inaugural Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973-75. I will come back to this great event in a future blog.

Knowing more about the past events helps us understand the race today. Good fun was had by all, and many stories were told of daring acts of seamanship.

But as the legends week drew to an end attention turned to the next chapter of the race.

CapeTown
Six boats with 66 crew left the dock to sail the 6,500 nautical mile leg to Cape Town.

As the race boat crews waved at the huge crowd, I could see that beneath those happy faces, all keen to go racing again, they were nervous.

The forecast for the next 24 hours was bad - very bad. Thirty-five knot winds on the nose and short sharp standing waves were waiting for the fleet.

Speed bumps
Sailing into that sea is like driving at never-ending speed bumps, way too fast, in a sports car with low suspension.

Day one, leg one would be a baptism of fire and water - lots of water

Mark Covell

Wednesday 2 November 2011

Time to pack – but leave those Hawaiian shirts behind

Ian Walker, skipper of Abu Dhabi, checking the larder for leg one
Photo: Ian Roman / Volvo Ocean Race
With only a few days to go until the start it’s time to pack the boats ready for Leg one.

The teams have had some downtime since the in-port racing at the weekend, but now it’s time to regain focus. All the training and major preparation is over - it’s all about ocean racing now.

Teams ideally want their boats packed and loaded 24 hours before the start day. Some skippers even put the boats on lockdown, saying if it’s not on before then it’s not coming.

Team base
An area is laid out in the team’s base. They then pile up everything going on the boat, as if packing for a summer holiday.

But for these holiday makers there’ll be no Hawaiian shirts and glossy magazines to read by the pool, just three sets of underwear, a base layer and a fleece or two.

Weight is the major concern. The lighter a team can pack, the faster the boat will sail.

Stacked and racked
There is a sail limitation too, so the navigators are busily looking at the wind predictions for the leg. A quiver of sails will then be carefully packed, stacked and racked ready to set in a second.

The teams set sail on 5 November and are expected to arrive in Cape Town on 25 November. So 20 bags of dehydrated food have been prepared and sealed ready for loading.

An advanced first aid kit has been expertly packed by the medics into a large yellow Peli case, ready for the unexpected.

Sewing machine
And a robust sewing machine that will bolt on the top of the engine cover has to be boxed and stored together with all the spares that hopefully won’t be needed.

Like a game of Tetras plaid by a team of worker ants, the crews carry all these things down to the boats, knowing the next time they grab a bag or box of spares they will be at sea racing to Cape Town.

Read more from Team Telefonica’s media crew member, Diego Fructuoso, on his pre-start packing regime at http://bit.ly/roP5im.

Mark Covell

Monday 31 October 2011

How I helped grind third place in the Pro-Am

It seemed only sensible that if I’m going to report on this Volvo Ocean Race and the people and boats then I should get stuck in and have a sail. And I got that chance when I was invited to join Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya for the Pro-Am Race.

Unlike the grey skies and light air for the in-port race, we were blessed by a 12-knot breeze and bright sunshine. The teams took five of the professional crews off the boats and replaced them with amateurs.

I was joined by some VIPs from past races and some race sponsors. I wasn’t about to jump on board and give it the big I am, so I tried to melt into the background. I’m 6 ft 7ins and melting into the background has never been my strong point.

Younger crew
As the crew was made up of the younger side of the team, no one recognised me.  And when Mike Sanderson offered the chance to get involved and jump on to the grinding pedestals, I naturally stepped forward.


I didn’t have the heart to tell the young lad that was explaining to me how to sail that I’d been a professional sailor for 25 years and was a grinder in the Americas Cup.

After the first few tacks I had ground the main in using only first gear and spun my teacher off the handles. It was at that point he asked my name and I confessed to my history.

Father figure
The news spread quickly through the boat and I was treated like a respected, recognised father-figure of the sport. After that I was given the job of getting the main in by myself and had a fantastic day. We finished a respectable third.


The day may have provided a little boost to my ego, but the downside was inevitable – the next day I was going to hurt from top to bottom of my 6 foot 7 inch frame.

Mark Covell

Saturday 29 October 2011

Fixed course holds no fear for Walker and Abu Dhabi


Abu Dhabi passes Puma going the other way
Photo: Mark Covell 
Fourteen minutes is a massive margin to win a yacht race – especially when the yacht race is only 53 minutes long. 

Here in Alicante for the first in-port challenge, double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker skippered a near-perfect race in the trickiest conditions to claim the first six points on the board.

The day started wet, windy and cold. The teams left the dock looking like they were heading for the Southern Ocean. The Puma shop was doing brisk business selling rain jackets as fast as they could. Thankfully the weather front slowly cleared and racing got away on time.

Passing lanes
The big difference in this edition of the in-port race is that the course is fixed and not laid for the conditions and wind direction on the day. Some teams worry that the fixed course could become a procession. After today’s race, their fears were firmly quashed. There were plenty of passing lanes from wind shifts, sail choices and forced errors.

Abu Dhabi got a good start and just nudged round the first mark in front of Camper, but the real race-winning manoeuvre was when they both rounded the second mark.

A difference choice in headsails saw Walker’s team extend their lead, leaving Camper to be swallowed up by the chasing fleet. At one point Camper fell back to last.

Turning gate
Abu Dhabi managed to hold the last grain of boat speed to slither through the turning gate and head for the shortened course finish. I took a great shot of Abu Dhabi heading past Puma, 100 metres down the track sailing in opposite directions.

I don’t think you can draw too much from this crazy race - but a win is a win !

Provisional results:
Position / Team / Time / Points
1. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing / 53 minutes 44 seconds / 6 points
2. Puma Ocean Racing powered by BERG / 1 hour 07:58 / 5 points
3. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand / 1:10:11 / 4 points
4. Team Sanya / 1:10:43 / 3 points
5. Groupama sailing team / 1:11:11 / 2 points
6. Team Telefónica / 1:12:08 / 1 point

Mark Covell