Volvo Ocean Race: Rich get richer

(December 4, 2014; Day 16) – The cycling of the rubber band stretched today as the lead trio in the Volvo Ocean Race enjoyed stronger winds to open up on the tail of the fleet. Will the rubber band bring the entire fleet together again? Not so, according to the PredictWind forecast.

Onboard leader Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, reporter Matt Knighton senses a light at the end of the tunnel…

“The heat and sun may have made the days longer, but it undoubtedly fueled the motivations of everyone onboard to get to our homeport of Abu Dhabi. As the wind gusts built throughout the day and the sound of water splashing on the bow increased, the miles to go before we enter the Arabian Gulf began to tick away faster. For the first time in the leg, the question isn’t ‘how long until we’re out of this’, it’s ‘how soon can we get there?’

“Though our chocolate bars have melted and the energy drink is running low, we still like to think of what lies ahead. A subtle optimism has started to take hold and though no one has said it out loud, everyone is thinking about what they’ll do once we arrive in Abu Dhabi.”

Team Vestas Wind: The photos and video have now been released following their accident, and they are shocking. To view: CLICK HERE

Leg 2 Position Report (as of 21:55 UTC)
1. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Ian Walker (GBR), 1877.8 nm Distance to Finish
2. Team Brunel, Bouwe Bekking (NED), 6.7 nm Distance to Lead
3. Dongfeng Race Team, Charles Caudrelier (FRA), 8.4 nm DTL
4. MAPFRE, Iker Martinez (ESP), 103.9 nm DTL
5. Team Alvimedica, Charlie Enright (USA), 173.6 nm DTL
6. Team SCA, Sam Davies (GBR), 237.1 nm DTL
7. Team Vestas Wind, Chris Nicholson (AUS), Suspended racing

Race website – Tracking – Watch log – Videos

Background: The 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race began in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 11 with the final finish on June 27 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Racing the new one design Volvo Ocean 65, seven teams will be scoring points in 9 offshore legs to determine the overall Volvo Ocean Race winner. Additionally, the teams will compete in 10 In-Port races at each stopover for a separate competition – the Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Series. The second offshore leg from Cape Town, SA to Abu Dhabi, UAE is 6,125 nm, started Nov. 19 with an ETA of Dec. 9-16.