Dongfeng enjoys good day at the office

(January 10, 2015; Day 8) – As the Volvo Ocean Race fleet continues to gain south in a straight line towards the southern tip of Sri Lanka, the Dongfeng boat keeps gaining miles on the competition in the reaching conditions.

Numbers don’t lie…Dongfeng is making gold out of the light winds. Charles Caudrelier and his men have been at least one knot faster on average. They’ve had a better sailing angle, they’ve positioned themselves lower than the rest of the fleet, and they’re able to react as the wind shifts from north to northeast.

Speaking of wind, the breeze has kicked in today and gone from 8 to 15 knots. The boats have reached similar speeds, sailing between 8 to 12-14 knots in the latest position report. Overnight we’ll see between 7 and 14 knots of NNE to NE wind.

The fleet is currently crossing the Indian archipelago of Lakshadweep. These islands are located north of the Maldives and with this milestone being ticked off, the sailors are finally leaving the Arabian Sea to enter the Laccadive Sea.

Leg 3 Position Report (as of 21:40 UTC)
1. Dongfeng Race Team, Charles Caudrelier (FRA), 3109.9 nm Distance to Finish
2. Team Brunel, Bouwe Bekking (NED), 12.5 nm Distance to Lead
3. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Ian Walker (GBR), 22.3 nm DTL
4. MAPFRE, Iker Martinez (ESP), 55.3 nm DTL
5. Team Alvimedica, Charlie Enright (USA), 56.4 nm DTL
6. Team SCA, Sam Davies (GBR), 70.9 DTL
7. Team Vestas Wind, Chris Nicholson (AUS), Did not start

Race website – Tracking – Scoreboard – Videos

Background: The fleet is now on Leg 3 from Abu Dhabi, UAE to Sanya, China (4,642 nm), which started Jan. 3 with an ETA on or after Jan. 19. 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.