Volvo Ocean Race: Start your engines

(May 19, 2015; Day 3) – Not sure how involved Volvo is in car drag racing, but their Volvo Penta D2-75 engine is involved in a tight test toward Europe with the whims of wind and meanders of the easterly Gulf Stream shuffling the lead pack on the seventh leg of the Volvo Ocean Race.

“Great action out here with Mapfre, Brunel, Dongfeng and ourselves all within 1 mile of each other,” remarks Abu Dhabi skipper Ian Walker. “Tight reaching in the Gulf Stream. Mapfre are on a jib while the rest of us are on fractional and a reef.”

Unfortunately for Alvimedica, tight reaching speed woes continue to plague the team. “Jib reaching has been a sore spot for a while now,” reports Amory Ross from the boat. “We spent some time debriefing in Newport and while we’re still a bit off the pace we’re much closer to the fleet average now. For a one-design fleet it’s incredible how much diversity there is in the trim of the sails and the placement of the weight.”

As the wind is soon forecasted to lift and lighten, Alvimedica is hopeful that the downwind conditions allow them to better pace the frontrunners.

With regard to the report yesterday concerning a possible course infringement by Dongfeng, Mapfre, and SCA, the Race Committee is reviewing the courses of the fleet through the various Traffic Separation Schemes zones and sailing instruction exclusion zones that the fleet has to negotiate leaving Newport.

Leg 7 (2,800 nm) Position Report (as of 21:43 UTC)
1. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Ian Walker (GBR), 2344.4 nm Distance to Finish
2. Team Brunel, Bouwe Bekking (NED), 0.3 nm Distance to Lead
3. Dongfeng Race Team, Charles Caudrelier (FRA), 0.4 nm DTL
4. MAPFRE, Iker Martínez (ESP), 1.5 nm DTL
5. Team SCA, Sam Davies (GBR), 1.7 nm DTL
6. Team Alvimedica, Charlie Enright (USA), 2.5 nm DTL
7. Team Vestas Wind, Chris Nicholson (AUS), Did not start

Race website – Tracking – Scoreboard – 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 seventh leg, from Newport, USA to Lisbon, Portugal (2,800 nm), began May 17 with an ETA between May 27 and 29.