Roaring Forty leads the fleet as the northern group make gains

(by Oliver Dewar) At 1820 GMT yesterday (24/02/09), the two leading boats in the Portimão Global Ocean Race parted company having shadowed each other through the western Pacific for three days. At the time of the split, the lead was held by Felipe Cubillos and José Muñoz on Desafio Cabo de Hornos just a few miles ahead of Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer.

Cubillos described the situation: “Our onshore meteo team has always advised us that being in the north was better since the beginning of the race, but we decided to go south and cover the Germans.” Since the start of Leg 3 from Wellington, New Zealand, the two Class 40s have rarely been out of visible range. “But we’ve had to re-think our strategy,” he continues. “We were in front of the German boat earlier today by about three miles, when an enormous black cloud appeared to starboard, dumping huge amounts of rain. ‘This one is a wind killer,’ I told myself and I chose to get away from the cloud as quickly as possible.”

Cubillos and Muñoz put the helm down and headed north-east while Herrmann and Oehme continued south-east towards the cloud. “The Germans decided to luff up into the cloud,” explains Cubillos. “It’s the usual sailor’s practice, head up a bit to create apparent wind in a light patch. It seems as though the German tactic might have succeeded,” admits the Chilean skipper as position polls following the manoeuvre showed Beluga Racer eight miles ahead of the bright red Desafio Cabo de Hornos.

However, despite this separation after three days of match racing below 40°S, Cubillos is looking at the longer term plan when the wind finally arrives. “While we were to windward of the cloud, we could see Beluga Racer in the exact spot we had occupied a few minutes earlier,” he reports. “We’re going to stick with the north option and it will take about a week before the real outcome of our northern strategy is clear.” The latest position poll at 1520 GMT today gives the Chileans a lead of 15 miles over the German team, averaging 9 knots, currently three times faster than Beluga Racer.

Although the Germans and Chileans have parted company, Michel Kleinjans on Roaring Forty and the British duo of Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson on Team Mowgli had a close encounter this morning as their paths crossed at around 0920 GMT (25/02/09). Slipping south-east behind the double-handed Class 40, solo sailor Kleinjans describes the scene: “I saw Team Mowgli possibly three miles away,” he wrote in his blog. “Then they sent me an email and although I tried to call them on the VHF, I couldn’t get hold of them.” Currently on a converging course with Desafio Cabo de Hornos, Kleinjans – the only remaining solo sailor in the race – is now leading the fleet, eight miles ahead of the Chilean Class 40.

Holding the northern position and making the best speed at just over 10 knots, Salvesen and Thomson have located the strongest breeze and Team Mowgli has moved up to second place in the double-handed fleet, trailing Desafio Cabo de Hornos by 10 miles. Weather models for the area are conflicting, but the overall view suggests that the trio of boats opting for the north may stick with the best of the light westerly breeze, while Herrmann and Oehme, becoming isolated to the south of the fleet on Beluga Racer, may suffer in very light breeze….unless the young German duo have a game plan.

However, the calm weather has provided the teams with time to ponder an enormous number of subjects. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, racing through the most uninhabited zone on the planet,” writes Felipe Cubillos. “Without any wind, the sea is like a mirror and at night, the millions of stars are reflected, mixing with uncountable numbers of jellyfish that live in the ocean on the surface.” Witnessing this optical union between the distant cosmos and simple cellular sea life triggered some introspection on board Desafio Cabo de Hornos. “During my time at university in Chile, some of my contemporaries were inspired by their tutors and developed intellectual skills,” recalls Cubillos. “But for me, my love of sailing surpassed my passion for books on philosophy and the study of all things metaphysical.”

Despite turning towards seamanship rather than scholarship, the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean has touched the Chilean skipper. “However, one thing has stuck in my mind: the infinite size and diversity of creation and the random nature of the universe,” he reports. “Today we have complete silence, tomorrow there may be deafening noise. Today, everything is peaceful and calm, but tomorrow all hell may let loose and we’ll be at war with the elements. In this immense solitude, it is a great comfort to know that you are all following our progress and supporting us.”