After roughly 6,500 of the 6,847-nautical mile long first leg, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are where they have been through much of the first leg so far: in a slight lead.
As of the 9.40am UTC (1.40pm UAE) position report on Tuesday, Azzam is but 339nm away from Cape Town, South Africa, nearing the end of a leg that has seen them cross the Atlantic twice, battle through the doldrums and avoid icebergs since leaving Alicante, Spain on October 11.
The Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing crew, skipped by Ian Walker, have put 8.1nm between them and second-placed Dongfeng Race Team, a crew that themselves have battled mechanical failure early on and the bitter cold more recently (after they miscalculated and left their cold-weather gear behind in Spain).
Further back, but still potentially dangerous, are Team Brunel, 40.8nm off Azzam, and Team Vestas Wind, a further roughly 50 miles off the pace.
Team Alvimedica (276.9nm back), Mapfre (539.2nm) and Team SCA (608.6nm) are drifting in from the rear.
Writing in his onboard blog, ADOR's Matt Knighton describes fighting through the final miles:
“Exhausted, and with the saltwater continuing to flood the cockpit, the bearded faces up on deck continue to steadily take the race one mile at a time.
“The war of attrition wages on.”
With so little distance left between the lead boats and South African shores, it looks like it will come down to either Chinese boat Dongfeng or Azzam.
“The 0100 report provided the only respite in the tense ambiance,” wrote Knighton early Tuesday morning. “We had put pace on the rest of the fleet and most importantly, Dongfeng had not gybed before us towards Cape Town.
“We had crossed them in the night and are now pointing at the finish only 12nm ahead.”
Meanwhile, aboard Dongfeng, the team onboard reporter Yann Riou describes the race to the finish:
“Violent. That’s the best adjective to describe the last three days. Reaching with the hound gennaker up, in 25-30 knots of wind.
“In other words, it means that you’re sailing fast, that it’s crashing, that there are tons of water on deck, and that, onboard some boats, including ours, you sail on your side, very heeled.
“Three days like this and you’re knocked out.”
In about 24 hours, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, having been at or near the front since emerging out of the Cape Verde Islands near the beginning of the first stage, may find themselves Leg 1 winners.
Describing Walker’s mood, Knighton writes:
Wearing his stress and nervousness onboard, Ian hasn’t been able to sleep. His eyes are bloodshot, he’s jumpy for each perceieved decerase in boat speed, and his familiar humour is subuded under a quieter exterior.”
Some 300 miles and one more restless night, and Walker, with the rest of the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing crew, will finally be able to rest easy onshore for the first time in about three weeks.
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