Into the Indian Ocean for the GOR Class40s
The double-handed Class40s in the Global Ocean Race 2011-12 (GOR) spent the first full day at sea in Leg 2 beating close inshore towards the Cape of Good Hope in strong headwinds before the breeze slackened. At 09:00 GMT on Wednesday as dawn broke, the New Zealand duo of Ross and Campbell Field with BSL took the lead from Conrad Colman and Artemis Offshore Academy sailor, Sam Goodchild, with Cessna Citation, as Colman and Goodchild took the inside track, sailing just six miles off Quoin Point, a rocky headland west of Cape Agulhas.
By 13:00 GMT, the Franco-British duo of Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron had moved into the lead with Campagne de France, rounding Cape Agulhas at the southern tip of Africa, entering the Indian Ocean with Cessna Citation and BSL hard on the chase under one mile astern. As the south-easterly breeze began to build, the leading trio dropped south on port tack away from land while a duel continued 20 miles behind the leaders between the South African duo of Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire in fourth on Phesheya-Racing and the Italian-Spanish team of Marco Nannini and Hugo Ramon in fifth with Financial Crisis with the two Class40s separated by just six miles.
Throughout Wednesday, the fleet continued the dive south led by Campagne de France with Cessna Citation and BSLwithin visual range as average speeds increased to over seven knots until, shortly before midnight, Colman and Goodchild broke away, tacking onto starboard and takingCessna Citation east and moving into the lead. As the five Class40s drop through the high latitudes, Ross Field looked back at the stopover in Cape Town and the 48-hour, Leg 2 start delay: “The hanging around waiting for the start was frustrating, but necessary for the weather – it was blowing dogs off chains – a good 50 knots and it was nice to be ashore,” he reports from BSL. “Just like to thank Cape Town – a great city and the South Africans are the most friendly people in the world and love New Zealanders.”
In the 06:00 GMT position poll on Thursday, Campagne de France and BSL continue south separated by two miles asCessna Citation continues east with a lead of just over 30 miles: “We’re battling again with Halvard and Miranda, plusCessna,” Ross Field continues. “The French [Mabire and Merron] are quick on the wind and so is Cessna, so we are happy where we are.”
