Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing this afternoon looked to have got the better of CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand in the hand-to-hand combat the pair have been engaged in all day.
In his latest report from the boat Abu Dhabi Media Crew Member (MCM) Nick Dana described how Abu Dhabi had finally got the upper hand after nipping at CAMPER’s heels since first light this morning:
“The battle has raged all day,” he said. “At dawn we were behind them with the breeze slowly fading. This was a bit worrying, as we believe them to be one of the fastest boats in light air. Nevertheless we kept pushing and as the day crept on the sea breeze did too.
“Up and down on our line CAMPER continued to swerve, gaining here and losing there. Finally we decided we would start to sail our course as if they were not next to us. A difficult task when you are stuck in a nail biter in light air and calm seas.
“Eventually we caught a small shift and edged ahead. Even now we are locked in a gybe dual through the fields of anchored ships.”
Dana said the day had been a scorcher in more ways than one with blistering heat and stifling humidity adding to the intensity of the boat-on-boat action.
“Today has been a difficult day to sit at the computer,” Dana said. “Firstly because we had our record temperature inside Azzam thus far. It was a whopping 40 degrees down below, coupled with humidity that you had to cut your way through.
“And secondly because of our little match race going on with CAMPER at the moment. In fact, as I write this we are no more than 20 metres from an anchored super tanker – ducking and weaving between the giants with CAMPER closely at our heels.”
The crews have been at sea for nine days now without a proper shower or fresh food, a fact that Abu Dhabi skipper Ian Walker said made sailing past the bright lights of Singapore on the way to the South China Sea all the more difficult.
“We are now within 50 miles of Singapore – one of my favourite cities in the world. It is going to be very hard not to stop in for a visit!” Walker said in his blog from the boat today. “Right now we could all do with a cool, soft drink and a freshwater shower.”
With the challenge of the Malacca Strait almost completed Walker said he had mentally all but ticked off the middle section of the second stage of Leg 3.
“In my mind this represents the end of the second stage of Leg 3b i.e. the Malacca Straits,” he said. “I have to say that with the exception of a period of getting stuck in the shipping lane with little or no wind to manoeuvre with, the Straits have held very few of the perils we feared.
“No pirates, no collisions, far less debris in the water than I remember last time, fewer thunder storms and fewer periods of calm.
Nevertheless Walker said he was bracing himself for a tough passage through the Singapore Strait and out into open water for the final section to Sanya.
“The waters off Singapore will offer lots more shipping and some strong adverse currents so we are not out of the woods yet,” he said.
Although Abu Dhabi previously lost out badly on a key weather coin toss which saw them anchored along side CAMPER in no wind and strong adverse current while the top three romped away, Walker said with a long and difficult slog to China still to come he was far from capitulating on Leg 3.
“We are closer to the leaders than we have been since Day 4,” he said. “Right now the top five boats are within 25 miles of each other after eight days racing.
“Looking ahead it would be fair to say that nobody onboard is looking forward to the last part of this leg. 1200 miles upwind to China with some rough conditions certain off the Vietnamese coast.”
With the Siren calls of Singapore ringing in his ears Walker said the Abu Dhabi crew were preparing themselves and their boat for the brutal monsoon surge conditions they would face over the next week.
“Now is the time to be checking things over,” he said. “Doing any small maintenance bits and any other chores before the sea conditions deteriorate in the South China Sea.
“Much as it breaks my heart we will not be stopping in Singapore tonight,” he added sadly.