It may not be a ‘traditional’ route across the Atlantic, but Leg 7 from Miami to Lisbon promises to be yet another exciting stage as the Volvo Ocean Race speeds towards its climax.
“The North Atlantic has the potential to become as nasty as the Southern Ocean with waves potentially as high as 10 metres. Any team could win this one” - Gonzalo Infante, Volvo Ocean Race chief meteorologist
A tactical minefield with options aplenty, the 3,590-mile leg will see the six teams take on the might of the North Atlantic as they race back to Europe where the 2011-12 edition started over six months ago.
Historically, the transatlantic leg of the race has started in the mid latitudes of Boston or New York and finished in the UK via the Great Circle Route high into the north of the ocean, but this time round things have been mixed up, starting in the tropical latitudes.
This opens up a wealth of options for the teams as they weigh up whether to take the classic route north, or try to cut the corner and head straight for Lisbon.
As always, each team’s strategy will depend on the weather information they receive prior to the start on May 20 -- and the gambles they are willing to take.
Right out of the blocks the crews will be thinking about the Gulf Stream, the powerful current that runs north up the coast of the United States, and whether they can use it to their advantage.
The Gulf Stream could add three or four knots of positive current to a team’s boat speed if their overall game plan takes them north.
A route up the coast of the United States could also pay benefits thanks to the regular formation of low pressure systems off Cape Hatteras in North Carolina which follow the path of the Gulf Stream.
The two combined could catapult a team high into the North Atlantic – however with four days still to go to the start of the leg, it’s unclear at this time whether this route will pay.
The key to success will be how the teams navigate the biggest hurdle of Leg 7 – the sub-tropical high pressure system that sits in the middle of the North Atlantic.
The traditional route would take teams over the top of it, but, if a cold front splits the high in half there’s every chance of taking a much more direct route to Lisbon.
The worst of the weather will be in the westerlies that follow in the path of the low pressure systems like a conveyor belt.
Strong winds and huge seas characterise the depths of the North Atlantic before the fleet can finally turn south and head towards Lisbon, hooking into the Portuguese trade winds for a final few days of fast sailing.
“There is going to be plenty of wind, plenty of waves and plenty of action in Leg 7,” said Volvo Ocean Race weather guru Gonzalo Infante. “The North Atlantic has the potential to become as nasty as the Southern Ocean with waves potentially as high as 10 metres. Any team could win this one.”
Leg 7 starts at 1700 UTC (1300 local time) on May 20, following May 19’s PORTMIAMI In-Port Race. It is expected to take around 11 days to complete.
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