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3:44 PM Tue 3 Mar 2009 GMT
The Southern Ocean is getting really congested,' reported Felipe Cubillos from the leading double-handed Class 40, Desafio Cabo de Hornos, last night.
Shortly after midnight, Cubillos and his co-skipper, Jos? Mu?oz dropped south to just three miles above the Pacific Ocean exclusion zone at 45?S. Under three miles off the Chilean yacht's port quarter, Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson on Team Mowgli, in second place, shadowed the fleet leader's descent, holding the northern position.
Meanwhile, the German duo of Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer, lying in third place, had already made the southern move and converged dramatically on the leading pair. To increase the traffic chaos at latitude 45S, solo sailor, Michel Kleinjans, on Open 40, Roaring Forty, also joined the party, a handful of miles ahead of the German team. In the latest position poll at 0620 GMT this morning, the Portim?o Global Ocean Race fleet are crammed into a very busy and exclusive area of the Pacific spanning 12 miles north-south and nine miles east-west: a truly unbelievable fleet formation after ten days and around 2,000 miles of deep ocean racing.
Michel Kleinjans describes the action and atmosphere 1,000 miles south of French Polynesia: 'When I put my head out of the cabin at first light this morning, I saw Beluga off the port beam about two miles away,' says the Belgian solo sailor. 'I spoke a bit with Felix. We were both carrying the Code 0 and I was slightly overtaking them in the very light conditions.' Within the past few hours, the local population has increased dramatically: 'Just a few minutes ago, I was talking to Boris and as I was gazing at the horizon, another boat appeared off my port quarter and then another one a bit further in front.'
The early southern option taken by Roaring Forty and Beluga Racer has had a marked impact. 'The leading two boats must have lingered a bit too long in the centre of the high,' reasons Kleinjans. 'Whereas we probably just stayed out and have caught up completely! A restart after 1,600 miles!' In the 0620 GMT position poll, Kleinjans and Roaring Forty now cover the fleet to the north, nine miles behind the leading double-handed team, Desafio Cabo de Hornos, while the Chilean team currently hold a four mile lead over the British Class 40, Team Mowgli. Just two miles off Kleinjans' starboard beam, Herrmann and Oehme on Beluga Racer are firmly re-established with the double-handed fleet, trailing Desafio Cabo de Hornos by less than seven miles.
'Team Mowgli and Desafio Cabo de Hornos probably won't like this,' points out Kleinjans. 'But they have another 5,500 miles to get away and I guess Boris must be happy to have regained contact. Sometimes Aeolus has to deal you a good hand,' he continues, attributing the fleet se-shuffle to a benevolent, Ancient Greek wind god. 'From now on, it's up to us to make the best of the situation, although the 45?S barrier is a bit off a nuisance now, keeping us all in light stuff and contrary winds.' The solo sailor's prediction appears correct and weather models suggest that the fleet will encounter highly confused breeze with the possible chance of headwinds throughout today.
Leaderboard - at 06:20 UTC Tuesday, 3rd March 2009
Double-handed class
1. Cabo de Hornos - DTL 0.0nm Spd 9.4kts
2. Team Mowgli - DTL 3.7nm Spd 8.7kts
3. Beluga Racer - DTL 6.7nm Spd 9.0kts
Single-handed class
1. Roaring Forty - DTL 0.0nm Spd 8.4nm
www.portimaoglobaloceanrace.com/
by Oliver Dewar
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Sailing
