Global - official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race - December issue. by Great Circle Publishing Company

37 o 06' N 08o 31' E wind speed 28 knots - boat speed 11 knots

global DECEMBER 2008

global Global is the official race magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race and is published by Global Ocean Sailing Ventures COVER PHOTO Boris Herrmann PHOTO CREDITS Boris Herrmann, Felix Oehme, Ingrid Abery, Brian Hancock, Trevor Wilkins, Michel Kleinjans, Felipe Cubillos, Lenjohn van der Wel

FOREWORD

EDITED BY Portimão Global Ocean Race Team EDITOR Brian Hancock COPYRIGHT Great Circle Publsihing Company December 2008

A Message from Brian Hancock It was an intense and quite emotional time in Portimão prior to the start of Leg 1. What had started as an idea just two short years earlier was now a reality; a new around-the-world yacht race for smaller boats. Myself and the event Race Director Josh Hall, along with our small team of workers toiled long hours in our office at the Marine de Portimão planning a big send-off party, dealing with throngs of media and crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s on the Sailing Instructions. There was plenty to do but there was also plenty of time to spend with our competitors who were themselves on the brink of realizing their own dreams.

When the start gun fired there were more than a few tears shed. Tears from happiness, sorry and exhaustion as finally the race was underway and the boats were off to Cape Town. We could not have scripted a better first week for the sailors. Warm trade winds and equally warm days and nights as the boats raced neck and neck down the African coast, across the equator until finally rolling into Cape Town.

The mood in South Africa has been similar to the mood in Portugal Global Ocean SailingVentures, Ltd Unit 41 Claydon Business Park Great Blakenham Ipswich Suffolk, UK IP6 0NL Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information published in this magazine is accurate. Neither the publishers or race officials of the Portimão Global Ocean Race accept liability for any errors. All material contained in this magazine is copyrighted and no part may be reproduced or transmitted without written permission from Global Ocean Sailing Ventures. global

tinged just the slightest with apprehension as a long and very tough passage to New Zealand lies ahead. This will be the first Southern Ocean crossing for all the sailors except Michel Kleinjans who last transited the stormy ocean more than two decades ago during a Whitbread Round the World Race. It’s the unknown that stirs feelings of apprehension and anxiety.

The

sailors need not worry. The Southern Ocean does have wild storms and big seas but there is plenty of sea room and the boats are very well prepared for the conditions. There is an intense beauty to the region and it’s this magnificence, combined with some awesome sailing, that each sailor will take from the experience. They will spend Christmas and New Year at sea, both very emotional times but it will be a Christmas that they will always remember. In a months time they will sail into New Zealand to another warm welcome from a country that is sailing mad. So to our skippers, sail safe, sail fast and we look forward to seeing that small speck on the horizon as you approach yet another continent on your great voyage around the world.

CONTENTS FOREWORD A Message from Brian Hancock - 4 COMMENTARY Brian Hancock looks at the world of offshore ocean racing - 6 A LOOK OVER THE TRANSOM Leg 1 of the Portimão Global Ocean Race - 8 A NAIL BITING FINISH Boris Herrman reports on the close finish to Leg 1 - 20 A LOOK AT LEG 2 Oliver Dewaar describes on of the toughest legs of the race - 26 TEAM MOWGLI Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson recount their passage - 30 TACTICS AND STRATEGY Brian Hancock looks at what it’s going to take to get to Wellington - 36 FINISH POSTERS Beluga Racer - 40 Desafio Cabe de Hornos - 42 Team Mowgli - 44 Kazimir Partners - 46 Roaring Forty - 48 Hayai - 50

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Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

Commentary Portimão Global Ocean Race Communications Director Brian Hancock looks at the exploding world of offshore racing.

HESE ARE HEADY TIMES for armchair sailors. On October 11 the Volvo Ocean Race got underway from Alicante, Spain. A day later the inaugural Portimão Global Ocean Race set sail from Portugal and on November 9 the big one, the Vendée Globe started from Les Sable d’ Olonne, France. Three different around-the-world races, each with their own character, their own place in the global sailing scene, all of them bound to bring drama, excitement and pure inspiration to sailors around the world. As co-founder of the Portimão Global Ocean Race and a veteran of three Whitbread Round the World campaigns (the Whitbread now being the Volvo Ocean Race) I feel that I have some perspective. It’s only my perspective and I know there are other infinitely global

more qualified voices out there, but this is my point of view, for better or worse.

HINGS COULD NOT BE better for offshore ocean racing and by extension, the broader sailing community. Eight full blown, cutting edge, VOR 70’s are hurtling around the planet dragging corporate sponsors to exotic destination with PR machines in tow. Mainstream celebrities want to be seen with the sailors, and viceversa. Offshore sailing has arrived squarely on our radars as a dynamic, media driven, cash guzzling public relations bonanza and it’s about time. The teams, their sponsors and the race is a phenomenon and if you have not witnessed up close the power and excitement of a Volvo 70 at full cry, I suggest you try and make one of the inshore races. Actually it looks quite good in HD on a big plas-

ma screen but you need the spray and sound to bring it to life say nothing of a bit of blood and guts when it all goes wrong.

OR THE VOLVO SAILORS life on board is brutal; there is no other way to describe it. Day to day existence revolves around squeezing the most speed from the boat, 24/7. I read that on board Team Russia they carry only a single spoon per person with three spares. It’s an effort to save weight but less than two weeks into Leg 1 they had already lost four spoons. I wondered how that dynamic played out on board and if it was still considered a good idea. In my day we had wine with dinner, every night, and a cabin to sleep in. Granted the equipment was not up to the task and half-inch wire sheets used to snap with alarming regularity, but that was all part of the adven-

ture. Same too with the suicide of the Russian skipper in ’89. I was his Watch Captain! I took up solo sailing shortly after that.

HAVE ONLY ADMIRATION and respect for the Volvo Ocean Race, the sailors and the corporate circus that accompanies the race over a period of nine months. By contrast the Vendée Globe might as well be a different sport. France turns out in full force for these modern day argonauts. When their race started from Les Sable d’ Olonne there were traffic jams 20 miles out of the city as people poured into the tiny seaside town for the start. Race officials estimate that more than 800,000 people visited the race village in the weeks leading to the start of the race. When the first boats arrive back next February hundreds of thousands of “ordinary” men and women (and their dogs) will be there to welcome each and every sailor back home to France. Those who are not French

will be made honorary citizens for their arrival as the Vendée is a uniquely French event. For those of us who love sailing and wonder why the rest of the world does not see things our way, go to France for the finish - your heart will be warmed.

HE VENDÉE, LIKE THE Volvo Ocean Race are both at the pinnacle of their success. The Vendée had 30 boats on the start line, half of which are serious contenders for winning. The fleet included two past winners as well as a number of other veterans who have sailed that gruelling race more than three times. Unfortunately for the Vendée this is the swan-song for many of the competitors. Add to that the campaigns are becoming prohibitively expensive and the boats too complicated to sail and you start running out of sailors to compete in your event. You can’t have a great event without great competitors.

It’s this reality that convinced myself and my partner, Josh Hall, to step into the breech and create a new around-the-world race, one that is affordable for sailors while still meeting their aspirations and goals. The Portimão Global Ocean Race will become a serious player on the world sailing scene precisely because it fills a need that seems to be getting bigger. We are lucky to have this race sponsored at a time when the economy is in a free fall, and we are thrilled to have the Portuguese city of Portimão as the home for the event. Our main objective now is to get our 10 sailors back safely to Portimão next year and use their collective experience to build upon. So far, so good. The first leg provided some close racing and better yet, it provided some great television with shows broadcast in Portugal, Chile and Germany. The sailors are enjoying the experience and loving the ports that they have visited so far. Wellington, Ilhabela and Charleston are still there to be discovered. So while the Portimão Global Ocean Race is not the Volvo or Vendee, it is slowly creating it’s own identity and own following. I hope that you will bookmark our race, keep it in perspective, and join us on this global adventure.

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

A look over the transom by BRIAN HANCOCK

EG 1 OF THE PORTIMĂ&#x192;O GLOBAL OCEAN Race turned out to be a giant obstacle course of competing weather patterns

that were played like a Stradivarius Violin by the German team of Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme aboard Beluga Racer.

HAT WAS UNTIL THE South Atlantic when it all changed not only for Beluga Racer, but for all the boats as they tripped and fell over pockets of high pressure that had them racing for their computers to download the latest weather updates. It was not a traditional leg from Europe the fairest cape of Southern Africa; instead the weath-

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er was confusing not only to the sailors but also to the meteorologists who study this kind of thing for a living. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The weather pattern is very unusual in the South Atlantic wrote Chris Tibbs, weather router for Team Mowgli in a succinct email to the boat. Leg 1 was also about close racing as various races within the race took

place, most notably between the British entry Team Mowgli and their arch nemesis, the Chileans aboard Desafio Cabo de Hornos. The two boats played a cat and mouse game the entire length of the South Atlantic as they raced within miles of each other on a distance to go basis. It was only once both boats made the long sweeping turn for Cape Town that the Chileans pulled

Leg 1 of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

ahead and went on a charge to give the guys on Beluga Racer some heartburn.

OST OF ALL LEG 1 WAS about a long and relatively easy passage from Portugal to South Africa that started on a glorious sunny day off the coast of Portimão on the 12th October, 2008. Vice Mayor Luis Carito fired the start gun and the six entries, four doublehanded and two singlehanded, unfurled large gennakers and set off for South Africa some 7,000 nautical miles away. From the outset Beluga Racer looked determined to set the

pace and the Germans were first across the start line, but less than an hour into the race Belgium sailor Michel Kleinjans sailing alone on his Open 40, Roaring Forty had ideas of his own. Sailing closer to the coast and enjoying a better wind angle as the fleet converged at the first gate of the course, Cape Sagres, Kleinjans surged into the lead and was the first boat past the stunning headland. “I know my boat was lighter than the Class 40s,” Michel noted modestly. “That will probably account for why I was able to overtake Beluga Racer.” Modesty and understatement are

characteristics of Kleinjans as he would prove later in the leg. For the short term, however, Roaring Forty looked superb as dolphins joined Michel as the fleet sailed into the setting sun. In fifth place Nico Budel on Hayai was just settling down to life at sea and was down below when a RIB full of journalists roared up to him. He came on deck to see what the commotion was all about and seemed startled to see the papparazzi so close. He was hoping for a quiet moment to toast the first mark of the course with a glass of old port, and looked vaguely disappointed when he realised that we had just ruined the occasion for him.

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

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Y THE NEXT MORNING Beluga Racer had once again taken the lead as the hot dinghy sailors on board worked hard to get as much speed out of their boat as possible. All the teams were enjoying downwind sailing with full masthead spinnakers eating up the miles and spitting them out in their wake. “We have

been sailing through the night in perfect conditions,” reported Peter van der Wel aboard Kazimir Partners. “It was a stroke of genius for the Race Organisers to start this race in Portugal. I can’t imagine having to beat into a full gale like some of the other races. This is just perfect as we settle into a long leg to Cape Town.”

ERFECT CONDITIONS INDEED. For piracy. As Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson on Team Mowgli sailed down the African coast they noticed a mysterious fishing boat tailing them. The boat was menacing and worse yet, not fishing. “We knew that this was an area for piracy,” said Jeremy. “Problem was that there was not a

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

single thing we could do. You can’t outrun a ship and you can’t dial up more wind. We were sure that they were going to strike at night and we had our best defenses prepared: knives and flare guns, but we knew that we would be no match for whatever plans they might have for us.” As night fell and tension mounted, the ‘fishing” boat suddenly peeled away on a diverging course and the two British sailors, along with race officials, breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Y DAY THREE THERE WAS another lead change. The Chileans had finally settled into a routine and found their stride and Desafio Cabo de Hornos surged into the lead passing Beluga Racer as both boats lined up

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for the first obstacle of the course, the Canary Islands. This group of islands off the coast of Africa are a superb tourist destination. They are also a unique tactical challenge for the teams at they need to negotiate the funnelling winds and long wind shadows caused by the high mountains. The boys on Beluga Racer opted for the narrow gap between Gran Canaria and Tenerife while the Chileans, with Kleinjans on Roaring Forty in hot pursuit, chose a more conservative path between Gran Canaria and Tenerife. The difference paid off for the Chileans who opened up a nine mile lead. Their move earned them the nickname the Red Hot Chilli Peppers by the rest of the fleet, but their lead was short-lived. A day later Beluga Racer had reclaimed the top spot.

HE LEG FROM PORTIMÃO to the doldrums provided some of the best sailing of the leg. Long hot days, spinnakers set, a warm trade wind at their backs and the horizon ahead curved like outstretched arms just waiting for them. Heady stuff for sailors, none of whom, save Kleinjans, had sailed across the equator before. But while the sailing was great the focus was on the doldrums, or Pot au Noir (Black Pot) as the French like to call the region. This area separates the massive weather systems of the northern and southern hemispheres and where they collide there is a sudden vertical ascent of warm moist air that sucks the breeze right out of the area. The heat is intense as the equatorial sun beats mercilessly

down on the boats causing temperatures below to soar above 40 degrees C.

ELUGA RACER WAS FIRST into the windless zone and as their speed dropped to a handful of knots, the fleet compressed. Traditionally the further west you go, the narrower the doldrum belt, but for the Chileans out to the west, it was not a good tactical move. “We made a mistake at the doldrums,” admitted Felipe Cubillos. “We should have stayed closer to Beluga Racer. We knew that we would have good speed in the Southern Hemisphere but we let them get away.” It seems that all the boats had a reasonable transit of the doldrums except for Kazimir Partners. A couple of days earlier

the South Africans had collided with a whale bringing the boat to a sudden and dramatic halt. “There was blood in the water but we checked the boat thoroughly and it looked OK,” reported Lenjohn. Perhaps it was the collision with one of the world’s most gentle marine mammals, or perhaps it was just bad luck but Kazimir Partners had nothing but lousy luck as they tried to sail toward the new breeze on the south side of the doldrum belt. “We were sailing along quite nicely,” reported Peter van der Wel. “We saw the squall just fine and were expecting some increase in wind. What we did not expect was a massive increase in wind. It started to rise, 15 knots, 20, 25 and then suddenly it was blowing over 50 knots.

It all happened so quickly.” With a full gale blowing and full sails set Kazimir Partners careened off on the edge of control. “It was quite harrowing,” Peter noted. “We could have easily lost our mast.”

ONCE AGAIN BELUGA Racer was first into the new wind and with sheets tightened they sailed on port tack toward the first scoring gate off the coast of Brazil. Michel Kleinjans on board Roaring Forty once again proved his skill as a light wind sailor and moved into second place on the water while Team Mowgli, also finding the conditions to their liking held onto third place. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, still smarting from their bad tactical move, occupied fourth place, while

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

still in the doldrums, Nico Budel on Hayai, was making the most of the conditions. “We had a big rain squall and since I was already wet I decided I might as well have a nice shower and enjoy the rain,” he said. “It was great and now I am ready for the Southern Hemisphere.” Never ruffled by anything, always enjoying every moment, Nico Budel was having the time of his life. At 69 years young he was showing the South Africans his transom, but not for

long as a cat and mouse game soon developed between the two boats. For five days they changed the lead continually until Nico finally decided that Kazimir Partners only brought bad weather and split tacks with them, a move that finally opened up a decent lead for him.

H E R E C I F E G AT E , A a compulsory waypoint off the coast of Brazil, was added to keep the fleet grouped closer together as well as

serve as a place to accumulate points. Just under three weeks into the race Boris and Felix on Beluga Racer were first to pass the gate followed a day later by Kleinjans on Roaring Forty. Showing no sign of letting up the pace Michel was determined to hold off a challenge from Team Mowgli and was doing just that when near disaster struck. “This evening just as the sun was setting I was doing some filming and interviewing myself for the camera, when I heard a loud

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

bang,” Michel wrote in his log. Earlier in the day a shackle of his mainsheet had snapped so another bang was not welcome news. “This bang was the kind of bang that you know means trouble,” he continued. “So I looked around but didn't immediately see anything wrong until I saw that the port D1 had come off the mast.” The port D1 that Michel referred to was in fact a critical part of the rigging that holds up his mast. “Immediate panic!” he continued. “I dropped the mainsail and quickly gybed so that the broken stay was on the leeward side. Then I got my gear out and climbed the mast to reattached the stay. This took a long time but finally I was able to gybe back onto course and resume sailing.” With his wings clipped there was very little Michel could do but wait and watch as the rest of the chasing pack closed on him until Team Mowgli finally moved into second.

E FOUND THAT WE had good speed as we sailed down the western side of the South Atlantic High,” Jeremy Salvesen reported. “David and I had settled into a good rhythm and the boat was sailing well.” Their nemesis, Desafio Cabo de Hornos, had

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closed the gap to under 40 miles and the two boats remained locked in a head-to-head battle the length of the South Atlantic ending only when both boats were below the latitude of Cape Town and had started to make the slow turn toward the finish line. The South Atlantic was all about heartburn for most of the sailors. Heartburn because the weather was nothing like the guide books predicted. Traditionally it’s a free-fall south sailing the edge of the high pressure system that dominates the entire ocean between Brazil and the African coast. Cut the corner on the high at your own peril for while there is good wind on the edge of the system, the centre is a massive millpond. The problem this time however, was that the high was a moving target at times contracting into a number of smaller cells and at other times extending a ridge right across the path of the sailors. “It was so difficult to figure out what the high was going to do,” Boris lamented. “We were running two performance programs with different weather data and they gave us very different options for getting south. It seems as if even the top weather stations were confused by the strange weather this year.”

S THE BOYS ON BELUGA Racer extended their lead over the rest of the fleet to a margin approaching 600 miles at one point, it looked as if there was nothing Boris and Felix could do wrong. “We were actually sailing in completely different weather from the rest of the fleet,” Felix said. “That makes it hard to decide what to do to cover the others.” Halfway down the South Atlantic a gap opened up in the high and for a few days it looked as if Beluga Racer would be able to defy the odds and cut a huge chunk of distance off their course as they headed directly for Cape Town. Their glee was shortlived as the high closed in around them and the speed dropped to the low single digits. It was not good, and with the chasing pack racing along at 12 knots, Beluga Racer languished barely making 3 knots. It took some courage and close self examination for the crew to make a radical change of course. They tacked over to head south and in doing so the rate at which they were closing the finish dropped to under a single knot. Still the move paid off and a day later they were back in the breeze and sailing fast.

HIS WAS, HOWEVER, NOT the last time the Germans would be fooled by conflicting weather forecasts. As they picked up the winds south of the high pressure that had once stalled their free pass to Cape Town, they turned their bows once more for the finish. On paper it looked like a smart and safe move to make; the wind gods thought different. Beluga Racer ran slap bang into yet another area of high pressure and their speed dropped to zero. Worse yet Desafio Cabo De Hornos had a bone in the teeth and was on a charge sailing at 14 knots, closing the gap between the two boats at an alarming rate. The forecast looked to be getting worse for the Germans and better for the Chileans. A nail-biting finish was shaping up to the delight of sailing fans around the world. In the final few days of Leg 1 the tension was high as with each poll Beluga Racer lost distance to Desafio Cabo de Hornos. Their once insurmountable 600 miles lead was starting to look vulnerable as the distance was reduced to 500 miles, then 400, 300, 200 until there was less than 100 miles separating the two boats and Desafio Cabo de Hornos was still on a charge while Boris and Felix struggled to break free from the windless zone.

“Right up until 12 hours before we finished we had no idea if we were going to be able to hold them off or not,” Boris said. “We were running various weather scenarios and one gave us the win while the other gave Felipe and José the win. But this morning when we had good wind and were making course we knew that we had it.”

ELUGA RACER’S FINISH could not have been scripted better. They approached Cape Town on a stunning sunny Sunday, large gennaker flying and the boat simply chafing to get across the finish line. Boris and Felix lit flares and posed against the backdrop of Table Mountain, a more imposing and historic piece of granite there is not. They joined countless sailors and adventurers who have found shelter in the lee of the mountain and enjoyed the warm hospitality of the South African people. To cap it all, Desafio Cabo de Hornos roared into Cape Town just three hours later. While the Germans and Chileans enjoyed cold beer and hot food, on board Kazimir Partners they were running out of food. Having found every hole and headwind between Portugal and the Southern Ocean

they had seriously depleted their supplies. The cooking gas ran out and four days before they finally made it to Cape Town, the food ran out. “We dug into our emergency rations,” Peter van der Wel said. “But they were pretty grim. Hard to enjoy but it was becoming all about survival, not enjoyment.” Team Mowgli’s arrival less than a day after the first two boats having sailed a superb leg. “We found our stride two weeks into the race and know now that we have the speed and expertise to be competitive,” Jeremy Salvesen said, his grin twice the width of Table Mountain. “I can’t wait for the next leg.”

N BOARD ROARING FORTY Michel Kleinjans was still battling with his damaged mast and was limping slowly toward the finish. “Each time we tacked onto port I had to take the mainsail down,” he said. “There was no way that I was going to put any strain on the mast. I had to finish the leg with the mast in the boat no matter how long it took me.” His chance of beating the leading Class 40s dashed and with no real threat from Nico Budel on Hayai, Michel sailed slowly toward Cape Town finishing finally two days after the Brits on Team Mowgli.

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

ICO BUDEL ARRIVED A few days later to take second in the single-handed division. He had had an uneventful passage, or so he said. As a master of the understatement and with an incredibly positive outlook, I am sure that nothing will ever faze the senior competitor. “I enjoyed this race very much,” he said simply. “The sailing has been great and the boat also did a good job. We have no problems. Some work on the autopilot and we need a sailmaker but other than that things are good.”

HE ONLY REMAINING worry was Kazimir Partners. The boat was making unusually slow progress and the conditions on board were becoming dire. It was later revealed that the antifouling paint on the boat had washed off and in it’s place hundreds of inch-long barnacles had attached themselves to the underside of the hull. They were dragging a spiny forest through the water losing at least two knots of boat speed in the process. The wind, however, finally cooperated and in perfect form and with perfect timing (just

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as the Wednesday night racers were returning from their race), Lenjohn and Peter sailed into their home port. The horns and sirens and cheers left them in no doubt that they were favourite sons and their homecoming was an emotional scene. “We started to ration food two weeks ago knowing that we were looking at a forecast of light winds,” Lenjohn said, “and it’s a very good thing we did. We ate our last meal three days ago.” When asked what he was looking forward to eating he said simply; “Nothing. I actually feel nauseous and not interested in food.”

Pundits agree that it was more interesting to follow than the much heralded Volvo Ocean Race proving, in part at least, that perseverance and dedication count heaps in this game. The boats are tied up in front of the Royal Cape Yacht Club within spitting distance of the bar and restaurant. Table Mountain looms large in the background providing a stunning backdrop while the skippers divide their time between readying their boats for Leg 2 and taking time to experience all South Africa has to offer.

With the arrival of Kazimir Partners Leg one conc l u d e d .

Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

A nail biting finish Boris Herrnann takes us on board Beluga Racer for the final 24 hours of Leg 1

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S LEG 1 OF THE PORTIMÃO GLOBAL OCEAN RACE drew to a close an interesting situation developed between the German team of Beluga Racer and the Chileans aboard Desafio Cabo de Hornos. A week earlier Beluga Racer held

an almost insurmountable 600 miles lead over the chasing boat, but a combination of fickle conditions for Beluga Racer and perfect conditions for Desafio Cabo de Hornos quickly changed the game.

HILE BORIS Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer flopped around in search of wind averaging no more than 4 knots, Felipe Cubillos and José Muñoz were averaging 12 knots in a steady system that looked set to carry them all the way to the finish. That kind of boat speed difference can change things very quickly and the result was a nailbiting finish as the square outline of Table Mountain came into view. The evening before their arrival, Beluga Racer skipper Boris Herrmann penned his thoughts in an email to Race HQ.

FTER 35 DAYS AT SEA WE we feel fresh and clear minded. We want to win this leg and work full on to achieve our goal. For the

remaining hours we have switched into inshore racing mode as the two Chileans, Felipe and José onboard Desafio Cabo de Hornos, are breathing in our neck and the distance to finish is under 300 miles.

E CHANGED THE watch system to a 3 hours rhythm. One of us stays out permanently for his watch to feel the boat and trim main and headsail. The other is preparing food, navigating or taking a rest. As tension rises due to the close match with Desafio Cabo do Hornos most of the time both of us are on deck. The gain by this Figaro-like style of sailing is probably around 1% compared to our regular mode sailing with the autopilot. It depends very much on the actual conditions how much constant

trimming style pays off. If we still had the 500 miles cushion behind us we would probably sit inside now and enjoy the fast ride. We are both not too concerned about the actual situation: This feels more normal to us. This is what we are here for and what our passion is about. It is not about reading books, filming, writing etc. First of all it’s about racing this beautiful and powerful boat around the globe. The thrill of these hours feels refreshing and even if we would cross the line behind the Chileans, I think this finish gives a lot to us, and to the race.

PRAY COMES OVER THE deck. The boat is powered up. We are in a performing groove and don’t miss anything. A voice inside me just tells

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

me to go on and not to stop. The stopover will destroy this special world. But this voice is also saying how good it is to be here and that we need not worry. We will be heading back into the ocean in a months time from now.

AYBE WE WILL NOT HAVE THE time to write again before the finish. In this case - thanks to all of you for the wishes you write on our website! You definitely gave everything to make us win and if we don’t win tomorrow we will have a problem to explain this to you. But beneath us there is a lot of hope and energy onboard Beluga Racer. “No three minutes pass without watching the VMG Rate numbers on the screens. This number indicates the percentage of fulfillment of the theoretical performance of our boat. That theoretical performance data comes out of a numeric VPP model run by the architects Group Lombard in France. It is quite accurate and if we really push all the time we can achieve a 100% average over time. This fit between actual performance and prediction is important to validate our modeling for the next 15 hours. If we stay on 100% Polar Rate and Desafio does

not exceed 110%, we would have one hour advantage on the finish line. But we had better forget about numbers now - we have no single meter to loose. The problem is the influence of the African continent which detracts from the accuracy of the global weather models like GFS and ECMWF enormously. In general there is a low pressure system over South Africa caused by the heat. This low causes a strong southeasterly local wind. We have no accurate data about that wind. We also have no accurate data about the Benguela Current a cold body of water that flows north along the coast. Both factors mean a huge uncertainty to the routing of both of us. Desafio Cabo de Hornos has the advantage that if he catches the southeasterly he could run downwind. We seem to be in a more steady wind zone and have no need to gybe downwind like him. We have the current against us; he has it with him. And we have one big minus that I will discuss in my next paragraph. Concluding I would say we are 50% even. Perhaps 40 to 60 % in his favour. Most likely at around 6 tomorrow morning this story will be decided.

REAKAGE AT 13:00 UTC ONBOARD Beluga Racer today. A distinct bang! Both of us look forward to the bowsprit. No problem visible. After a closer investigation Felix discovers the

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

worst: an 8mm stainless steel eye that holds the bow sprit down via a very strong dyneema stay broke out of the hull. In August we took off this structurally important part and refitted it after a careful inspection. Now it seems that this fitting has paid tribute to the stress we put on Beluga Racer to escape from the closing Chileans. We sailed under Code 0 and Code 5 in sometime a little more wind or closer wind angles than the sails were designed for. Especially sailing with the Code 5 close hauled puts enormous stress on the bow sprit. We were lucky that we were able to furl the sail without breaking the sprit itself. The whole problem costs

us the 10 to 15% we would gain over the performance polars by still carrying the Code 5 in the actual conditions. But on the other hand maybe the damage saves us from overpowering the boat. Right now we sail in a pitch black night under genoa and main with 80 degrees true wind angle and 17 knots true wind speed. This even allows us to make the 100%.”

S A CLEAR DAWN BROKE on Beluga Racer ’s last day at sea it brought with is a steady southerly wind allowing Boris and Felix to ease sheet and steer a direct course for the Cape

Town finish. The forecast was for more of the same and it was at that point, barring some major breakage, they the knew that they have the leg won. Six hours later and with full sail flying they stormed across the finish line in a postcard perfect finish. Three hours later Felipe and José arrived. “The right boat won,” Felipe said graciously. “Yes of course we would have liked to win and we sailed as hard as we could to make this happen, but it would not have felt right to beat Beluga Racer. Boris and Felix sailed a great leg and they deserved to win. Simple as that.”

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

A look at Leg 2 Cape Town to Wellington - perhaps the toughest leg of the race by OLIVER DEWAR

S THE VENDﾃ右 GLOBE FLEET STREAM PAST the Cape of Good Hope, over 600 miles offshore to the south, the six teams in the Portimﾃ｣o Global Ocean Race are in the final countdown to the

13 December start of the 7,500 mile Leg 2 from Cape Town to Wellington, New Zealand. As this group of ten international yachtsmen continue preparations in the race base at the Royal Cape Yacht Club, the focus is clearly locked on the forthcoming voyage through the Southern Ocean and applying the lessons learnt from Leg 1.

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HE YOUNG GERMAN duo, Boris Hermann and co-skipper Felix Oehme, sailed Beluga Racer to victory in Leg 1 spending 34 days at sea, but Herrmann is aware that Leg 2 is a much bigger challenge: “On the last leg, we didn’t have a lot of wind,” admits the 28 yearold skipper. “I think the maximum the fleet experienced was only about 30 knots of breeze and on the next leg, there’ll be much, much more, definitely. So we’re trying to prepare ourselves mentally so we are ready to cope with situations when it might be really dangerous.” The Southern Ocean has a fearsome reputation and holds a near-mythical status for offshore sailors as an area of intense storms and huge seas. “The big winds by themselves are not always a problem,” Herrmann explains. “But it’s the steep seas and chaotic waves which can be damaging, especially at night when you can’t see what’s coming. That’s what we’re frightened by.”

OWEVER THE TWO Germans have discovered a technique that can limit any potential damage: sailing full-on for as long as possible. “It’s really fun to sail the boat at 100 percent performance,” confirms Herrmann. “If we go below that, the boat becomes less stable on the waves – especially downwind. So, to sail the boat well makes the boat even more safe.” Pushing his Akilaria 40 hard through brutal conditions may seem counter intuitive, but Hermann is convinced that the system works: “For example, when a low pressure has passed us, or a front passes, the waves get really chaotic. So maybe we have to push harder to make it safer for us.” Beluga Racer was launched in 2007 and is part of a new generation of Class 40 yachts: “These modern boats have to be sailed actively,” he believes. “If the conditions are right, we can hand steer the boat round the side of a breaking wave. If the conditions are really strong – say, 50 knots – then we have to find out how it works or what is the best method.” There is, however, a limit. “In those sort of conditions we switch to a mode where we concentrate on just saving the boat. The mission then becomes a case of being as prudent as possible. Up to 40 knots, though, we will be full-on racing.”

NE OF THE MANY HIGHlights of Leg 1 was the exceptionally close finish of the two front running boats with Chilean Class 40, Desafio Cabo de Hornos, of Felipe Cubillos and José Muòos eating heavily into the lead held by Herrmann and Oehme: “We were 600 miles behind Beluga Racer at one point and we finished just three hours behind them,” recalls Cubillos. Part of the reason for this massive gain was equipment failure on board: “In the middle of the race we lost all our wind instruments, so we had to play the race by ear, the old fashioned way,” he explains. “Although this means you can’t use a lot of the software on board, it actually gave us a lot of advantages in terms of knowing the boat because we had to feel her due to not using the autopilot. This knowledge will help us a lot in Leg 2.” Cubillos is also quick to praise his shore based team: “I’m really confident with all the team helping us with the weather routing even though we made a mistake in the Doldrums,” he admits. Desafio Cabo de Hornos took a similar route to the Volvo Ocean Race yachts a week ahead of the Portimão Global Ocean Race fleet, taking the Chileans far into the western Atlantic: “We went by far the longest route in the fleet, sailing the most miles,” comments Cubillos. “But other than that mistake, it all went very well.”

HE CHILEAN TEAM HAS an impressive support network in Cape Town and while Cubillos will remain in Chile until Thursday, preparation work for the next leg continues: “My team is in Cape Town with José,” he confirms. “My rigger from Argentina is there, the French electrician is working on board and the builder of the boat is there. As soon as I get back, I’ll go to the supermarket, buy all the food supplies and we’re ready to go sailing.” However, part of Cubillos is already in the Southern Ocean: “Every day I check the weather files for Leg 2. It’s going to be a predominantly downwind leg, so I think we’ll go very fast and I really love that.” Cubillos is also aware that he made one important, personal error on the first leg that could prove vital in Leg 2: “First of all, I have to carry more food and take more care of myself, rather than focus just on the boat,” he says. “I lost 12 kilos on the Atlantic

leg. I was concentrating on the boat so much I forgot about myself. That’s the first lesson I’ve learnt and I learnt it the hard way.” Despite this hardship, he is keen to return to the race course: “I have to admit that when we arrived at the finish line in Cape Town on a beautiful day with the spinnaker up, I told José that if it wasn’t for my children, my family and my girlfriend, I would love to be working in sailing all the time. I’m really looking forward to the next leg.” Cubillos also believes that Leg 2 will be intensely competitive: “We know it will be a very tough competition,” he predicts. “The two Akilarias, Beluga Racer and Team Mowgli, are very fast and very well sailed. We don’t know yet about the South African boat, Kazimir Partners, because they made a mistake in the Canary Islands, so they spent the whole race in a different weather pattern. It’s going to be really something out there.”

AKING THIRD PLACE ON Leg 1 on Team Mowgli was an astounding achievement for the British duo, Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson. Salvesen’s sailing experience was limited to small dinghies until three years ago and Thomson, a highly experienced offshore sailor, only joined the racing project weeks before the start. However, 35 days at sea together have built a strong bond between the two yachtsmen: “We’ve learnt to trust each other and respect each other’s abilities in the good times and the bad,” explains Salvesen. “That gives you a great degree of confidence looking forward, which is wonderful.” Having only taken delivery of the Class 40 in the spring this year, Leg 1 was a sharp learning curb. “With the boat, we’ve also developed trust,” continues Salvesen. “We’ve now sailed for 7,500 miles and we have confidence in her that we never had before. We haven’t been through some of the weather that we anticipate in the next leg, but we’re now confident that the boat is strong and sound. The next leg has a greater degree of trepidation for us than the previous leg.” With a potential of around 33-35 days sailing in the high latitudes of the Indian Ocean, Salvesen is pragmatic about the forthcoming Leg 2: “Having never been to the Southern Ocean before, I’m really not sure if we’re mentally prepared or not. I don’t really know what it takes down

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

there,” he admits. “For us, it’s more about mental preparation. We’re going into this with eyes wide open, not fearful, but hugely respectful of where we’re going. Not nervous, just cautious.” Like all the skippers in the Portimão Global Ocean Race, Salvesen is aware that sailing fast is only part of the game: “It’s a balance,” he explains. “We’ve learnt how hard we can push Team Mowgli. On Leg 1, we ended up blowing both of our spinnakers and we did that because we were pushing too hard. It’s a balance of ‘Yeah! We’re really in it to win it!’ and being in it to get as far up the leader board as we can and be competitive.” Preserving the boat and racing effectively is the key for Salvesen and Thomson: “So, we want to push as hard as we can,” says Salvesen. “It’s knowing when to take your foot off the gas. It’s a really difficult thing to do, but it’s the wisest thing. We want to get to New Zealand in one piece and be able to continue with the race around Cape Horn and onto the next leg.”

HE SOUTH AFRICAN brothers, Lenjohn and Peter van der Wel, took fourth place in the doublehanded division on Kazimir

Partners after 45 days that were filled with frustration: “We had some computer issues which obviously put us at a disadvantage as we were unable to access decent weather files,” explains Lenjohn. “This all happened around the Canary Islands where the normal strategy is to go west,” he continues. “Everyone else went on the eastern side and we lost 400 miles in three days and we never regained them. We were in a totally different weather pattern to the rest of the fleet.” Effectively sailing blind with minimal weather information, the brothers watched the fleet slip away, with Kazimir Partners losing 20 miles each day as they headed west across the Atlantic towards Recife, Brazil. In a bid to decrease this deficit, the duo identified a possible option of heading through rather than around - the St Helena high pressure system in the South Atlantic: a gamble that could save Lenjohn and Peter between 8001,000 miles and an extra week of sailing. “Whatever we did, the high just moved in such a way that it blocked our entry into Cape Town,” explains Lenjohn. “It was extremely frustrating, but there was nothing we could do about it.” An addition-

al setback also arrived as the bright yellow Class 40 sailed through the tropics: “We also had about 500 torpedo worms attached to the bottom of the boat,” reports Lenjohn. “Everybody else had maybe two or three of them and this cost us between half to a knot of boat speed. I could have opened a pet farm with them!” he jokes. With the computer systems repaired, both the brothers are determined to improve their performance on Leg 2: “We need to get it together for the next leg,” Lenjohn admits. “My philosophy for pushing the boat hard is that it’s a long way to go to New Zealand, but we will try and push hard and try to redeem ourselves and our reputation!” As the time to leave their home town approaches, the brothers are in good shape for the Southern Ocean: “I wish we had another week in Cape Town, as you can always use more time, but we’ll be fine for the next leg,” confirms the skipper of Kazimir Partners.

ELGIAN YACHTSMAN, Michel Kleinjans, won the Leg 1 single-handed division crossing the Cape Town finish line after 36 days

“We’re going into this with eyes wide open, not fearful, but hugely

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respectful of where we’re going.”

despite some serious rigging failures on board his Open 40, Roaring 40. “I think the mast will be okay now,” he comments with calm confidence. Kleinjans’ boat is 11 years old and he has taken drastic measures to increase the yacht’s potential performance: “I think I’ll be the only one without a heater in the Southern Ocean,” he says. “I don’t have one fitted and I’m not planning to fit one.” Kleinjans considers that every weight saving is crucial. “My only real chance against the newer boats is to be a bit lighter. So I try not to take too much and get rid of everything I don’t need.” One concession, though, will be an extra bottle of cooking gas: “When it’s too cold, you just put on the gas for a while and it heats the interior pretty quickly. It’s nice to have a heater, but it makes a lot of condensation sometimes and uses quite a lot of diesel.”

Jeremy Salvesen - Team Mowgli

LEINJANS IS PLANNING a delicate balancing act for Leg 2: “I have to watch out, I think. My boat is the oldest and I have to remember that. It would be nice to push hard, but I think I might have to buy another boat if it falls to pieces,” he comments, laughing. “I might have to sail a bit conservatively and make sure I get to New Zealand.” The Belgian is no stranger to the Southern Ocean having competed in the 1985-86 Whitbread Round the World Race and he is totally relaxed with the prospect of sailing solo through the Indian Ocean’s high latitudes: “Physically, there’s not much preparation going on,” he admits. “Mentally, I’m not too worried although I’m aware I have to watch out.” However, he is not convinced that his knowledge of the Southern Ocean is a major benefit. “I’ve been there, but it’s more than 20 years ago. The memories are all

a bit vague. Maybe the fact that I’ve been there is a small help.” Meanwhile, the Belgian’s singlehanded opposition, 69 year-old Dutchman, Nico Budel, is enjoying the Cape Town stopover: “I’ve had a really nice time in Cape Town. They are really nice people here and my wife and family are staying with me. It has been a great time.” Budel and his ten year-old, canting keel, carbon fibre Open 40, Hayai, took a total of 42 days to complete Leg 1, six days longer than Kleinjans and Roaring Forty: a time deficit that he is determined to reduce on Leg 2: “On the first leg I learnt that I must work harder,” jokes Budel, laughing softly. “I have no real strategy for the next leg. I just want to go faster.” With less than a week until the start gun on Saturday 13th December, the Dutch sailing veteran is keen to get back to sea: “The boat is ready to go and I’m OK as well,” he says.

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

Team Mowgli Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson reflect on their leg to Cape Town

UST THREE SHORT YEARS AGO JEREMY SALVESEN had never been on a sailboat other than a small dinghy. Now, with co-skipper David Thomson they have just completed a superb first leg of the Portim達o Global Ocean

Race. No longer a sailing neophyte Salvesen has come a long way and he owes much of his steep learning curve to Thomson, an expereinced offshore sailor in his own right. Both sailors reflect on the leg, the trials, tribulations, high and lows of a 7,500 mile passage from Portim達o to Cape Town.

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FTER NEARLY A YEAR ear of dreaming, planning and training we are finally at the start day in Portim達o surrounded by friends and family. Final preparations are underway, the electrician is still on board but we are nearly ready for the off. Saying goodbye on the dock is harder than either of could ever have imagined and tears flow freely. We have organised a junk to take everyone to the start line but we are joined on board by Jeremy's three boys until the last minute when they will be taken off by RIB. This was going to be a tough journey not only for the two skippers but for all those they love too. It will be a long hard nine months before we are able to see most of them again.

E ARE NOW NEARLY nearly at the end of the first leg down to Cape Town. It has of course been a journey of many firsts - for both of us. Jeremy had never crossed an ocean before, now he has crossed both the North and South Atlantic. Jeremy had never been at sea for more than about 10 days, David not more than 30. Both of us have dipped our toes into the famous Southern Oceans where we will spend the next few months. Like all of these things there have been the highs and the lows, the ups and the downs but there is no doubt that we both feel as if we have come out on a high with a great achievement under our belts. The first few days were beset by instrument failure and this undoubtedly cost us dear in terms of competitiveness - we had to hand steer by the seat of our pants with no data on wind angles or boat speeds. At the same time, our navigation software was on the blink and we had very limited chart data. We were at the back of the fleet, tired and frustrated. For a moment we even seriously considered turning back to Portim達o for repairs.

S SOON AS THE INSTRUments ments were up and running again, we were beset by what proved to be the lightest winds of our race. Now that we had the data, all it could tell us was we were drifting in circles! Soon however it picked up again and we were headed once again to the Canaries and for the first time really had the opportunity to consider tactics. Normal routing is through the middle of the island group but the weather was suggesting a possible easterly course and a couple of the boats in the Volvo Ocean Race had made some gains on their fleet in the last couple of days by going this way. Rightly or wrongly, we decided to hedge our bets for a couple of days and take a route which would leave either option open to us.

E WERE PUSHING hard with strong winds, full main and fractional kite, hitting 20 knots and Oh Yes! we were riding that Crest of the Wave. Bang! Our over enthusiasm and excitement had cost us dear and we we now faced the rest of the leg with a shredded fractional spinnaker - something we would seriously regret later in the race. Still we ploughed south. East or

West? The lead boats, Beluga Racer and Desafio Cabo de Hornos had taken the westerly route and we thought we may be able to take advantage with the alternative route. You don't win this game by following your leaders. The forecast was looking good, the satellite images favourable but is was all a fine balance and we were still hedging our bets. Late night phone calls to Chris Tibbs, our weather router and to Alex Thomson, David's brother, convinced us to go west until the last minute when the latest weather showed a shift. We had lost some miles and ended up following the fleet through the islands.

E WERE STILL VERY limited on electronic navigation charts and now had to dig out the paper charts we never thought we would need and plot our course the old fashioned way. At this point we still didn't know that the main navigation instruments hadn't been calibrated properly with the GPS system - one was reading to magnetic compass and the other to true. The difference at home was just too small to be noticed. In Northern Europe the magnetic variation is below 3 degrees, in the Canaries it is a lit-

Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

tle over 6 (and in the South Atlantic over 25). Jeremy at the chart table making the calculations and passing instructions to the helm with adjusted course headings as we passed by the small outlying northerly islands of the group and still we were heading closer and closer to land. The charts were of quite a large scale and it soon became apparent that not all of those rocky little islands showed up on the chart as they loomed out of the murky misty night just a little too close for comfort.

OUTHWARD THROUGH the islands, keeping well off shore - always a little too far for that cherished mobile phone signal that would have enabled us to make that longed call to home. Fair winds and making some ground on the guys in front and starting to edge ahead of Kazimir Partners who were taking a more westerly approach. The days were long and gloriously hot as we flew between Gran Canaria and Tenerife being wary of the looming wind shadow these mountainous islands cast to the south. In the middle there is a wind acceleration zone - fall off that and you find yourself in the shadow. Heading south towards the Cape Verde islands we opted for routing closer to the coast of Africa where the wind blows steady off the coast so long as you are not too close to the shore and find the wind dying on you through the night. We were about 60 miles off the coast of Mauritania with Jeremy on the helm at about 6am when he spotted a fishing boat we hadn't seen any boats for days so this was a welcome confirmation of life out there! As the hours ticked past however it became clear that he wasn't fishing and that he was keeping track with us - and that track was getting closer and closer. By the time he was half a mile off to our port side, Jeremy was becoming decidedly nervous and woke David. We knew this part of the African coast had something of a reputation for piracy and we didn't know what these guys were up to. They continued to follow us, coming to a point directly behind us only about 250 metres away. We prepared our box of flares - our only means of self defence - and alerted the race global

organisers of our concerns and of our position. Josh was concerned but helpless. He suggested we gybe away from the coast but the 'pirates' had now moved to our starboard side effectively blocking that move. In some ways we also didn't want to appear to be running from them and possibly alerting them to our concerns. They never moved any closer but they were still there and this is after some four or five hours. What if they did make a move, what if they had called up some of their mates, what if, what if?? Just keep on sailing. Eventually they drifted off further and further until they were blessedly out of sight and we could relax once more. They did reappear again late in the afternoon on the horizon and again we worried that they would perhaps make their move at night .. but they soon disappeared and we could just put it all down to experience!

TILL, TO THE CAPE Verdes and routing choices to be made. Head to the west or again through the islands. We were conscious that getting west between this point and the dreaded doldrums was going to be the big issue but still routing to the east looked tempting even though the leaders had gone much further to the west. The wind was just about right for us to be able to sail deep, just to the east and then to gybe across. Except for the last minute shift that is and we ended up cutting through the group on much the same tracking as the others. A few more miles lost and the leaders were now some 400 miles ahead and the gap was growing by the day. The trade winds were blowing steadily and we were making good ground south but not enough to the west - we just can't sail dead downwind and the other gybe would put us on a slightly northerly heading which of course you are loathe to do. So, running as deep as you dare while keeping boat speed up as high as you can and going where you can, headed towards the notorious Doldrums, known more for its very light winds than for its ferocious squalls that catch out many a sailor. Beluga Racer had tracked through further to the east, against every rule in the book, and

had a good crossing under their belts and the Chileans were headed much further to the west - even further than we had hoped to be. As soon as you hit this zone, south of about 10 degrees north, all you want to do is to go south, south, south - even if it means going a bit east, if the route has more south in it then we must take it.

E WORKED HARD to play the squall clouds, heading towards them when we could but trying to avoid getting caught by them. There are good winds on the fringes and we were fortunate in being able pretty much to bounce from one system to the next and start gaining some real miles back on the leaders. By the time we came out of the doldrums, Beluga Racer was still some 500 miles ahead but the Chileans were less than half of that and still going slow. We were into the new south-east trades and heading towards the scoring gate at Recife with the bit between our teeth and gaining at every three hourly position report. Gradually we clawed our way back into second place, still some 250 miles behind the Germans, and managed to hold this position until after the scoring gate, but the Chileans were gaining on us once more.

S WE HEADED DOWN THE the coast of Brazil, the Chileans managed to slowly eat into our meagre 50 mile lead over them until we were neck and neck. We were still quite a long way to their south but they were further east and therefore as close to Cape Town as we were. There followed the most intense week of match racing between our two boats and the leader board showed our positions changing some fourteen times or twice per day. The lead we held over each other never extended to more than about 10 miles before the other would start gaining again, take the lead for a while and then lose it once more. We now had to decide on routing from Brazil to Cape Town and how best to get round the famous South Atlantic High that tends to hover between the Azores and the southern cape. All conventional wisdom says head into the deep

Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

south, perhaps as far as 43-44 degrees south - well into the Southern Ocean. Beluga Racer had gone for a very northerly route, hoping to find a way around the top of the high and it always looked as if the Chileans would head south but try to cut the corner at the same time. In theory at least there was an advantage to us being far to the south even if it meant covering more miles - for every mile south, we would have to sail it back again to the north. The Germans had by now extended their lead over us to some 600 miles and the Chileans were still level pegging.

S WE HEADED SOUTH the weather got heavier as we ran into the edge of a Southern Ocean low pressure system. We had to seriously downsize sails in gusts of up to 42 knots and a large swell prevented good boat speeds. Sixty miles to the north however the Chileans were having a better time of it and their newly designed

Class 40 boat with larger headsails is made for reaching and they were gaining good miles on us with every report that came in. We still thought we were in with a chance but were missing our fractional kite but had to push. So up with the masthead kite in more wind that we should. We were cooking with gas and flying along in 25 knots. Pilot on, middle of the night and a big wave picked us up into the wind and a major broach. Mowgli nearly on her side and the kite was shredded along with our dreams and all hope of catching the Chileans.

ELL HISTORY WILL show that the Germans eventually struck it lucky with the weather, having for some time been looking on a very sticky wicket. They have been out in front of the fleet for very nearly the whole of this leg and truly deserve their win. We had narrowed their lead over us to about 150 miles but the Chileans were

in better weather than us slightly to the north and therefore able to get much better boat speeds in calmer waters. They made tremendous gains on the Germans, getting to within 30 miles of them and making for an exciting finish day with Team Mowgli some 200 miles to the rear of the leaders. Still, after 7,200 miles of sailing and at sea for just over five weeks, to lose by less than 200 miles or a day's sailing is something we can both be truly proud of. We have enjoyed our first challenge and look forward to the next leg.

BOVE ALL WE HAVE HAD fun, enjoyed each others company - for the most part! - eaten some truly awful food, grown beards (what will my Mum say?!) and had a life experience I believe few can rival. There is still a long way to go... the race is still on.

Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

Tactics and Strategy Brian Hancock looks at what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to take to get to Wellington

HE LEG FROM CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA to Wellington, New Zealand is fraught with pitfalls. From gale force winds that blow

mighty and strong building up massive waves, to bone chilling temperatures with the wind blowing directly off the Antarctic ice-pack, it can be a brutal experience for those brave souls who venture there. It can also be serene.

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HE SOUTHERN OCEAN is a magical place like no other on the entire planet and it’s an area that has to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated. The sailors racing Leg 2 of the Portimão Global Ocean Race will soon experience the magic, as well as the terror, of this remote region. The course out of Cape Town is a stunningly beautiful sail along the coast toward Cape Point. The Table Mountain range extends all the way from Cape Town to the tip of the Cape Peninsula and forms one of the most striking and beautiful coastlines in the world. The skippers will enjoy the view and will still be able to see the tops of the mountains far out to sea. They will savour the view as it will be the last bit of land they will see for more than a month.

COUPLE OF DAYS INTO the race they will start to feel the fringes of the deep south. Low pressure system that rotate around Antarctica build up steam and

strength as they traverse along between 40 and 50 degrees south. These are the Roaring Forties and where the bulk of Leg 2 will be sailed. In fact, for security reasons, the area below 50 degrees south is completely out of bounds for all the sailors and those that do get forced south due to bad weather or bad planning, will receive both a point and time penalty.

The first mark of the course will be the Leg 2 scoring gate. The Sailing Instructions read as follows:

S SOON AS THE WESTERLIES kick in the real guts of the Portimão Global Ocean Race will begin. The long rides down the face of big waves where speeds well in excess of 25 knots will be reached. It’s an area where seamanship counts; and experience. Knowing when to push hard to make time, and when to take the foot off the gas to save the boat, is critical to a successful passage. It’s a fine line between fun and a fantastic wipeout with very different consequences. This is where records are set and all of the skippers will be pushing hard to set new 24-hour speed records for 40-foot yachts.

HE GATE EXTENDS DUE north from Kerguelen Island, a bleak and remote French owned island that is inhabited mostly by scientists, for 690 miles. This allows the sailors a large area where they can pass the transit line and it also gives the skippers some interesting tactical choices about precisely on what latitude to pass through the gate.

Leg 2 Gate 1 (Scoring Gate) is formed by the line of longitude at 070 degrees East between latitudes 35 South and 46.30 South. A yacht shall cross the line forming the scoring gate, from west to east.

The other aspect of the Southern Ocean that makes it challenging is the cold and ice. Winds blow directly off Antarctica bringing heavy, laden air that is freezing cold and carries a wicked punch. 20 knots of Southern Ocean wind

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

>> feels the same as 35 knots of tropical wind and the sailors will have to be wary of the difference. There is also the very real and distinct danger of ice in the form of icebergs. These floating islands have at some point broken off the Antarctic Continent and drifted out into open water. These massive chunks in turn break apart spawning smaller bergs, towering chunks of sheer magnificience that are dangerous for the sailors but not as dangerous as the pieces that in turn break off them. These smaller chunks, known as growlers or bergy-bits, float half submerged and are very difficult to see and even more difficult to pick up on radar. This is where the danger lies and this is the reason that there is a non-scoring ice gate just west of Australia. Again the Sailing Instructions read as follows:

EG 2, GATE 2 (NONScoring Gate) is formed by the line of latitude at 45 degrees South between longitudes 100 degrees East and 110 degrees East. A yacht shall leave this Way Line to starboard – ie you must pass completely to the North of this gate. Once this gate has been passed the sailors can choose any course they like providing it’s above 50 degrees south. It’s a long way under Australia until the Tasman Sea, and another long way across the Tasman until the approach to the Cook Strait. This can be the trickiest part of the leg as strong winds funnel between the north and south islands of New Zealand and strong currents and a relatively narrow passage can be hard on exhausted sailors. The good news, however, is that the reward of arriving in Wellington, in a country that is sailing crazy, will make it all worthwhile and the memory of the cold and wet will soon disappear into the foggy recesses of the mind. The sense of accomplishment will be overwhelming.

Official magazine of the Portimão Global Ocean Race

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Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

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Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

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Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

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Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

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Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

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Official magazine of the Portim達o Global Ocean Race

The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Solo Double Global Ocean Race