For the first time, a real distance has been established between the competitors, the first being separated from the last by 136 miles. In a 9 knots wind, the competitors, Team Brunel, followed by Abu Dhabi Team, are leading the race towards the waypoint Fernando de Noronha, Brazilian island, 820 miles away.
The seven crews have thus entered the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the Doldrums. This zone is a belt of low pressure surrounding the Earth near the Equator, a few hundred kilometers from north to south. It is formed by the convergence of warm and humid anticyclonic air masses from the tropics carried by the trade winds. More commonly, it designates a dangerous navigation zone because of the weather conditions that prevail there.
For the moment, it is the rain that is accompanying our crews heading south. Team Vestas Wind and MAPFRE are to the east. Dongfeng Race Team, Team Alvamedica and Team SCA are in the middle, the latter catching up. Team Brunel and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing have chosen to go west. For the moment, the latter choice seems to be paying off, as Brunel is making 10 knots this morning, compared to 1 knot to the east for Vestas.
News from the crews
For Abu Dhabi, the Doldrums are not too problematic. In spite of winds reaching 15 knots, the crew is " a great road" to the south. While admiring a magnificent sunset, the rain came to interrupt this delicious moment, which was not to the displeasure of Ian Walker's team who concluded with " Please let the rain fall! We could all use a shower!"
Alvimedica is less serene. The crew is " sort of drifting" . Indeed, everything is dark around them, the wind speed is barely recorded because it is so low, between 1 and 2 knots. In these conditions, it is difficult to find one's way and to detect the clouds, except with the radar. The men are on the alert, ready to detect the slightest wind signal.
Dongfeng is not in good spirits, "we lost ground last night and our leadership position" . " The day takes on a bitter taste after that." adds the crew. For the moment, it is sailing straight ahead with the spinnaker in the lead in a light wind, nothing very interesting but the team is taking advantage of it to rest, eat, sleepâeuros¦
The other crews are apprehensive about the passage through the Doldrums and are quietly continuing their journey.
