And… it’s a drag race. All the boats have made it…
And… it’s a drag race. All the boats have made it out of the doldrums and into the southeast trades, and have a straight shot to Fernando. With the possible exception of Alvimedica and Mapfre, who are pretty much neck and neck toward the back of the fleet, it seems unlikely that any of these positions will change before the island.
In the next 24 hours the boats will be entering the southern hemisphere, and the “pollywogs” (sailors who have never crossed the equator at sea) will be initiated by the “shellbacks” (sailors who have) in a hazing ritual that dates back to the days of wind-driven navies. Expect disgusting foodstuffs, King Neptune cosplay, and possible nakedness. The OBRs, all of whom (I think?) are pollywogs, should probably be especially nervous.
A helpful commenter on Sailing Anarchy provided an answer to my question of why ADOR has been so stingy with uploaded videos. Apparently the sponsors in the Abu Dhabi tourism/commerce/booster operation are very strict about what sort of content is associated with the boat, leading to a long approval process. So even though Ian Walker promised something special to OBR Matt Knighton (whom he called “Night Off”, presumably a reference to OBRs not having to stand night watches) in the October 19 video, I doubt the ADOR version of the ceremony will make it past the censors.
Reposted from http://ift.tt/1tfPbKR.
Tags: vor, volvo ocean race.
