Aboard Camper in the Roaring Forties, 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean…
Aboard Camper in the Roaring Forties, 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race, Leg 1, Day 18. Source.
In 1488, when Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to reach the southern tip of Africa, he named its prominent headland the Cape of Storms (though it was subsequently renamed the Cape of Good Hope in a public relations ploy).
During the era when commercial sailing ships routinely circled the world by dipping below 40° south latitude and riding the westerlies, they named the region the Roaring Forties for the sound the wind made in the rigging.
So far this year’s VOR has been relatively mild. Except for the first night after exiting Gibralter, when the teams beat their way into a weather system with winds of 30-35 knots, the strongest winds they’ve encountered have been trade winds in the mid-20s.
That’s about to change. Once they get south of the Saint Helena High, they’re going to be heading into conditions like the images above.
Three of the VOR 70s used in the last race failed to complete Leg 1. Stormy weather on the first day, while still inside the Mediterranean, dismasted that race’s ADOR entry (skippered by the same Ian Walker leading ADOR this time) and forced Chinese entry Sanya to retire with hull damage. Later, Puma was dismasted as they were leading the fleet into the strong south Atlantic westerlies.
The VOR 70s were not true one designs. They were custom-built by each team and optimized for performance. With the benefit of hindsight, they weren’t built strong enough to handle the extreme conditions of Legs 1 and 5.
This year’s VOR 65s were intended to address that shortcoming. By building them as true one-designs, costs for for the teams’ sponsors were reduced, while safety margins could be maintained without worrying about the effect of a few extra pounds on performance. As a nice bonus, the closely matched boats have made for great racing.
The new boats are about to get a real test, as are their crews. Especially for the relatively inexperienced teams, the next week promises to be an initiation that makes the equator-crossing ceremony look like a holiday by comparison.
Here’s hoping all the teams reach Cape Town safely.
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Tags: vor, volvo ocean race.
