Volvo Ocean Race - A close game for the final 24 hours
Leg 4, Race Day 17 - 18 January, 2018
Leg 4, Race Day 17 - 18 January, 2018
Volvo Ocean Race fans around the world were on the edges of their seats on Thursday as Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag’s emergence from “Stealth Mode” corresponded with two of their closest rivals ‘disappearing’ from the tracker.
Scallywag had a jump of just 40 miles on second-placed Vestas 11th Hour Racing when they went into Stealth Mode just before 1700 UTC on Wednesday, cloaking their position from their rivals and from fans for three consecutive six-hourly position reports.
Leg 4, Melbourne to Hong Kong, day 17 on board Dongfeng. 17 January, 2018. Martin Keruzore/Volvo Ocean Race
At 1300 UTC they reappeared on the tracker back in the number one spot with only 500 miles left – but just when it seemed the action couldn’t get any more tense, podium challengers Vestas 11th Hour Racing and team AkzoNobel deployed Stealth Mode.
Team Brunel, locked in their own battle with MAPFRE and Turn the Tide on Plastic for fifth, also chose to go ‘undercover’, leaving only four teams on the tracker with 24 hours to go.
At 1300 UTC Scallywag were 37 miles ahead of Dongfeng, but both teams – and race fans – were left guessing as to where Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Akzonobel were. If we assume the Vestas team remains ahead of Dongfeng, the race to finish in Hong Kong is getting closer and closer.
Leg 4, Melbourne to Hong Kong, day 16 on board Brunel . Carlo Huisman. Abby Ehler. 18 January, 2018. Yann Riou/Volvo Ocean Race
Prior to emerging from Stealth Mode, Scallywag skipper Dave Witt hinted at just how tight it is at the top – and revealed that the race to the finish line could go down to the wire.
“I think it’s a good for some of our fans that we’ve been in Stealth Mode because there’s a few people who’d be having heart attacks if they knew how close it was,” Witt said. “We are in front, we are leading, but it’s really close. The others don’t realise how close it is.
“We haven’t trusted our weather routing software at all on this leg but now we want to because it says we’re going to beat Vestas in by an hour and a half. To all the Scallywag supporters in Hong Kong: say a prayer for us tonight.”
Leg 4, Melbourne to Hong Kong, day 17 on board MAPFRE, Louis Sinclair, Rob Greenhalgh and Guillermo Altadill (drinking water) on deck during their watch. 18 January, 2018. Ugo Fonolla/Volvo Ocean Race
Despite their proximity to the finish, the teams have several hurdles still to contend with.
First they must pick the right moment to gybe in order to thread their way through the islands of the Luzon Strait.
This must be done without getting caught in the huge wind shadow created by Taiwan, or the smaller islands of the northern Philippines. Once they reach Hong Kong they may face a stretch of light winds as they navigate the final miles to the finish line.
Leg 4, Melbourne to Hong Kong, Day 17 onboard Turn the Tide on Plastic. Flying the drone is 28-30 knots of wind as we are approx 795nm from the finish. 18 January, 2018. Brian Carlin/Volvo Ocean Race
These uncertainties mean that even at this late stage of the leg, anything can happen.
“It’s getting interesting now,” said Simon Fisher, navigator on Vestas 11th Hour Racing. “Everyone’s looking for their opportunities. The path past the Philippines and into the South China Sea is open to a number of options and some important choices will have to be made.
“We can easily see the fleet splitting which will no doubt lead to more tension as we close on the finish.”
The most up-to-date ETAs see the leaders arriving between 1600 to 2000 UTC Friday afternoon, with the back trio due in between 0200 and 0630 UTC on Saturday morning.
Leg 4 – Position Report – Thursday 18 January (Day 17)
Top photo: Leg 4, Melbourne to Hong Kong, day 17 Annemieke Bes on board Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag. 16 January, 2018. Konrad Frost/Volvo Ocean Race
Ti Potrebbe Interessare Anche
Azimut|Benetti Group e D-Marin iniziano i lavori di costruzione del futuro porto...
Azimut|Benetti Group, il primo Gruppo privato leader globale nel settore nautico, e D–Marin, il gestore di una selezione delle migliori marine,...
Boat Days: l'evento nautico del Lazio conferma il suo successo nella 3^ edizione...
Si è conclusa con un grande successo, la terza edizione del Boat Days, che si è svolto nella suggestiva cornice del Marina di Santa Marinella. L'evento...
Confarca: alla Motorizzazione di Palermo, da otto mesi senza esami per la patente...
Caos alla Motorizzazione di Palermo, da otto mesi senza esami per la patente nautica. Confarca: “Operatori in difficoltà, si intervenga subito...
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda presenta a Milano Il J24 European Championship 2024
L’evento in programma dal 10 al 16 giugno a Porto Cervo. Le Iscrizioni aperte sino al 10 aprile A Casa Gessi a Milano la presentazione del...
Confindustria Nautica: pubblicati i trend di mercato della nautica da diporto nella...
L’export della produzione cantieristica nautica italiana ha raggiunto nel 2023 la cifra record di 4 miliardi di euro. Il Made in Italy leader...
Arcadia Yachts firma un partnership agreement con The Italian Yacht Group
Arcadia Yachts ha firmato un accordo con The Italian Yacht Group relativo alle avveniristiche imbarcazioni del brand campano destinate alle acque statunitensi. L’accordo...
Avvio collaborazione Lega Navale Italiana e Save the Children
Lega Navale Italiana e Save the Children avviano una collaborazione per l’avvicinamento al mare di bambini, bambine e adolescenti. Nel progetto anche...
Cantiere del Pardo apre il suo primo ufficio negli Stati Uniti a Fort Lauderdale
Cantiere del Pardo è felice di annunciare l'apertura del suo nuovo ufficio di rappresentanza negli Stati Uniti, precisamente a Fort Lauderdale,...
“Il mare in azione – Le nuove Traiettorie Blu” Acampora: “Innovazione, digitalizzazione...
Il Presidente di Camera di Commercio Frosinone Latina, Assonautica Italiana e SiCamera, Giovanni Acampora, apre i lavori del convegno a Roma, nella Sala...