Wednesday 29 April 2009

VOR: ERICSSON 3 LEG SIX DAY 15 QFB: received 25.4.09 1444 GMT

by Gustav Morin

Slow but exciting

From sailing upwind in 20 knots of wind and bumping over the waves, we have now almost stopped.

Anders Dahlsjö just went up the rig to look for the breeze, while the guys on deck got a welcome to the no-wind-area by a killer whale that jumped up and spun his tail at us just some 100 meters from the boat. A fantastic view in the sunrise, a calm and cool morning like it was. And a reminder that we are close to the whale area that we need to sail around before we head into Boston.

We have left the Gulf Stream and the sea temperature has dropped from 20 to 7 degrees. The guys are wearing full fleece under the wet weather gear and gloves and balaclavas are necessary, at least during the night when the temperature was around 7 degrees and we had over 20 knots of wind. Now it is really nice weather with 15 degrees air temperature and clear blue sky, for a Swede it feels like coming home.

We have been going really well lately and the fight against the others in the top squad is getting more and more exciting. Now even Ericsson 4 really has to watch out again.

"They have to watch their tail. They probably think we are extremely annoying but we are going to stick to them and then pass them in the end," Magnus Olsson was laughing a couple of days ago.

Volvo Ocean Race

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