Sunday 27 March 2011

VELUX 5 OCEANS: Stealth Mode Introduced for Ocean Sprint Four




Le Pingouin. Image copyright Ainhoa Sanchez/onEdition.

by Sarah Hames

WITH tactics the name of the game for the sprint through the Atlantic from Punta del Este to Charleston, the VELUX 5 OCEANS is introducing ‘stealth mode’ for ocean sprint four. Stealth mode will enable each skipper’s position to be hidden from their rival racers and the public for 24 hours.

Skippers will be allowed to enter stealth mode twice during the leg, but not in the first 48 hours of racing or within 500 nautical miles from the finish line. When a skipper enters stealth mode his position on the VELUX 5 OCEANS race viewer will be frozen for 24 hours.

Race director David Adams said: “The ability to enter stealth mode is going to make racing even more exciting. With so many tactical decisions ahead of the skippers it will be interesting to see where they choose to enter stealth mode. It will bring another dimension to the tight racing we have seen during the first three legs.”

Ocean sprint four starts from Punta del Este tomorrow at 1pm local time (1600 UTC).

VELUX5OCEANS