#VOR - Is the Volvo Ocean Race up for sale? Yachting World reports that sources close to the event say a potential bid from at least two prospective buyers is apparently in the offing.
The speculation comes as the race comes close to adopting the IMOCA 60 as its new design standard for future events, a move that would significantly lower the cost and barriers of entry for teams.
“Loads of teams in IMOCA would have an ambition to do the VOR,” says Alex Thomson, the offshore sailing veteran who also sits on the IMOCA class board.
As for the current Volvo Ocean Race competitors, Turn the Tide on Plastic and Vestas 11th Hour Racing blitzed to the head of the fleet on Wednesday as the battle for Leg 8 glory continued due east of Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday (25 April).
The leading pair were the most easterly boats as the seven-strong fleet approached an oil field exclusion zone 100 miles off Rio’s coast, enabling them to continue make headway north for longer while their rivals were forced to tack.
At 0330 UTC, as the westerly boats tacked, the teams were practically neck and neck split west to east by around 12 miles. By 1300 UTC, all seven boats were back on starboard tack heading north north-east once more.
But Turn the Tide on Plastic’s lead had grown to 16 miles, with Vestas 11th Hour Racing less than a mile off their tail.
“We have sailed within sight of Vestas for the last 24 hours having lost sight of the others as we all tacked on the shifts around a huge cloud yesterday afternoon,” Turn the Tide skipper Dee Caffari said.
“There was lots of rain, so much we were either going to grow from being watered so much or shrink from excessive water.
“We are currently sailing along the outside of an exclusion area, another oil field. The winds are light and the sea state flat. We are still with Vestas and the others it seems are behind us. Gotta be happy with that!”
Caffari reported a jubilant mood from her crew this morning – all apart from young Brit Henry Bomby, who discovered that he left his toothbrush in Itajaí.
“Liz [Wardley, TTOP boat captain] has offered me the one from the tool kit/winch parts,” he wrote. “Not that desperate, yet…”
A 17-mile lead might seem insignificant in a leg of 5,600 miles but it will give Turn the Tide and Vestas 11th Hour Racing a chance to expand the advantage once they hit the south-easterly trade winds in the next couple of days.
It is often the case that, in the trades, the rich get richer as they capitalise on better, more stable breeze. The five chasing teams must choose wisely if they are to hold on to the leading pair.
“It’s pretty important to get good position over the next 24 hours before we get into the trade winds because from that point onwards it will be a bit of a procession,” said Kyle Langford, crew on seventh-placed Team Brunel. “The next 24 hours are critical – it will set up how we sit for the next week or so.”
Prior to tacking back on to starboard, Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag were trailing the fleet in the official standings, chasing down Team Akzonobel.
At 1300 UTC, Dave Witt’s crew were up to fourth having overhauled Akzonbel, MAPFRE and Brunel, and pulled back almost two miles on Turn the Tide on Plastic.
“In the grand scheme of things we’ve still got 4,500 miles still to go so this gap is nothing,” Scallywag’s Trystan Seal said. “We’ve just got to keep in touch and find our time to pounce.”
Leg 8 Position Report, Wednesday 25 April (Day 4) at 2pm Irish time/1pm UTC:
- Turn The Tide on Plastic - DTF 4,526.81 nautical miles
- Vestas 11th Hour Racing +0.57 nautical miles
- Dongfeng Race Team +15.99
- Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag +17.40
- MAPFRE +17.98
- Team AkzoNobel +19.48
- Team Brunel +20.21
