Volvo Ocean Race Leg 3 – maverick dragon
Shipping a new navigator hasn’t changed Green Dragon’s style. Finding herself at the wrong end of the fleet as the wind faded and forced the pack to take a more southerly course, the Dragon gybed and headed straight for the shore. Initially it looked good, as she reached along close to the shore while the pack at sea drove further and further away from the course – but then the wind died with the sun and they dropped even further behind. Only when the offshore breeze (in fact, a katabatic wind off the mountains) filled in did they start to pick up, and the pack moved over towards them. by dawn, the fleet was all within 4 miles and Dragon was leading as the wind died.
The fleet are still close together, able to see their nearest rivals rather than having to wait for the next sched to be told where they are, and keep ‘restarting’ as flat patches allow the backmarkers to catch up. They seem happy to be out on the open ocean again now – Torben Grael commented: “After enjoying life at the extreme onboard a few tuk tuks (auto rickshaws), life seems quiet onboard in these light conditions.”
