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Gamble hands Sanya the lead
Source: Agencies |
December 19, 2011, Monday
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CHINESE outsider Sanya zoomed into the lead on leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race yesterday after a spectacular gamble helped reinvigorate the stage from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi.
All six teams had been frustrated during the leg by a cold front lying tantalizingly in front of them, hampering the fleet's progress with rain squalls and unstable winds.
Sanya is the only one of the six teams not racing in a latest generation boat and is lucky to be sailing at all after a collision forced it out of leg one.
Unable to compete with the newer boats on pure speed, it decided on Saturday to turn back on itself and head sharply north in search of better weather and within 24 hours the move had taken it to the front. However, there is a lot of risk involved. It could yet face massive 40-knot headwinds with its only escape route cut off by an anti-piracy exclusion zone.
But for now it is enjoying the feeling of having passed Abu Dhabi going in the opposite direction, while leaving all its rivals poring over the weather data and scratching their heads. "I'm sure there are some puzzled people on the Abu Dhabi boat we passed at the moment," said Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson, who had to oversee a round-the-clock repair effort in Cape Town.
On Abu Dhabi, British skipper Ian Walker said: "Sanya have made a brave call which could bring strong dividends if it works, but obviously playing with tropical systems comes with significant risk."
Groupama was in second place.
Overall leader Telefonica, the Spanish team which won the first offshore leg, is one of four teams in the main pack hoping for the weather to turn. It is neck and neck with American rival Puma, Spanish/New Zealand entry Camper and Abu Dhabi.
All six teams had been frustrated during the leg by a cold front lying tantalizingly in front of them, hampering the fleet's progress with rain squalls and unstable winds.
Sanya is the only one of the six teams not racing in a latest generation boat and is lucky to be sailing at all after a collision forced it out of leg one.
Unable to compete with the newer boats on pure speed, it decided on Saturday to turn back on itself and head sharply north in search of better weather and within 24 hours the move had taken it to the front. However, there is a lot of risk involved. It could yet face massive 40-knot headwinds with its only escape route cut off by an anti-piracy exclusion zone.
But for now it is enjoying the feeling of having passed Abu Dhabi going in the opposite direction, while leaving all its rivals poring over the weather data and scratching their heads. "I'm sure there are some puzzled people on the Abu Dhabi boat we passed at the moment," said Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson, who had to oversee a round-the-clock repair effort in Cape Town.
On Abu Dhabi, British skipper Ian Walker said: "Sanya have made a brave call which could bring strong dividends if it works, but obviously playing with tropical systems comes with significant risk."
Groupama was in second place.
Overall leader Telefonica, the Spanish team which won the first offshore leg, is one of four teams in the main pack hoping for the weather to turn. It is neck and neck with American rival Puma, Spanish/New Zealand entry Camper and Abu Dhabi.
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