After another frustrating 24 hours of little wind, the 12 strong fleet of competing in the Clipper 13-14 Race continue to battle their way through the Doldrums.
As the fleet rapidly approach the Equator thoughts of improved conditions are top on the agenda for the each of the 12 competitors.
Sean McCarter, skipper of the Derry “LondonDerry” Doire – now in third place – said he was hoping to pick up speed soon.
He said: “The time has passed quickly except the water beneath our hull which passed by at a sedate 3 to 4 knot average. This is not a complaint and not to be scoffed at. It is infinitely better than our speed of 0.0 knots at the moment!
“I feared mutiny at our after dinner briefing having to tell the team the same spiel they’ve been getting for days now. ‘Approximately 220 miles until we’re out of The Doldrums… It will take between 24 to 48 hours…etc.’ Luckily as I was starting to speak, the breeze started.”
The race director Justin Taylor explains why the fleet are experiencing so many troubles in the depth of the Doldrums.
“This year the crossing of the Doldrums or the ITCZ (Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone) has taken a little longer that it has in previous races. The Doldrums are
very unpredictable and it is not unheard of for sailing boats thinking they have broken free of the Doldrums only for it to move and engulf them in windless-ness again.
“As the Clipper Race fleet has sailed south, the ITCZ moved with them. The good news is that the end is in sight.
“As the yachts break free they may well find that the south east trade winds have been veered to the south or even a bit west of south as the Coriolis Force (deflection of the wind caused by the spinning of the earth) changes sign across the Equator.
“I suspect that by then they won’t care where the wind’s from just so long as it’s there and reasonably steady.
“The fleet arrival window in Rio remains unaffected by the slow progress through the Doldrums.”
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