"Not only are we going to pass the Equator, but we also have to deal with the Doldrums" - Jeremie
Leg 2, Day 8: Blog by OBR, Jeremie Lecaudey
“I can see them on the AIS!” If you hear that on a Volvo Ocean 65 in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean it can go both ways. It’s either bad news because you’re being chased down by another boat that just got within 5 miles of you or it could be good news, if you are the chaser, in this case MAPFRE and Vestas 11th Hour Racing.
If the night wasn’t as pitch black and the sky wasn’t as cloudy, you would probably be able to see the green navigation light of MAPFRE from on board Dongfeng and our red rear lights from the two chasers.
Yesterday was relatively relaxed with rain showers, breakfast surprises (yum, yum) and a good 12-mile lead on the rest of the fleet (even despite a small J1 sail repair). It looks like the program will be a little different today. Not only are we going to cross the Equator but we also have to deal with the Doldrums. It is a nightmare for the sailors, going from one cloud to another and now we know there are three boats next to each other, trimming their sails and stacking every minute the wind changes.
