The last 24 hours have all been about steady speed and avoiding wind holes and big shifts associated with clouds and rain showers. This is nice sailing, though, with the team led by Charles Caudrelier looking relaxed and happy in shorts and T-shirts.
Video from on board shows various people taking turns on the wheel, among them Magic Stu (Bannatyne) and Daryl Wislang. Energy levels in the Chinese-sponsored crew look really good for this stage in this long and gruelling race.
The latest positions on the Live Race Tracker show Dongfeng rolling along at just over 10 knots and with a margin of 2.5 miles over second-placed MAPFRE. Team Brunel is third (+3.5) with Turn the Tide on Plastic fourth (+5.2). All those boats are in a group, roughly line astern.
Then comes a second group, slightly to leeward, led by Team AkzoNobel in fifth place (8.5), Vestas 11th Hour Racing sixth (+9.3) and Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag in seventh position, just over 10 miles behind Dongfeng.
As they head north towards Rio, the crews will be looking to keep their distance offshore to avoid the worst of a strong southerly-flowing current which will deter coast-hopping. In the next few days the breeze in the northwestern quadrant of the St Helena High should trend more easterly, allowing the boats to reach up the coast towards Recife.
“It’s a classic upwind slog probably for six days,” commented Wislang at the wheel. “We’re doing a pretty good job at the moment,” he added gesturing behind. “Everyone else is back there. So I don’t mind if it’s upwind as long as everyone is behind us.
“It’s a pleasing change – it sort of reminds us what we’ve just endured (on Leg 7). It’s pretty special – a good mood on board.”
Bannatyne has been enjoying getting back into the racing after a long absence from the team. Marie Riou is delighted he is on board. “The team needs him and he came back, so it’s good news!” she joked as he helmed behind her.
Horace, meanwhile, is missing his friends in the Dongfeng shore team but is happy to back out at sea. “You leave the team for a couple of days and you are missing them, but you want to join the race again – it’s amazing, so now I’m on board again, so I’m happy,” he said.
