Race 4, Day 1: A southerly beat for crews as light winds set in

After an exciting and spectacular Race Start off Table Mountain yesterday, the crews are now in light winds but with the promise of freshening conditions to come in the next 24 to 36 hours.

The first tactical decision was how wide a berth to give Green Point and the Table Mountain wind shadow, with the majority of the fleet heading across the bay towards Robben Island.

The yachts then started a beat in a more southerly direction with some close racing overnight, but the wind became more fickle as the morning came.

 Olly Cotterell, skipper of OneDLL, describes the first 24 hours of racing to Western Australia.

“Over the course of the evening there was hard work by all as we tacked down the depth contours and monitored the water temperature. The wind died and we had to change to the Yankee 1 again. This level of work has been hard on the crew but they have taken it in their stride, without complaint.

“It is early days yet and there appears to be one of two yachts to chase down. Trying to use the lows to our best advantage and working hard in rough conditions should help us make good progress towards Albany.”

Qingdao is currently leading the fleet as of 1200UTC, followed by Henri Lloyd in second and Derry~Londonderry~Doire in third position.

To read the Skipper Reports, click here.

For the Race 4 Race Viewer, click here.