Leg 2 Update: Good Days, Bad Days, and Going Half Mad Days

Ryan O'Grady, a veteran follower of the Volvo Ocean Race and a top amateur sailor, is providing regular insight and analysis on the 2011-'12 Volvo Ocean Race for SailingWorld.com. To get the full picture of this dynamic race, follow the racing in our Finish Line forum, track the fleet, and catch up on the race with O'Grady's previous Volvo Voyeur blogs.

We are now 11 days into Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race, and so far it has been one of the most interesting legs in recent memory. I can’t ever remember a leg where each team has been in the lead, and also been in last place. Each position report has seen major shuffling in the pack, and with the Indian Ocean's doldrums looming, no one has a clear advantage, at least not yet.

At the moment, Groupama appears to be in the favored position as the most easterly boat, sailing higher and faster than its opponents. Puma is in second, playing a "cat and mouse" game with Telefonica.

CAMPER/ ETNZ sits in fourth. Further back, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing is about 200 miles behind the leader. Team Sanya, which made a bold navigation move to put them into a commanding lead, suffered a rigging failure early in the week and is now docked in Madagascar.

Let’s take a look back at the events of the past week to see how the teams have arrived in their current positions

Nick Dana/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race
Stress relief? Adil Khalid onboard Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing

When we last left the fleet, all of the boats were in sight of each other and preparing to cross the Agulhas Current near the Southern tip of Africa. Abu Dhabi’s MCM, Nick Dana shot some great video highlighting the tension of the crew, as they were watching the fleet race round them.

The timing of the cross created the first of many geographic splits of the fleet. Groupama was the first boat to venture across, and then continued to split from the pack, securing a position more south and east than the other boats. Charles Caudrelier, helmsman on Groupama, describes the experience: “We went from light airs to quickly built wind and a very messy sea. As a result, we had to slow the boat. To preserve the boat and the mast, we couldn’t sail at 100 percent. We had waves from every direction, and the boat didn’t stop slamming. A lot of stress on boat, the structure, and the rigging.”

Puma and CAMPER were next to make the move across the current, while Sanya and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing made the choice to head further north before crossing.  Telefonica was the last boat to cross; that move made them the leader of the leg. Navigator Andrew Cape explained the reasoning behind the decision. “I think it’s just a matter of working exactly with the winds you have at the time and making the most of them,” he said. “There’s no super plan, because it just changes so quickly here. You just have to make the best of what [you've] got...These things can go either way. Really, it’s a roll of the dice, and you place your bets.”

Unfortunately for those of us watching from our computers, most of the teams crossed the current at night, so there’s no dramatic video of boats breaking, but CAMPER MCM Hamish Hooper did manage to capture the effect of the crossing on a weary crew.