Southern Comfort

Within the next two hours (up to 12.00hrs GMT), illbruck will become the first yacht in the Volvo Ocean Race to cross the equator and enter the southern hemisphere for the next five months. Illbruck is currently 17 miles ahead of Assa Abloy.

On board illbruck, her crew have been quietly preparing to induct the four crew that have yet to cross from north to south. Richard Clarke (helmsman/trimmer), Ian Moore (navigator), Jamie Gale (mast) and Tony Kolb (bow) will all incur the wrath of King Neptune, who, as justice for past crimes, dishes out punishment in many smelly and sticky forms.

“I saw Stu ‘Waffler’ Bettany busy getting the King Neptune crown ready, and a bucket on deck contains some brew,” explained navigator Juan Vila.

For the rest of the fleet, it’s still plain sailing and a pure test of horse, or rather sail, power in the steady southeast trades as they simply race towards the same waypoint (Fernando de Noronha).

These straight line sailing conditions are the true acid test of every yacht’s sail testing programme and final inventory selection, as News Corp’s Alby Pratt commented: “With a Volvo boat, the yachts have to cover both upwind and downwind plus all the reaching angles in between which can lead to a massive variation in sail designs and sizes. It is easy to see why most teams have seven figure budgets for their sails.”

Still some 300 miles off their equator ceremony, the crew on Amer Sports Too are feeling the immense frustration of falling further behind the fleet with every six hourly report. “We are officially parked, or let’s say, illegally parked,” said navigator Genevieve White. “Our worst fears have been realised – the lead pack of five boats whom we have kept within general striking distance to date have slipped though the doldrums just ahead of us while we have been stopped in our tracks just behind by a breezeless, shifty area combined with sloppy confused seas. Nevertheless, the crew is really positive, itching to get moving again and get on with the job.”

Volvo Ocean Race Position Report Day 18, 10.00hrs GMT:

PSYachtLatitude LongitudeDTFCMGSMGTFHRDTLROC ETA PO
1ILBK00 19.72N031 30.84W392219109.6257000.025-Oct-018
2AART00 37.92N031 31.84W393919609.92241700.225-Oct-017
3NEWS00 54.52N031 25.80W395719609.82213500.025-Oct-016
4TYCO01 08.32N031 31.24W396919509.72244700.025-Oct-015
5AONE01 17.56N031 17.24W398119609.621959-00.225-Oct-014
6ATOO05 23.28N029 46.08W424218502.0079320-07.726-Oct-013
7TSEB04 22.88N027 13.68W425021509.5183328-00.326-Oct-012
8DJCE05 28.88N028 32.08W427220708.1187350-01.727-Oct-011