Anticipating Colder Weather

The Volvo Ocean Race fleet are spread across 13 miles from west to east with ASSA ABLOY and djuice furthest west and News Corp furthest east and the nearest V.O.60 to the high pressure, currently centred near Chatham Island.

The question now is how much further south will the boats need to go to ensure that they stay out of the lighter winds associated with this weather system, before they can head up and sail a more direct route towards the stronger winds associated with the Southern Ocean.

With these stronger winds, will come colder weather. Already Amer Sports Too, some 20 miles behind and north of the leaders is in an air temperature 7 degrees warmer. This was predicted by Mark Rudiger earlier, explaining how the crew of ASSA ABLOY were likely to deal with the conditions, “Every day now another layer of clothing, hats, gloves, goggles etc. will be coming out until nobody will recognize anyone or be able to understand a word they say.”
With only two miles separating the five leading boats and ASSA ABLOY and djuice out to the west, the next 24 hours will prove crucial for the placings in Leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 3, 0958 GMT:

PSYachtLatitude LongitudeDTFCMGSMGTFHRDTLDTL-C ETA PO
1ILBK42 43.00S179 13.04E0624517710.81770019 FEB 0229
2TYCO42 42.52S179 13.24E0624517710.81770019 FEB 0219
3NEWS42 39.28S179 19.00E0624517311.01730-319 FEB 0222
4AONE42 43.12S179 09.92E0624617810.91781+119 FEB 0223
5TSEB42 38.56S179 15.28E0624817511.01752-119 FEB 0215
6AART42 43.04S179 00.76E0625017911.21795-119 FEB 0218
7DJCE42 40.04S179 00.44E0625218011.01807019 FEB 0212
8ATOO42 17.88S179 11.60E0626617111.117121-519 FEB 026