The Volvo Ocean Race fleet has been making ground to the northeast over the past 24 hours, the northerly component of their progress largely as a result of the Antarctica Ice Exclusion Zone (AIEZ) being shifted to the north yesterday. When Race Control learned of an iceberg to the northeast of the Kerguelen Islands, a prudent decision yesterday was made to move the AIEZ to the north, to keep the fleet out of a known iceberg area.
“The safety of the crews is our first priority,” explained Race Director Phil Lawrence. “We do not want teams surfing down waves at over 25 knots of boats peed at night, in an area where we have been told there is a significant risk of encountering ice.”
The wind is still up at the moment – 20 to 25 knots, and gusting upwards of 35 knots at times, in squally conditions. Read more.
