Sea, Sail & Surf newsVolvo Ocean Race / Leg 7
The Flying Carpet
mardi 30 avril 2002 –
The Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico are the source of what is likely the most well known current in the oceans. The Gulf Stream marks the dividing line between warm, low-productivity waters to the south and colder, more productive waters near the North American continental shelf. Another feature of interest are large circular features or eddies that appear to both the north and south of the Gulf Stream front. In general, the rings are about 50-300 km in diameter, and they extend to considerable depths. They should be visualized as concentric cylinders rather than simply surface features. Rings are examples of mesoscale phenomena in the oceans, features that are smaller than the scale of an entire ocean basin (such as the North Atlantic), but which are still quite large and influential.
The transport of the Florida Current is approximately 30 Sverdrups (Sv). One Sverdrup is one million cubic meters of water per second ! The transport of the Gulf Stream increases to 85 Sv near Cape Hatteras, peaks at 150 Sv near 65°W, then decreases eastward of 65°W.
The Gulf Stream is probably one of the most researched oceanographic features on the planet. It has a great influence on the climate of Western Europe and the weather of North and Middle Europe. Dr. Simon Boxall from the Southampton Oceanographic Centre and scientific head of the Volvo Ocean Adventure is therefore concerned about the effects pollution and global warming could have on the "central heating" of Europe : "In a worst case scenario, we looked at a diversion of the Gulf Stream. This could mean Labrador conditions for large parts of Europe inspite of global warming." To collect more information on the Oceans, all the yachts sailing in the Volvo Ocean Race are fitted out with sensors that collect various scientific data to be analysed by Boxall’s team.
The vagaries of the Gulf Stream are putting extra pressure on the navigators as Knut Frostad, skipper on djuice wrote : "A few hours ago we finally touched the Gulf Stream, sending us northeast with about three knots. It’s pretty hard to predict the exact movements of the stream as the information we can get is not updated more often than once every five days, and right now all the boats are trying to hit the corner where it changes direction from going north east to going straight east. At the same time you want to have a favourable wind direction and make sure you do not get lifted out of the stream as well. Lot’s of variables, and some very exiting days for the navigators."
Also Mark Rudiger from second placed ASSA ABLOY reports the same : "I think I got about two hours sleep in 36 [hours], because there was always something ahead that needed analysing and boats all around to keep track of. Amer Sports One once again proved their superior boat speed and gained a nice lead out of the bay, only to give it away by not optimising their route to the "Stream"."
Screaming downwind sailing is the call of the day. With a top speed of 29.9 knots recorded by leg and race winner illbruck, the eight yachts in the Volvo Ocean Race are flying toward Europe. Even though the pace is the same as it was in the Southern Ocean, the sailing is much more comfortable. The Gulf Stream acts like a huge central heating system, keeping the temperature in the boats above 20 degrees Celsius.
Followed by ASSA ABLOY and Tyco, illbruck is charging northeast towards the exclusion zone approximately 150 miles to the north. Amer Sports One, neck and neck with News Corp and one mile behind SEB, was the only yacht to keep the pace with Kostecki’s illbruck challenge. Djuice and Amer Sports Too lost almost twenty miles, which equates to three knots less boat speed.
Enjoying the conditions, John Kostecki wrote this morning : "Although the Baltimore/Annapolis stopover was great, it is nice to be out at sea again racing."
Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 3, 0956 GMT
PS Yacht Latitude Longitude DTF CMG SMG TFHR DTL DTL-C ETA PO
1 ILBK 38 05.96N 066 30.84W 2934 71 19.2 415 0 0 11/05/02 01:07 49
2 AART 37 55.08N 066 47.52W 2950 76 19.1 401 16 +1 11/05/02 02:26 41
3 TYCO 38 00.80N 066 54.12W 2953 75 18.9 398 19 +2 11/05/02 02:45 33
4 TSEB 38 02.08N 066 57.72W 2956 77 17.9 396 22 +8 11/05/02 02:57 26
5 AONE 37 51.67N 066 55.92W 2957 76 19.2 399 23 0 11/05/02 03:04 36
6 NEWS 38 03.80N 067 00.36W 2957 74 17.7 394 23 +9 11/05/02 03:06 34
7 DJCE 37 47.44N 067 21.16W 2977 80 16.1 381 43 +19 11/05/02 04:50 23
8 ATOO 37 46.60N 067 58.92W 3006 68 16.3 361 72 +18 11/05/02 07:22 10
Dans la même rubrique
Volvo Ocean Race / Leg 7 : Iceberg Alley Ahead
Volvo Ocean Race / leg 7 : Up wind, wet weather start for Volvo Ocean Race leg seven
Volvo Ocean Race : The great circle route : preview leg seven Volvo Ocean Race
VOLVO OCEAN RACE : Crew changes for Volvo Ocean Race leg six winner News Corp
