Volvo Ocean Race

Days of intense concentration await the Volvo Ocean Race fleet as the teams contend not only with ships, floating debris, sandbanks and wrecks in the Malacca Strait but also constant attacks from each other.

Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean… Hamish Hooper/CAMPER… Nick Dana/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean…

At 1600 UTC just five nautical miles separated the four frontrunners, adding to the pressure of racing through a narrow body of water strewn with navigational hazards, while the other two boats are expected to close up as the fleet compresses.

“It’s not going to be a very peaceful few days,” said CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand navigator Will Oxley. “Firstly because of the shipping and the narrow channels, and secondly because we have three boats in very close company. It’s about 500-odd miles to Singapore so I’m getting prepared for not much sleep.”

The sprint through the Malacca Strait could take up to three days to complete – and as if hunting for the smallest of advantages over their opponents wasn’t tiring enough, the teams must also keep a constant watch for commercial ships, fishing boats and nets and unknown objects floating in the water.

The team emerging from the strait first will hold a commanding position for the final part of the leg through the South China Sea to Sanya, so whether it’s a bad decision or a collision, any slip-up could cost the teams dearly.

“There is already quite a lot of stuff trailing around in the water, such as pretty big tree trunks, so there's always a member of the crew at the guardwires looking ahead,” Groupama sailing team skipper Franck Cammas said.

“There are certainly a lot of people in the Straits of Malacca with a huge amount going on. We don't mind it but we're going to have quite a lot to do too. We're going to have our work cut out refining the trim so we can make the most of the little wind there will be and we'll have to be on top of things in every domain.”

“The strait gets narrower and narrower as it funnels down so that volume of ships gets very compressed,” added PUMA Ocean Racing’s navigator Tom Addis.

“There are so many factors it is hard to prioritise them. There’s plenty to hit, sandbanks and wrecks, the weather is really unstable and through all of that you still have to rest so you can remain sane and make good decisions. It’s the full package really.”

Weather models are currently predicting an easing in windspeed as the fleet close on Singapore at the end of the strait which could prove costly for any team getting becalmed in an adverse current.

“In the middle section the currents are a bit weaker but there is a chance we will have to anchor,” Addis added. “It could come into play – anything to stop you going backwards. We have our anchor and a plan for quickly putting it in place.”