Volvo Ocean Race

Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya are today engaged in an energy sapping slog along the Vietnamese coast on their way to the finish of the second stage of Leg 3.

Andrés Soriano/Team Sanya/Volvo Ocean Race Andrés Soriano/Team Sanya/Volvo Ocean Race

The Chinese team were hoping for a fast passage along the coast, but the wind refused to play ball, forcing Sanderson’s crew into a relentless round of tacking maneuvers to make headway towards their home port.

In his latest report from the boat, Media Crew Member (MCM) André Soriano describes life onboard as the Sanya crew deal with pounding waves and dodge commercial shipping.

We are still making our way, averaging 11k upwind. There were a few big ships to stay clear of as well as a few fishing boats who always seem to be so close they are working in pairs.

“It’s always a little nerve wracking when you sail between two fishing boats. They are so close together, they can sometimes troll a big net in-between the boats," commented Dave Swete. "Then you sail past them and you can breath again.”

There was a bit of pounding into waves last night and therefore it was pretty hard to get a good amount of rest. Today there wont be much rest either. We were hoping for a lift around the coast of Vietnam but luck would not have us, so we are now short tacking up the coast and will be for the majority of the day.

That means moving the stack (of sails on deck and gear down below) from one side of the boat to the other every 30 minutes.

When the call comes to tack, the boys on deck move the sails from the windward side to the leeward side (it will be the new windward side after the tack) this is much easier to drag the heavy sails down a slope then have to heave them up a slope.

The same goes for the equipment down bellow. The boys jump out of their bunks, and start moving heavy bags of gear to the leeward side in a chain gang manner. The aim is to get as much as possible over and secured before the actual call to tack comes and they are needed on deck.

After the tack the boys then move the remaining kit, usually just personal bags and our tacking bunks to the other side, before climbing back in them in the hope of finding a few more moments of peace.

That is our existence for the next few hours, at least till we can clear the corner (of Vietnam) and find a good lay line to Sanya!

Andrés