The Shipping News

While the rest of the boats of the Volvo Ocean Race steam east to tuck under the mid-Atlantic low, movistar is heading a more northerly route, sometimes even with a bit of westerly in it as they hunt the wind.

So what is Bouwe Bekking thinking? Is he a fan of E.Annie Proulx's book "The Shipping News" and has a yearning for Newfoundland, wishing, like the reviewer of that book in The Times, that he could sit in "The Flying Squid Lunchstop, eating Seal Fin curry, watching the icrebergs clink together in the bay"?

According to the Volvo site, its all about tactics, to take the hit now to get into stronger northerlies than the rest of the pack. Can't see it myself, unless the forecasts at stormsurf are horribly wrong - check them out here.

If the forecasts are right then the distance to Moose on Black Betty will soon become even more than the current 110 miles.

But if Movistar's calls look bad, its good to see another's that have been right. Ericsson is finally showing its potential and is currently in the second spot. But they've been there before, and peaked too early. I hope this time they can keep it up so we have a British skipper lead the Farrs past the Needles and into Portsmouth habour.



Graphic from Virtual Spectator