Exciting ending

It is a bit hysterical now. We have been chasing Puma almost since the start and the last hours we have been very close while Ericsson 4 has lost a lot and are still a couple of miles behind and down to leeward.

The wind has lifted and we are now reaching along in 20 knots of wind and the same boatspeed. We are very equal speed wise with Puma and there are two options for trying to overtake. Either you play cool, stay behind and wait for mistakes, or you do something radical.

It seems like the wind is going to stay the entire way to Sandhamn, but we think it’s going to lift. Which means that we can be brave and sail VMC (velocity made good on course) set a bigger sail, turn to a lower course for more speed and then hope for the lift to come. Or we stay safe and go rhumb line, the shortest way.

Magnus Olsson and Aksel Magdahl had discussed the various options and now we have put a bigger sail up and started to sail a lower course.  We are not the safe-playing kind of guys.

Gustav Morin - MCM