After dubbing the eye of the dangerous Icelandic depression, Andrea Mura keeps the lead of OSTAR 2017.
A really difficult race, as by tradition.
Yesterday severe weather conditions with a force 8 that caused some damage (fortunately not compromising) to Vento di Sardegna: the VHF antenna in the head of the master was rooted, a wave literally bent a titanium candleholder, another wave broke through the famous “capotta” that had guaranteed acceptable temperatures to Mura as well as the absence of sea in the face.
Today, the weather-sea situation is slightly better, but the boat gets stuck and the wind keeps tensing.
No one who participated in the Ostar had ever moved beyond the 58th parallel north where the nights are white, the sea turns anthracite and where the sun is practically absent with very low temperatures. A “no-man’s land” between Iceland and Greenland. Flattering a depression to such northern latitudes in one of the most troublesome and desolate seas of the world has certainly not been a joke.
However, the first step has been overcome.
The following are:
1. Avoid whales from south to north. Andrea had already risked more than a collision in the 2012 Twostar.
2. Avoid icebergs in Terranova banks. Unfortunately, the organization of the Ostar has not set limits but it is prudent to move to the outer margin of the area. An impact with an iceberg would be devastating. Obviously it stretches the road but is a price to pay.
“Exiting these steps,” explains Mura, “there will be two major depressions when approaching Newport. It will be important to be able to overcome them to avoid the opposing winds. “
There is also a record to challente (Giovanni Soldini, 1996, monohull): at present the forecasts leave room for this possibility.
