Horn´s Gate Defines IMOCA Ocean Masters Race

Source Image IMOCA Cheminées Poujoulat leading the passing through Cape Horn South Pacific 

After long months at sea, passing through all world oceans, positions at the IMOCA Ocean Masters Barcelona Race have settled. The passing of the teams through the South Pacific and the Horn´s Gate decided the final positions of teams which used to sail flocking tight and now sails miles apart. What happened in the South Pacific is a mystery guarded by those who sailed it out. 

Chemines has managed to sustain its lead -position it has been holding in strong competition  since sails rose over the Indian Ocean, even past two massive cyclones, all through the South Pacific entry and over the Gateway of Cape Horn. Neutrogena proved it could handle second and still battles from behind. What lays ahead is the final route home and trade winds of the past Equatorial Atlantic Ocean, eastern trustworthy winds, full sails to Barcelona home and podium. Is all defined and settled? Out in the ocean nothing is certain, only time will tell. Skippers know better than to let their ropes loose. 

Around the world International Press turned with speed to report the passing of the teams through the fearful -sailing nightmare of Cape Horn. 

As always what doesn't kill you make you stronger  -excited Ocean press reported that Teams entered the final ocean -Atlantic Ocean. 

On March 7th Sailings Cuttle Butt described the passing through Cape Horn as “Graduation Day for Barcelona World Race”. 

In under 10 days Teams crossed the Indian Ocean, past through Australian southern basin, bordered the Antarctic Exclusion Zone and crossed the entire Pacific Ocean. Mastery of sailing was without a doubt how Teams made it this far this fast.

IMOCA described the speed of sailing in the Indian Ocean influenced by two cyclones in their report "Fasten your Seatbelts", but the true speed was gained steady and constant in the Pacific Ocean. 

Crossing the Southern Pacific Ocean and going through the bottleneck waters of Cape Horn, its cold winds and hard hitting waves -that was the main thing.

It remains clear that the crossing of the South Pacific and the passing through Cape Horn defined and gave final cut to the positions. While sailing the Indian ocean boats were flocking tight one to each other, despite separation of miles, positions were not clearly defined. 

As of March 10th Cheminees Poujoulat showed a clear first position passing the Atlantic Ocean past the Equator and making final maneuvers to find the Eastern North Atlantic Trade Winds. Neutrogena which was hot on its tail throughout the entire race across the world was cut short. distances separating the leader from Neutrogena are now abysmal. Neutrogena would need a miracle to make a come back for first place. 

But in the IMOCA World Wide Race nothing is defined. No team knows this better than the team of Hugo Boss which had to abandon the race early due to a dismast even making it to Cape Town Basin South Africa South Passing. 

The strong battle remains for second and third place as Neutrogena now tastes what it feels like to be tailed. It is GAES Centros Auditivos which is making moves to break into second place in the Atlantic Ocean. 

We are Water and One Planet have already made it through Cape Horn and are sailing for Fourth and Fifth Positions while Renault Captur is just by the date kissing the waters of the Atlantic Ocean miles behind. Spirit of Hungary after hard challenges and technological issues proves to be worthy and still sails heading to Cape Horn in the Pacific Ocean -for the crew it comes certain that the challenge is still to bring their boat home and complete the race. 

Is it really about positions? Does one cross the entire World Oceans for the glory of the podium? What sights and visions magnetize the skippers and crew and push them forward? The Game and the Rank is just that, a Game and a Rank. The Ocean has its own game, its own beauty and that is what all those following and competing and participating in the IMOCA World Race are after -a piece of the magic and power of the Oceans Heavens and Hells, its mysteries and secrets, its revelations and its silence, its teaching, its courage and it grace and mercy. 

"Our relationship gets deeper and deeper. On the one side we are a sailing partnership we are in one team and we think of ourselves as a team. In any aspect at all we help each other. On the human side there is respect also. I guess at the moment we are a better team than at the start,” Nandor Fa of Spirit of Hungary stated.  

Once into South Pacific waters Teams knew the challenges ahead were the gateway passing and the Atlantic North Climb. The first to pass Cape Horn was leader  Cheminées Poujoulat and did so on February 25th. “Cape Horn has proved every bit as challenging as its legendary associations,” IMOCA reported. 

IMOCA described the passing waters as “inhospitable waters” with winds of up to 25 knots to 70 knots -extremely rough seas which teams sailed out.  

"We've been sailing for a month, more than a month, five weeks, with high conditions of wind and seas, and cold", Le Cam of Chemines explained. "Now we will turn left, to the North and towards more pleasant temperatures, so in general it is good when you cross it", the Frenchman commented.

"We feel like we reached a very important passage which allows us to go north again", said Stamm in turn. "Besides, it is a special passage, full of history. It is all of these things at the same time", he concluded.

“Cape Horn marks the frontier between the two different worlds inhabited by skippers on the Barcelona World Race,” IMOCA reported. 

The passing is one of the most dangerous maritime passages on the planet on the guard of the the Chilean Navy which protects one of the biggest maritime areas in the world. There is always a measure of relief in completing the passage of Cape Horn, escaping from the hostile Pacific into the Atlantic. 

“For me this is the fourth time around. It is such a mythical place to sail,” Sébastien Audigane Renault Captur ended the debate. 

Once past Horn´s Gate the strategy became obvious -avoiding the coast of the South American Atlantic waters and following steady winds taking them East-North into deeper waters to make one hard maneuver up North. This way teams avoided the constant sailing against the wind and the exhausting turns and turns as well as made the most of prevalent wind speed. 

Now all that remains is the trade winds home for Barcelona and the nostalgic remembrance of the race as it ends. Celebrations will try to numb out the sounds which the Ocean has roared and sang to all Teams in the past long months during the World Wide Sailing Route. Earth sounds will try to numb out the Ocean music but they will sure not succeed.