The SailOnline (SOL) Virtual Race started from the Port Philip heads at 0400utc on March 25th. That was an hour after the planned main start for the real-life racing fleet.
Unfazed by reports of big winds in Bass Strait the SOL fleet took off towards Wilsons Prom and then on to Gabo. From there the wind models all suggested going straight up the coast rather than venturing out further offshore, so the first half of the race turned in to a simple drag race.
A little before Cape Byron a handful of us (only 3 or 4) decided to leave the flock and head towards the eastern end of The Solomons in the hope of finding a quicker and more efficient crossing of The Doldrums up ahead. I was sheep #20 or 220 at the time and around 20nm behind the leader, but I figured was never going to catch those guys unless I tried something a bit different.
The 50 leaders have passed through The Louisiades – an archipelago of islands and reefs extending ESE off the end of PNG and the next 50 or so are following along the same path like good little sheep. A few have BBQ’d along the way (ie. hit islands) but most have made it through unscathed.
The leaders have run down THE EDGE and are now ‘hunting’ MORNING STAR. Hmmm. Perhaps ‘hunting’ is not the best term if I’m going to the SOL fleet as a flock of sheep!
Right now most of the SOL fleet seems to be following MORNING STAR between New Britain and The Solomons. One of the lead pack seems to be going west perhaps to pass between PNG and New Britain. A handful (maybe 10 or so) seem to be aiming a little further east and may leave at least one of the main Solomon Islands to port.
For my part I am taking “the scenic route” out to the east of The Solomons as it was dubbed in the last M2O race.
We won’t know which options really paid off for a few days yet. And then of course we will be able to see the decisions of the the real-life competitors.
Your shepherd,
David (dtayls) Taylor.