OverallleadersAbuDhabiOceanRacing(IanWalker/GBR)positionedthemselvesominouslyattheheadofthefleetmidwaythroughLeg6onWednesdayasthesixboatscontinuedtojostleforposition(fullstorybelow).-AbuDhabiOceanRacingsnatchthinlead-SkipperWalkerreadyto‘playtheangles’-FollowthisabsorbinglegallthewayonourAppALICANTE,Spain,April29–OverallleadersAbuDhabiOceanRacing(IanWalker/GBR)positionedthemselvesominouslyattheheadofthefleetmidwaythroughLeg6onWednesdayasthesixboatscontinuedtojostleforposition.Atthebeginningoftheweek,theEmiraticrew,whichhasaseven-pointleadatthetopafterfiveoftheninestages,wereconcernedtheywerelosingtouchwiththepace-settersastheyfellsome20nauticalmiles(nm)offtheleadtothewestofthemainpack.Slowlybutsurely,however,theyhaveedgedtheirwaybackuptheleaderboardandfinallyoverhauledTeamBrunel(BouweBekking/NED)atthetopearlyonWednesday(0940UTC),albeitbythethinnestofmargins(0.5nm)fromtheDutchboat.Therearestilljustunderhalftheoverallracepointstoraceforandmorethan2,500nmleftina5,010nmlegfromItajaí,Brazil,toNewport,RhodeIsland,USA,wheretheboatsareexpectedtoarrivearoundMay7.ButthemoodonAzzamis,understandably,skyhighandthereisaclearconfidenceinthewaynavigatorSimonFisher(GBR)isroutingtheboatthroughtheAtlantictowardstheCaribbeanislands.Certainly,skipperIanWalkerisreallyenjoyingthecat-and-mousesailingasthelatestblogfromOnboardReporter,MattKnighton(USA),illustrated.“Ianloveshowthisisplayingout.Nobreakawaystothesouthornorth–everyoneisholdingtogether,”Knightonwrote.“Withthethousandsofmilesleftonthetrack,he’spatienttowait.It’saboatspeedandanglesgameonceagainandhe’skeentoplay.“It’snowaboutmanagingthetopthreeteamsandkeepingtheboatinonepiece–anotherreasonwe’rethankfulfortheshapeofoursailsafterfivelegs.”Whileothers’sailsarebeginningtolookdistinctlybattered,Walkerhasbeenproudoftheconservativewayhehasmanagedhissailwardrobe–astrategywhichcouldpayhandsomedividendsastheraceentersthehomestraightinEuropeinafewweeks’time.Thelegandtherace,however,arealong,longwayfrombeingdecidedandallofthesixcrewswillstillconsiderthemselvesverymuchinthehunt,especiallywithamajorgybetocarryouttowardsUSAoncetheyhavepassednorthoftheVirginIslandsovertheweekend.DongfengRaceTeam(CharlesCaudrelier/FRA),secondoverall,areonly1.2nmoffAbuDhabiOceanRacing’sleadwithMAPFRE(XabiFernández/ESP)1.7nmasternofthem(seepanelabove).TeamSCA(SamDavies/GBR)lostgroundastheysteeredfromfurthesteasttowestofthepackwhileTeamAlvimedica(CharlieEnright/USA)alsolostafewmilestotherestastheytuckedintothecentreofthepelotonfromaleewardposition.Meanwhile,Enrighthasbeennamedoneof14ambassadorsfor11thHourRacing.TheprogrammeispartofTheSchmidtFamilyFoundationandseekstoestablishanewplatform,emphasisingtheresponsibleuseofenergyandresourcesinthecontextofsailing.Enrightandhisfellowambassadorswillaimtoinfluencepositivelythesailingindustryandpromotemarinestewardship.HewillspeakonthethreatofmarinedebrisataforthcomingOceanSummitonthesubjectattheNewportstopoveronMay15.

via Thewaitinggame|VolvoOceanRace2014-2015.