Team Telefónica will charge into 2012 as leaders of the Volvo Ocean Race after snatching victory over CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand in a thrilling finish to the first stage of Leg 2 from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi.
The final 24 hours came down to an intense match race between Iker Martínez’s Telefónica, winners of Leg 1 from Alicante to Cape Town, as well as the Cape Town In-Port Race, and CAMPER led by skipper Chris Nicholson.
The stakes were high as the two teams headed towards the secret safe haven, with CAMPER needing to finish in front to leapfrog Telefónica and go top of the leaderboard.
Nicholson’s team got close, leading for long periods over a thrilling final battle on Christmas Day and the next 24 hours after, but in the end Telefónica came through, grabbing the definitive lead with just eight nautical miles to go and eventually winning.
Telefónica held on to finish at 1757:20 UTC on Monday, December 26, just one minute and 57 seconds in front of CAMPER, 15 days after the boats set off from Cape Town, South Africa on December 11.
Telefónica claimed 24 points for first place in the first of a two-stage, 5,430 nautical mile (nm) leg to from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi, where 80 per cent of the available points have been awarded. CAMPER took 20 for second place.
The provisional leaderboard sees Telefónica top with 61 points, followed by CAMPER on 54.
Puma's Mar Mostro holds off Groupama 4 to finish third
Ken Read and his men on board PUMA’s Mar Mostro took third place in the first stage of Leg 2 from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi on Monday, holding off one-time leg leaders Groupama 4 for the 16 points.
PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG crossed the finish at 2333:10 UTC, more than five hours behind Team Telefónica (Iker Martínez/ESP) who snatched his second leg win earlier today from CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand (Chris Nicholson/AUS).
The tough time began for the crew of Mar Mostro on day five, when the fleet was in the grips of a menacing trough separating two belts of low-pressure. At the time, Read described the conditions as some of the most frustrating and mentally exhausting of his sailing career.
Although the team was briefly in and out of the top three, enjoying a battle with Telefónica for first place in trade wind sailing on day nine, and again on day 11 with Groupama 4, it was Read’s decision to take the westerly side of the Doldrums for which he ultimately paid a high price.
The team made the call to go east, a move that both Telefónica and CAMPER had made earlier with great success, but it was a late and expensive decision. On day 12, December 21, the black cat was barely making five knots and had dropped from second place to fourth, over 78 nautical miles behind Telefónica.
The fight to get back in the game started on Christmas Day, when Mar Mostro started to pull back some miles. Early on Boxing Day she had passed Groupama and the team managed to hold off the French to claim the 16 points on offer for the third podium spot tonight and retain fourth place overall.
“We went into this leg with confidence,” Read said today as he approached the finish. “It’s a bit of a shame because there were a couple of points in this leg when we did really the right thing and put ourselves in the right position, but there was really one key moment when we entered the Doldrums that didn’t work for us and that was disappointing for us for sure.”
Doldrums debacle means Groupama miss out on top three
Goupama sailing team had to settle for fourth place in Leg 2, Stage 1 after disappointment in the Doldrums cost them a hard won lead.
They continued to set a blistering pace, extending their lead at every opportunity. “The race is far from over,” Cammas said. “We will enter the light wind area and the fleet will compress,” he forewarned. But, for the moment, the French rocket ship was in first place and led the fleet into the stealth zone put in place to protect the boats from unwanted attention of pirates.
Cammas took Groupama 4 into the Doldrums at the western end and her speed started to decrease and, on day 13, December 23, Cammas relinquished his lead to Telefónica. Groupama’s lead of 70 nm had slowly dissolved and by 1900 UTC that night, the team was in deficit by 62 nm. The team was disappointed, their hopes dashed by the minefield of clouds and squalls. “Offshore racing is like that,” wrote MCM Yann Riou. “One day you feel very strong, the next very miserable. You have to take it as it is, or do another job,” he said.
Groupama 4 had maintained third position on Christmas Day, but on Boxing Day, PUMA’s Mar Mostro had stolen her spot after a night of intense racing. Although it was down to the wire for the leading pair, Telefónica and CAMPER, PUMA’s Mar Mostro was now a safe 15 nm ahead and Groupama 4 finished outside the top three. Groupama finished at 0204:20 UTC, more than two hours behind PUMA, and eight hours behind Telefónica and CAMPER.
Results
1 Telefonica
2 Camper
3 Puma
4 Groupama
5 Abu Dhabi 0.00 0 10
From : VOR
The final 24 hours came down to an intense match race between Iker Martínez’s Telefónica, winners of Leg 1 from Alicante to Cape Town, as well as the Cape Town In-Port Race, and CAMPER led by skipper Chris Nicholson.
The stakes were high as the two teams headed towards the secret safe haven, with CAMPER needing to finish in front to leapfrog Telefónica and go top of the leaderboard.
Nicholson’s team got close, leading for long periods over a thrilling final battle on Christmas Day and the next 24 hours after, but in the end Telefónica came through, grabbing the definitive lead with just eight nautical miles to go and eventually winning.
Telefónica held on to finish at 1757:20 UTC on Monday, December 26, just one minute and 57 seconds in front of CAMPER, 15 days after the boats set off from Cape Town, South Africa on December 11.
Telefónica claimed 24 points for first place in the first of a two-stage, 5,430 nautical mile (nm) leg to from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi, where 80 per cent of the available points have been awarded. CAMPER took 20 for second place.
The provisional leaderboard sees Telefónica top with 61 points, followed by CAMPER on 54.
Puma's Mar Mostro holds off Groupama 4 to finish third
Ken Read and his men on board PUMA’s Mar Mostro took third place in the first stage of Leg 2 from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi on Monday, holding off one-time leg leaders Groupama 4 for the 16 points.
PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG crossed the finish at 2333:10 UTC, more than five hours behind Team Telefónica (Iker Martínez/ESP) who snatched his second leg win earlier today from CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand (Chris Nicholson/AUS).
The tough time began for the crew of Mar Mostro on day five, when the fleet was in the grips of a menacing trough separating two belts of low-pressure. At the time, Read described the conditions as some of the most frustrating and mentally exhausting of his sailing career.
Although the team was briefly in and out of the top three, enjoying a battle with Telefónica for first place in trade wind sailing on day nine, and again on day 11 with Groupama 4, it was Read’s decision to take the westerly side of the Doldrums for which he ultimately paid a high price.
The team made the call to go east, a move that both Telefónica and CAMPER had made earlier with great success, but it was a late and expensive decision. On day 12, December 21, the black cat was barely making five knots and had dropped from second place to fourth, over 78 nautical miles behind Telefónica.
The fight to get back in the game started on Christmas Day, when Mar Mostro started to pull back some miles. Early on Boxing Day she had passed Groupama and the team managed to hold off the French to claim the 16 points on offer for the third podium spot tonight and retain fourth place overall.
“We went into this leg with confidence,” Read said today as he approached the finish. “It’s a bit of a shame because there were a couple of points in this leg when we did really the right thing and put ourselves in the right position, but there was really one key moment when we entered the Doldrums that didn’t work for us and that was disappointing for us for sure.”
Doldrums debacle means Groupama miss out on top three
Goupama sailing team had to settle for fourth place in Leg 2, Stage 1 after disappointment in the Doldrums cost them a hard won lead.
They continued to set a blistering pace, extending their lead at every opportunity. “The race is far from over,” Cammas said. “We will enter the light wind area and the fleet will compress,” he forewarned. But, for the moment, the French rocket ship was in first place and led the fleet into the stealth zone put in place to protect the boats from unwanted attention of pirates.
Cammas took Groupama 4 into the Doldrums at the western end and her speed started to decrease and, on day 13, December 23, Cammas relinquished his lead to Telefónica. Groupama’s lead of 70 nm had slowly dissolved and by 1900 UTC that night, the team was in deficit by 62 nm. The team was disappointed, their hopes dashed by the minefield of clouds and squalls. “Offshore racing is like that,” wrote MCM Yann Riou. “One day you feel very strong, the next very miserable. You have to take it as it is, or do another job,” he said.
Groupama 4 had maintained third position on Christmas Day, but on Boxing Day, PUMA’s Mar Mostro had stolen her spot after a night of intense racing. Although it was down to the wire for the leading pair, Telefónica and CAMPER, PUMA’s Mar Mostro was now a safe 15 nm ahead and Groupama 4 finished outside the top three. Groupama finished at 0204:20 UTC, more than two hours behind PUMA, and eight hours behind Telefónica and CAMPER.
Results
1 Telefonica
2 Camper
3 Puma
4 Groupama
5 Abu Dhabi 0.00 0 10
From : VOR
