The fleet is starting to compress as Groupama lead the approach to New Caledonia where a rapidly changing weather system is raising prospects of a leaderboard shuffle.
Leading pair Groupama sailing team and PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG are cashing in their easterly separation for distance ahead, which could be vital given a light wind zone is closing in on the fleet and threatening their positions.
Third placed Team Telefónica and fifth placed CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand have finally abandoned the west, tacking east at 1300 UTC.
The move has added to the battle royale for fourth place between CAMPER and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the east. Despite about 150 nautical mile lateral separation between the pair, Abu Dhabi are clinging to a marginal 0.2 nm lead.
“We are in there with those guys (Abu Dhabi) and to an extent PUMA trying to get south at the moment,” CAMPER skipper Chris Nicholson said.
“We have got a huge separation east west on them and at the moment the way forward for us out in the west looks OK -- but we are looking at it changing hourly."
Between the wind shadow cast by mountains along New Caledonia’s 300 mile land mass and the rapidly changing weather systems in the Coral and Tasman seas, there is still a chance for the order to change Nicholson said.
“There’s opportunities here I think for every team at the moment -- and that ranges between a first or a last in this leg,” he said. “Certainly nothing can be taken for granted at the moment.’’
On Abu Dhabi Ian Walker admitted frustration over so far failing to gain an advantage from his team’s eastern route and losing ground to Telefónica.
“It’s tough,” he said. “We are not making the gain in the east we might have expected and Telefónica seems to be moving forward.’’
“I think we are quite close with CAMPER and still ahead of Sanya, so I hope our easterly position pays. Maybe the leaders will slow down in lighter winds towards the finish and maybe the whole fleet will compress.”
The potential for compression and the instability of the forecast is just what Team Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson has been hoping for. The sixth placed skipper reckons it is the perfect scenario to help him claim a scalp.
“We are being chased down by light airs behind us so the whole fleet is racing south to try and escape its clutches. We are only just hanging on by the skin of our teeth.
“Obviously Telefónica is on the march that’s for sure but in relation to CAMPER and Abu Dhabi we are in pretty similar shape.
“In the back of my mind I really feel like we deserve to beat someone on this leg so I certainly hope that from New Caledonia to New Zealand can be our turn.”
Mon, 05 Mar 2012, 16:03:09 UTC
1 Groupama 0.00
2 Puma 83.70
3 Telefonica 133.20
4 Camper 169.00
5 Abu Dhabi 173.20
6 Sanya 254.10
From : Volvo Ocean Race
Credit : H.Hooper/Camper/VOR
Leading pair Groupama sailing team and PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG are cashing in their easterly separation for distance ahead, which could be vital given a light wind zone is closing in on the fleet and threatening their positions.
Third placed Team Telefónica and fifth placed CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand have finally abandoned the west, tacking east at 1300 UTC.
The move has added to the battle royale for fourth place between CAMPER and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the east. Despite about 150 nautical mile lateral separation between the pair, Abu Dhabi are clinging to a marginal 0.2 nm lead.
“We are in there with those guys (Abu Dhabi) and to an extent PUMA trying to get south at the moment,” CAMPER skipper Chris Nicholson said.
“We have got a huge separation east west on them and at the moment the way forward for us out in the west looks OK -- but we are looking at it changing hourly."
Between the wind shadow cast by mountains along New Caledonia’s 300 mile land mass and the rapidly changing weather systems in the Coral and Tasman seas, there is still a chance for the order to change Nicholson said.
“There’s opportunities here I think for every team at the moment -- and that ranges between a first or a last in this leg,” he said. “Certainly nothing can be taken for granted at the moment.’’
On Abu Dhabi Ian Walker admitted frustration over so far failing to gain an advantage from his team’s eastern route and losing ground to Telefónica.
“It’s tough,” he said. “We are not making the gain in the east we might have expected and Telefónica seems to be moving forward.’’
“I think we are quite close with CAMPER and still ahead of Sanya, so I hope our easterly position pays. Maybe the leaders will slow down in lighter winds towards the finish and maybe the whole fleet will compress.”
The potential for compression and the instability of the forecast is just what Team Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson has been hoping for. The sixth placed skipper reckons it is the perfect scenario to help him claim a scalp.
“We are being chased down by light airs behind us so the whole fleet is racing south to try and escape its clutches. We are only just hanging on by the skin of our teeth.
“Obviously Telefónica is on the march that’s for sure but in relation to CAMPER and Abu Dhabi we are in pretty similar shape.
“In the back of my mind I really feel like we deserve to beat someone on this leg so I certainly hope that from New Caledonia to New Zealand can be our turn.”
Mon, 05 Mar 2012, 16:03:09 UTC
1 Groupama 0.00
2 Puma 83.70
3 Telefonica 133.20
4 Camper 169.00
5 Abu Dhabi 173.20
6 Sanya 254.10
From : Volvo Ocean Race
