VOR / Miami triumph for Puma, Ken Read :" That was about as stressful as it can get !" (images)

American skipper Ken Read led his PUMA Ocean Racing team to a second consecutive leg win on Wednesday in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, arriving on home soil in Miami triumphant following an epic 18-day match race with closest rivals CAMPER to confirm they are back in contention for overall victory.

Credit : I.Roman/VOR

VOR / Iker Martinez and Telefonica enter into battle for Miami podium

“Telefónica” went all in against “Groupama” in the fight for the third step on the podium of this sixth leg of the regatta, heading into the final stretch of the leg. The Spanish boat looked for an opportunity at the island of Cat, one of the islands at the centre of the archipelago of the Bahamas. The crew gybed late yesterday afternoon to put the island to port, whilst the French stayed on the inside. At 14:00 UTC today the distance between the two boats, with just 200 miles to the finish, stood at just 11.9 miles.

Credit : D.Fructuoso / Telefonica/VOR

VOR / Thomas Coville (Groupama) :"We are going to do everything we can do to come back”

Groupama watch captain Thomas Coville says the French team were relishing the boat on boat battle they are currently waging for third place with overall race leaders Team Telefónica.

Credit : Y.Riou/Groupama/VOR

Video / Lack of wind for Camper, still in 2nd place. ETA tomorrow (1130 UTC )

VOR / Top four in double match race to Miami

Having emerged from a windless day with their precious lead still intact, PUMA are still fending off second-placed CAMPER as the pair approach what could be the final strategic milestone in Leg 6 -- the Eleuthera Island lighthouse at the top of the Bahamas.

Credit : A.Ross/Puma/VOR

Video / Ken Read and Puma through the Bahamas in windless conditions

VOR / Groupama 4, the French vessel is on the attack to the West

Suspense is in the air... Air which is proving to be increasingly absent with the invasion of a light windless patch offshore of San Salvador. The American leaders are beginning to stumble into this meteorological barrier, to the extent that they can now see the New Zealanders in their rear view mirror, whilst Groupama 4 is stealing a march by passing beneath the Bahamas archipelago. This French option has already borne fruit since the Spanish have slipped down the rankings already and there is even a chance that the leadership could be under threat within the next 24 hours!

Credit : Y.Riou/Groupama/VOR

VOR / Groupama has managed to reduce her deficit but Miami is still a long way

Offshore of the Virgin Islands, the wind has virtually died away as a zone of calms has moved into the area since Saturday morning and the exit isn't easy to locate. However, Groupama 4 has still managed to reduce her deficit in relation to the frontrunners and her positioning further to the South may enable her to slip beneath a patch of light airs... Despite this, Miami is still a very long way off seemingly, as this sixth leg is set to round off in very light airs.

Credit : Y.Riou/Groupama/VOR

Video / Chris Nicholson :"What we have to do is make sure that every single wave is made the most of"

Video / Ken Read and Puma say goodbye to the Doldrums

VOR / Iker Martinez :"How to race when the wind lets up?”

Calm always follows a storm and now after grappling with the light airs around the belt of calms at the Equator, Iker Martínez's “Telefónica” is sailing with the trade winds and notching up some good boat speeds in an ocean match race against “Puma” and “Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand”, jumping right back into the ring to snatch back second place in the rankings. 

Credit : D.Fructuoso/Telefonica/VOR

VOR / Ken Read :"The troops behind are going to come hauling back into us"

PUMA escaped the clutches of the Doldrums with only a wafer-thin lead on Tuesday, after a night’s “yo-yo racing” through squalls and rainclouds saw their closest rivals gain about 30 nautical miles in 24 hours.

Video / Ken Read and Puma hang on to the lead as the fleet races to Miami

VOR / Ian Walker : "“We just seem to be sailing in less wind than everyone else"

Leg 6 leaders PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG have today bought themselves some valuable miles against their closest challengers, Team Telefónica and CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, after the chasing duo closed to within two miles yesterday.

Credit : N.Dana/Abu Dhabi/VOR

VOR / Ken Read’s PUMA continue to lead on Doldrums approach

The top three teams on Leg 6 from Brazil to the USA are today engaged in a nip and tuck scramble as Ken Read’s PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG continue to lead from Chris Nicholson’s CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand and Iker Martínez´s Team Telefónica in third.

Credit : A.Ross/Puma/VOR

VOR / Chris Nicholson :"We’ll probably see these first three boats stick closely with each other"

The Leg 6 frontrunners pointed towards Miami for the first time on Saturday after clearing the north-eastern tip of Brazil, hoisting spinnakers as they set up for classic trade wind conditions.

Credit : H.Hooper/Camper/VOR

Video / Ken Read :"Beautiful and gorgeous !"

VOR / Puma is leading, Groupama is struggling 104 miles behind

The chasing Volvo Ocean Race pack were formulating their comeback plans on Friday in a bid to reel in Leg 6 leaders PUMA -- while struggling Groupama fell further behind the frontrunners.

Credit : A.Ross/Puma/VOR

Video / Chris Nicholson and CAMPER are trying to move out of high pressure

VOR / Iker Martinez :"Choosing when to go north at the right time"

PUMA are today leading a trade wind fuelled drag race north to Recife on the corner of Brazil where the fleet will turn north west towards the Caribbean’s Windward Islands, the only remaining landfall before the Leg 6 finish at Miami.

Credit : D.Fructuoso/Telefonica/VOR