An epic battle unfolds
24 hours into the final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race and CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand is fighting it out with Puma for the lead with the two boats in sight of each other with less than 80 nautical miles to the finish line.
After leading for most of the night by the slimmest of margins in some of the closest racing seen so far CAMPER slipped back to fourth place this morning as the fleet closed in on Ireland. However, after the top four boats rounded the iconic Fastnet Rock within six minutes of each other the team piled on the pressure to roll past Telefonica and Groupama and is now sitting in second place less than two miles behind first placed Puma.
With just under 80 nautical miles to the finish line in Galway and approximately seven or eight hours of sailing remaining an epic battle is shaping up between the two boats as the fight it out for winners glory in the final leg and the opportunity to move into second overall.
CAMPER Media Crew Member Hamish Hooper reports that the team have Puma firmly in their sights.
“Things have gone well since Fastnet Rock; we have managed to roll past both Groupama and then Telefonica, something of an absolute rarity in this race, but something everyone took great satisfaction from.
“No one on board is silly enough to think they will be left in our wake for good.
“We still have 85 miles to go until the finish- still plenty of runway for them to catch us, but maybe more importantly for us, plenty of room for us to catch Puma who we now have firmly in our sights.
“We have been sailing along some of the most stunning coastline I have seen anywhere in the world. It is rugged and cold and harsh- the perfect backdrop for the final fight of this leg.
“We are now downwind running to the mark with our A4 spinnaker, which we are desperately hoping will be our golden ticket to be first across the finish line.
“It’s all hands on deck for an exciting final 8 hours of off shore sailing in this race.”
CAMPER is expected to arrive in Galway 0200 GMT Tuesday 3 July/1400 NZT.
Good attitude boys, I respect your achievements well sailed.
I’m not even a Kiwi… I’m British
Go Team NZ!!
Remember Peter Snell!
It is the home stretch that counts!!
Kia kaha.
C’mon Camper! Go Nicho!
Such a happy Kiwi ………. well done CAMPER you deserve this !!
+1
Well done guys you deserve the win, ETNZ is the strongest sailing team out there.
Hi Guys well done from a home bird in Christchurch NZ, followed you all the way on the tracker, all the ups and downs and really buzzed you got the last win. Well deserved after slogging back from the tough breaks.
Well done ETNZ, a well deservedleg win. Has been a journey of ups and downs, hopefully we will see another Camper ETNZ joint venture in the next eddition of the race with some more younger fellas on board. Could we see Peter Burling and Blair Tuke on board?