VOR |Telefonica |North |Video

02-27-2012
THE NORTH PAYS OFF AND THE SOUTH HOPES TO CLIMB IN VALUE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS

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"Groupama" and "Puma" have picked up the baton at the top of the fleet with their northern bid whilst Spanish yacht "Telefónica" and the New Zealanders on "Camper" have delayed their latch-on to the trades by a few hours

"Telefónica" hasn't had any other choice than to continue as the boat most South in the fleet with the force and direction of the breeze preventing the Spanish yacht from getting to where they wanted to be. The boats that went with the Northern bid are receiving an early pay-off, which has meant that both the French boat and American entry "Puma" have picked up the baton at the top of the fleet and are notching up faster averages speeds than those logged by the boats at the top of the general provisional rankings yesterday: New Zealand's "Camper" and Spanish yacht "Telefónica". Both yachts found themselves unable to do anything to get to the influence of the trade winds any earlier and have resigned themselves to waiting for their moment to come.



Getting better, hour by hour

Each boat improves their routing according to their current position in conjunction with the met forecasts. That's why Iker Martínez explained this morning that the team are optimistic about the coming hours: "Things are going well today and it's been a fantastic day for us. It looks like we are going to get out of this place that has made things so tricky for us. It wasn't the best place to be and we lost a lot of miles but it looks like we can get out of here and that's good for us, for sure".



Talking about the days ahead, the "Telefónica" skipper said: "'Puma' and 'Groupama' are going a lot faster and they are in a better position. I'm sure once all the teams are in the trades they'll get a better angle and they'll be able to get even more speed out of their boats. We are not exactly where we wanted to be but we are where we are, so we've got to try with all of our means to sail well and push forward".



High spirits and the desire to recover

The Spanish team are aware that they're not in the best place in the race, but they are also well aware of the full potential of their boat and crew. As such, Iker transmitted his desire to catch up with the top of the fleet: "Everyone is positive on board. The boat's in good shape and we are working hard, but we are simply not in the right place. Now we have to fight really hard because we still have 4,000 miles ahead. We have to keep fighting. When everything's going incredibly well it's easy to win the leg. If it's just going well, no perfectly, then it's a lot harder. Now we have to carry on pushing hard. Only time will tell, but we really know how to make the boat go faster, so all we need to do is to keep on giving it our all and hope that it goes well".



Welcome Mini Signorini!

Last thing Sunday emotions were very high on board "Telefónica" and all because of a special email sent through announcing the birth of Joca Signorini's baby daughter: "Having a baby is always something fantastic, as today is for Joca", said the Spanish skipper. "He's been waiting for this moment for so long! He'd been waiting for his wife to give birth in the stopover at Sanya, he went home and he was with her and unfortunately it didn't happen. I felt for him and for Lotta (Joca's wife) because I know how special this moment is for both of them, but we are here, racing, doing what we love to do and so both Joca and Lotta are happy".



Iker bid farewell saying: "I told him (Joca) that Lotta would recover well and that the baby will be fine. I can promise you that Joca is over the moon". Also in his daily report from the boat, Diego Fructuoso couldn't disguise the excitement at the eagerly awaited news and wrote: "At last we've got a new Team Telefónica fan, and in this case, she's a girl: last night Lotta, Joca's wife gave birth. We celebrated with a few drags on a "Habano" cigar that we'd brought with us for when we heard the news. She hasn't been named yet, so let's call her 'Mini Signorini'. Joca spoke to his wife and everything is perfect. Congratulations!".



PROVISIONAL RANKINGS LEG 4



SANYA (CHINA) – AUCKLAND (NEW ZEALAND): 5,220 miles



Day 8 – 10:00 UTC – 27th February 2012



1 Groupama Sailing Team (Franck Cammas), 3955.5 miles from finish

2 Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand (Chris Nicholson), +44.7 miles

3 Puma Ocean Racing (Ken Read), +62.1 miles

4 Team Telefónica (Iker Martínez), +74.3 miles

5 Team Sanya (Mike Sanderson), +82.3 miles

6 Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker), +93.9 miles

VOR | DEAD | CALM | STAGGERED

February 20, 2012 - 0030 UTC Leg 4, Stage 2 Day 1 STAGGERED START GIVES TELEFÓNICA EARLY ADVANTAGE ON LEG 4 STAGE 2

Overall Points 1 Team Telefónica 101 2 CAMPER with Emirates Team NZ 83 3 Groupama Sailing Team 73 4 PUMA Ocean Racing by BERG 53 5 Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 43 6 Team Sanya 17 Team Telefónica led the fleet out of Sanya and into the most challenging stretch of the race so far after giving themselves a slim advantage to take into Leg 4 Stage 2 on Monday. Race organisers split Leg 4 into two stages and held the fleet in Sanya for over 12 hours because of dangerous weather conditions in the South China Sea, with forecasts of waves breaking over eight metres. Leg 4 Stage 2, which will take the fleet over 5,220 nautical miles to Auckland in New Zealand, got underway at 0700 local time on Monday (2300 GMT/UTC on Sunday) and was staggered according to finishing times in Stage 1 along the Chinese coast. That gave Telefónica a two minute 32 second head start over Groupama sailing team, who placed second in the 43.2 nautical miles sprint, and an even bigger advantage over the rest of the fleet. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing started third, followed by Team Sanya, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand and finally PUMA who set off 39 minutes and 17 seconds after Telefónica. “No doubt there will be some very big leftover waves,” said Team Telefónica watch leader Neal McDonald. “Despite the wind being a more manageable breeze I suspect there will be boat breaking conditions and we’ll need to be careful.” Abu Dhabi skipper Ian Walker said his team had been especially careful in their preparations to make sure they were covered for the expected tough conditions. “We’re ready for this,” said the British skipper. “We’ve worked through what we think are our weak points and we’ve moded the boat a little bit differently for stronger air and upwind for this leg. “We’ve also made our life jackets more accessible and all our personal gear is set up for easy access in difficult conditions.’’ The fourth leg’s second stage is likely to prove the most tactically challenging of the race so far. Up to three weeks of testing sailing lie ahead of the six crews as they navigate their way through the South China Sea, out into the Philippine Sea, through the Doldrums and into the Tasman Sea. Summing up the leg, race meteorologist Gonzalo Infante said, “It is going to be very tricky with many unknowns due to the dynamic nature of this section of the world’s oceans. “From the tropics to the Tasman, the weather systems are fast moving and variable. It’s going to be one of the most tactical legs of the race so far with plenty of opportunities to reward bold tactical manoeuvres.” According to Infante perfect timing will be required over the first three days to negotiate the tricky stretch of the South China Sea between Sanya and the Strait of Luzon. Infante expects the extreme conditions of the previous few days to begin to lessen as the southerly located low dissipates over the next day or so. However, this could leave behind a difficult sea state making it imperative that the fleet makes it through the Strait of Luzon as quickly as possible to hook into stronger steadier breezes from a newly developing low pressure system to the north east. Infante says he sees a northerly route through the straits as the only viable option. “This way they can avoid the worst of the current, stay in the strongest breeze and avoid the chance of a wind shadow from the northerly tip of the Philippines,” he said. Once out of the strait the fleet could have an opportunity to set themselves up perfectly for some fast sailing in the north east trade winds by making early rapid progress to the east. "East is best," Infante said. "A well timed exit from the strait will enable the boats to take advantage of strong winds from a new, easterly moving low pressure system. “If they get it right it will be like taking an eastbound train to line up perfectly for the north east trade winds. "If they miss the train then they will be forced south closer to the island land masses of the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia where the trades are less stable and harder to predict." The current ETA for the arrival of the six teams in Auckland March 8.

VOR | NEW |WATCH | LEG FOUR

Watch live streaming video from volvooceanracesd at livestream.com

February 19, 2012 - 1500 CET

RACING SUSPENDED DUE TO WEATHER FOR FIRST TIME IN 39-YEAR HISTORY OF VOLVO OCEAN RACE TELEFÓNICA WILL START LEG TO AUCKLAND AHEAD, AFTER PUMA HIT TROUBLE; RESTART SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY MORNING IN SANYA Sanya, China – Overall race leaders Team Telefónica will enjoy a head start on their rivals when Leg 4 restarts on Monday after the Spanish team finished Sunday’s sail more than two minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, Groupama sailing team. Sunday’s racing, which marked the official start to Leg 4 from China to New Zealand, was cut short by race organizers who made the decision late Saturday night to contest only a 40-nautical mile sprint and keep the boats in Sanya overnight until Monday as a safety precaution. A weather system that includes winds over 40 knots and waves reaching 8 metres in height is forecast for the South China Sea on the route to Auckland early in the week and the delayed start lowers the risk of boats hitting monsoon-like conditions and a dangerous sea state. It is the first time in the 39-year history of the Volvo Ocean Race that the race has suspended or delayed off-shore racing. The race re-start is schedule for 0700 local in Sanya on Monday morning (2300 UTC) and will be staggered in the same order of finish based on Sunday’s sailing times. Iker Martínez’s Team Telefónica finished front of the pack again on Sunday after dominating Saturday’s Sanya Haitang Bay In-Port Race one day earlier. Groupama followed them into Sanya's marina 2 minutes 32 seconds behind, coming back after a mistake at the start line, while Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing also clawed their way back from last place during the day to cross the line in third. Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya had the fourth-best time on the day, while CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand finished fifth and will start Monday 9 minutes 32 seconds behind current leg leaders Telefónica. The biggest shock of the day was on board American-entry PUMA Ocean Racing powered by Berg, when their lead of more than a mile disappeared completely after sailing into a windless area shortly after starting the return stretch back to Sanya. They finished a massive 39 minutes 17 seconds back and will be the last boat to start Monday morning in the re-start.

VOR | PRO AM | SANYA

PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race

  

Team Telefónica continued their domination of the Volvo Ocean Race today as they edged out a victory in the Sanya Haitang In-Port Race, narrowly beating PUMA Ocean Racing to claim a maximum six points.

PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean RacePAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean RacePAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean RaceIAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean RaceIAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean RaceIAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race

"It was the second in-port victory in four races for Iker Martínez’s men, who have also won all three offshore legs"

It was the second in-port victory in four races for Iker Martínez’s men, who have also won all three offshore legs. Glory in Sanya Bay sees Telefónica extend their lead at the top of the overall standings to 18 points over CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, who could finish no better than fourth.

"Today the tactics were what made the difference," Martínez said. "We were really in the right place for the upwind legs and the first downwind too. Even if we weren't great at manouevres, we were in the right place and that's what mattered."

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG took second place with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing claiming the final podium position. After a slow first leg CAMPER pulled back places but could never get back in touch with the leaders.

"I think we did a really good job of it today," said PUMA skipper Ken Read. "In a fleet like this we'll take second every day of the week."

Mike Sanderson’s hometown heroes on Team Sanya fought an incredible battle but were just edged into sixth by Franck Cammas’ Groupama sailing team.

Flat waters and winds gusting up to 20 knots provided perfect conditions for the fourth in-port race of the 2011-12 edition, allowing the teams to put on a spectacular show for the thousands of spectators who turned out to watch the action.

Telefónica commanded the lead from the start, rounding the first mark with a 28-second lead over their rivals before a rare error at the second mark saw Ken Read’s PUMA close the gap to just three seconds.

However nothing could stop Telefónica romping to victory, eventually winning by a margin of 41 seconds.

The overall rankings remain unchanged. Telefónica now lead with 101 points, followed by CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand on 83 and Groupama sailing team on 73. PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG have 53, followed by Abu Dhabi on 43 and Team Sanya on 17.

Tomorrow sees the start of the 5,220 nautical mile Leg 4 from Sanya to Auckland at 1400 local time (0600 UTC). The leg start will be streamed live at www.volvooceanrace.com andwww.livestream.com/volvooceanrace.

Coverage will start 15 minutes prior to the race start.

Sanya Haitang Bay In-Port Race Blog

 

VOLVO OCEAN RACE NEWS : BRUTAL WEATHER IN STORE

February 16, 2012 BRUTAL WEATHER IN STORE AS TEAMS PREPARE TO RESUME RACING

Fierce conditions and the potential for more breakages will be on the minds of all six teams as they gear up for a return to competitive action with the Sanya Haitang Bay In-Port Race on February 18 and the start of Leg 4 to Auckland, New Zealand the next day. Saturday’s in-port starts at 1400 local time (0600 UTC) with near perfect winds and flat seas forecast for the 60 minute inshore course. The predicted conditions for Sunday’s Leg 4 start are in stark contrast with fierce monsoon winds kicking up a punishing sea state likely to give the fleet its toughest test to date as they funnel their way between Taiwan and the Philippine island of Luzon on the way to New Zealand. Race leaders Team Telefónica opted to miss today’s practice race to swap out their rigging after a routine check revealed a problem. The Spanish team’s decision ultimately cost them little in lost training time when light winds forced the abandonment of the practice race. Telefónica skipper Iker Martínez said the team were being cautious because of the forecast of strong winds and the fact that two boats lost their masts during Leg 1. “We want to be super safe," he said. "We found something that we didn’t like much so we’ve decided to replace the rigging for the next leg, and we have a spare rig here that we’ve used already and we’re very confident with.” Race meteorologist Gonzalo Infante is forecasting a monsoon to develop to the north of Taiwan resulting in north easterly winds of between 35 and 40 knots across the South China Sea over the weekend. Infante says Sanya Bay’s protection from the north east monsoon by mountains should mean conditions for the in-port race will be perfect with moderate winds and flat seas. Offshore it will be a very different story when the fleet sets off for Auckland the following day, potentially requiring the teams to resort to survival techniques to protect their boats from the huge waves. “Now only a very small area in the centre of the South China Sea is affected by big waves – from six to eight metres,” he said. “However, as we get closer to the start date, the affected area will grow until by Saturday the whole South China Sea will be affected by this sea state.” Team Telefónica take a 15-point lead over Chris Nicholson’s CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand into this weekend’s resumption of racing and will be keen to consolidate this with a repeat of their in-port race winning form in Cape Town before the start of Leg 2. Second placed CAMPER are yet to register a victory but according to team managing director Grant Dalton a strong performance on Saturday is vital if they are to close the gap on Telefónica. “First of all, we have to stop bleeding points inshore,” Dalton said. “We’ve bled enough offshore, we have to stop bleeding them inshore. “If Telefónica keep on going the way they are, we’re not going to beat them, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work that out.” Dalton, who won the race himself in 1981-82 and 1993-94, said the fourth leg to Auckland, which the Spanish-sponsored team counts as one of two bases, was also providing motivation. “Auckland is important for two reasons,” he said. "It’s important because there’s so much history of titanic struggles into Auckland -- the last three races I did we were never more than a couple of minutes apart the whole way – and it’s important for some of the guys because they’re coming home. “It’s both pressure and motivation. You’re motivated to sit on the rail for the last two and a half days if you have to.”

RC 44 | DAY | 5

RC44 | Highlights|DayThree

Camper VOR What do You DO

RC44| Aqua | Back

Aqua back on form Four back to back races at the RC44 Puerto Calero Cup shook up the leaderboard on a race track Michele Ivaldi (ITA) described as, “full of traps and important to keep an eye on the pressure to cope with the shifts.” With lighter winds forecast, the course was moved around the coast of Lanzarote to Puerto del Carmen, in sight of Lanzarote’s capital Arrecife. A weakened north-easterly gradient breeze, with the gusts topping just 12 knots, made for a very different days racing from the strong breezes that had dominated the event thus far. Team Aqua (GBR) was dominant. Three wins and one third place added just six points to the team’s score, taking them from sixth overnight, straight to the top of the leaderboard, five points clear of second placed Aleph Sailing Team (FRA). For the team that missed out on the podium at the RC44 World Championships in Lanzarote last November – the only podium they missed out on last season – it could not have gone better. “Today was a big day, we did a lot of things right and although we had some fairly tricky starts, Cameron (Appleton) was very much in phase with the wind, the teamwork was back on form. It was just a matter of not making any mistakes,” said Chris Bake, owner/driver, Team Aqua after a long day on the water. The only other team to win a race was AEZ, the Austrian team slotted in a 5, 1, 8, 3 score-line moving them from one-off the bottom of the leaderboard to seventh overall. Owner/Driver Rene Mangold was very satisfied with the team’s efforts. “It was a great day for us, we were a little bit unsure of how it would go as we hadn’t used the mainsail in light wind conditions, but it worked really well, much better than we expected. We’re improving all the time. We hope to build for the rest of the season, this is obviously our first regatta with Markus (Weiser), but we hope to keep this configuration and keep the performance and spirit high.” France’s Aleph Sailing Team did enough to stay in second overall. They started well with a second and fourth, before succumbing to their first double figure score of the series, an eleventh followed by a seventh. With no discards allowed at any RC44 Championship events, tomorrow will be all about consistency and the young French team are still well in with a chance of the clinching the trophy. Consistency is something Team Nika (RUS) need to fulfil their obvious potential on the race course. Often at the front of the fleet after the first lap, a penalty and difficult spinnaker drop regularly puts them to the back of the fleet. Owner Vladimir Prosikhin (RUS) explained their day. “We had a good first race. The second race could have been better; we got a penalty for tacking too close to the committee boat but recovered really well in to fifth or sixth place, then got another penalty! The third race we had a chance to win, but then lost by maybe five or ten metres, that was a real shame. Then the final race of the day was just bad!” The team finished the day in sixth overall, eleven points off of Artemis Racing in third place. Three races are planned for the final day of racing at the RC44 Puerto Calero Cup with the first warning signal due at 11.00 (GMT). Follow the racing on the live blog at www.rc44.com.

S.GATTINI | BORLENGHI | MONTECARLO

 STUDIO BORLENGHI: S.Gattini


@carloborlenghi.com