The leading four boat pack are turning in fast and furious performances as they scream through the huge waves of the South Pacific in more than 40 knots of wind at peak boat speeds over 30 knots.
“Crazy just doesn’t seem to be enough to describe it. Insane - yes it is, but still doesn’t describe it" Hamish Hooper - MCM, CAMPER
Three out of the four have clocked up 24 hour runs over 500 nautical miles (nm) with Chris Nicholson’s CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand pushing the hardest to rack up 530.97 nm in a 24 hour period.
This performance enabled CAMPER to overhaul Franck Cammas’ Groupama sailing team to take the leg lead as the fleet close in on the western edge of the ice exclusion zone.
However Nicholson said being in the lead or not meant little given the ferocious conditions and breakneck pace of the pack.
“I don’t feel comfortable talking about being in the lead right now because one slight problem it will evaporate in no time,” he said.
“It’s the age old question of just how hard do we push it? It is a very fine line.”
CAMPER Media Crew Member (MCM) Hamish Hooper said he was struggling to describe the conditions on board CAMPER as the crew drove the boat and themselves close to the limit.
“These conditions -- blowing up to 43 knots, averaging 24 knots but doing over 30 knots of boat speed at times while literally skimming up, down, over & through 7 metre waves in the freezing cold -- it feels and sounds like you are on an out of control freight train, travelling through time with a conductor who gets the accelerator and brakes mixed up,” Hooper wrote in his latest report from the boat.
“Crazy just doesn’t seem to be enough to describe it. Insane - yes it is, but still doesn’t describe it.
“Maybe just the fact that the guys are sailing this amazing yacht on the very edge of the limit in one of the most hostile and isolated places on earth and actually getting a massive thrill out of it.”
At 0700 UTC today CAMPER held a 11 nm lead over second placed Groupama with Ken Read’s PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG 17 nm back in third and Iker Martínez’s Team Telefónica in fourth just one nautical mile behind.
Way to the north in a separate weather system Ian Walker’s Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing remained in fifth 462 nm off the lead.
Meanwhile Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya continued to make progress back towards New Zealand after breaking a rudder and tearing a hole in the boat yesterday.
This performance enabled CAMPER to overhaul Franck Cammas’ Groupama sailing team to take the leg lead as the fleet close in on the western edge of the ice exclusion zone.
However Nicholson said being in the lead or not meant little given the ferocious conditions and breakneck pace of the pack.
“I don’t feel comfortable talking about being in the lead right now because one slight problem it will evaporate in no time,” he said.
“It’s the age old question of just how hard do we push it? It is a very fine line.”
CAMPER Media Crew Member (MCM) Hamish Hooper said he was struggling to describe the conditions on board CAMPER as the crew drove the boat and themselves close to the limit.
“These conditions -- blowing up to 43 knots, averaging 24 knots but doing over 30 knots of boat speed at times while literally skimming up, down, over & through 7 metre waves in the freezing cold -- it feels and sounds like you are on an out of control freight train, travelling through time with a conductor who gets the accelerator and brakes mixed up,” Hooper wrote in his latest report from the boat.
“Crazy just doesn’t seem to be enough to describe it. Insane - yes it is, but still doesn’t describe it.
“Maybe just the fact that the guys are sailing this amazing yacht on the very edge of the limit in one of the most hostile and isolated places on earth and actually getting a massive thrill out of it.”
At 0700 UTC today CAMPER held a 11 nm lead over second placed Groupama with Ken Read’s PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG 17 nm back in third and Iker Martínez’s Team Telefónica in fourth just one nautical mile behind.
Way to the north in a separate weather system Ian Walker’s Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing remained in fifth 462 nm off the lead.
Meanwhile Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya continued to make progress back towards New Zealand after breaking a rudder and tearing a hole in the boat yesterday.
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