VOR | STORMS | BREWING

At 1300 UTC Iker Martínez and his men, who won the first three offshore legs but have since slipped, held a narrow 1.1 nautical mile lead over Groupama following the first 24 hours' racing towards the turning mark of São Miguel island in the Azores.

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG were in third place followed by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, while Team Sanya rounded out the fleet on a more southerly course more than 26 nm behind.

Groupama lead Telefónica by eight points with two offshore legs and two in-port races to go in what is turning out to be the closest ever Volvo Ocean Race. PUMA are in third, 13 points off the lead, with CAMPER a further 10 points back. With 30 points going to the winner of each of the remaining offshore legs, there is still plenty of scope for lead changes.

Telefónica trimmer and Olympic gold medallist Xabi Fernández said the team were revelling in their return to a position at the front of the pack after a difficult run, but were under no illusion about the battle to come to remain there.

"We are still second overall and everything is still in our hands,'' said Fernández. "The only thing we can think about is to keep pushing, try to do a very nice leg and get back in the lead as soon as possible."

Fernández said the team had more to worry about than just Groupama, with third overall PUMA currently in third place and within sight on the race course.

Adding to the pressure is the knowledge that the fleet will compress as it nears São Miguel, which is situated in a notoriously windless area in the middle of the Azores High.

"You are always nervous when you go into a zone with no wind,'' Fernández said. "We will have a very hard 24 hours maybe tomorrow or the next day. It's clear that the first one going out of the light air is going to be the winner, or have a lot of chances, so we have to fight hard in the light air conditions."

Groupama are not only looking to defend their hard fought overall lead, they are also vying for an opportunity to race into their homeport of Lorient in first place.

Groupama Media Crew Member Yann Riou today reported that his team were focused on capitalising on the fast reaching conditions for which his team are famous for being quickest of the fleet.

"Of course it's a bit of a special leg on different levels,'' Riou said. "Its format is a bit different in terms of length, there is a lot at stake and we don't forget that this is bringing us home."

The game will change on Tuesday once the teams round São Miguel and switch from reaching to running conditions in a powerful low-pressure system that promises gale force winds in excess of 40 knots.

Abu Dhabi navigator Jules Salter said turning the corner could be likened to a second start and the race would again become wide open.

"It is going to be pretty exciting to see how we play that low and close we go to the centre of it,'' he said. "That will probably decide who wins this leg."

The latest ETA for the fleet's arrival in Lorient, France is on Friday.

All Pictures Courtesy Volvo Ocean Media Cover by iSail media 

Groupama | 400 | Cape Horn

Press release of the 29/03/20122012/03/29 - 17h15


At the gateway to deliverance

With less than 400 miles to go to reach Cape Horn, Groupama 4 is making fast headway towards South America, but the crew will have to link together a series of gybes before they make it through into the Atlantic. The sailing conditions have considerably improved and, if things pan out as they should, Franck Cammas and his men will be Cape Horners from daybreak local time, or early afternoon on Friday (European time).






Making landfall on the Chilean coast is already part of the programme and before sunset this Thursday the Andes cordillera will appear over the horizon! This will be the first land they've seen since setting out from Auckland, after twelve days at sea, nine of which have been particularly lively... Groupama 4 is in tip-top condition and the crew is benefiting from a slight `let-up' to lengthen their stride, without forcing either the machine or the men.

"It will be daybreak in about half an hour's time: right now, for the first time in a long while, we're sailing with 25 knots of WNW'ly wind, on considerably flatter seas. It's a lot less violent down below and on deck. We're beginning to slip along smoothly with a lot more sail up, even though we aren't carrying everything aloft again yet. We're heading towards the southern tip of South America, but not directly towards Cape Horn, since we'll have to gybe several times along the coast, a session which will probably start tonight. The north-westerly wind is set to kick back in with a punch and we should be able to make out land this Thursday afternoon (local time). It's very beautiful down here so we'll be able to do a spot of tourism..." indicated Franck Cammas during the noon radio session today.

The end of the very rough weather

The austral depression has done some damage and just half the fleet are still in a position to get the best out of their VO-70s. Groupama 4 has managed to negotiate this latest storm without mishap, despite it picking up very messy seas. Indeed, it was still making its presence felt this morning when it caused Abu Dhabi to crash tack with the sails backed and the keel on the wrong side... which just goes to show how violent the Pacific has been (and still is). It's the ability to temper this speed-safety ratio, which has been a real plus for the two leaders, who haven't sought to impose their authority at the head of the fleet and are simply focusing on sailing gently, without putting too much pressure on their machines.

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Volvo Ocean Race :Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing Back On The High Seas

@Paul Todd 

It’s day six for the fleet racing in the Volvo Ocean Race and the conditions are taking their toll with seasickness and tiredness setting in for the crews sailing out to the west. Inshore, Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA) continues to luck in, leading the fleet by 111.40 nautical miles (nm), while the rest of the fleet loses out.

The three boats to the west, led by Telefónica (Iker Martinez/ESP) with PUMA’s Mar Mostro (Ken Read/USA) just eight nm astern are currently sailing upwind and away from Fernando de Noronha, the mark of the course on the Brazilian coast that the fleet must leave to port, in order to reach a new low-pressure system. Once there, they will hook into the new breeze on the western side, avoiding the centre where there will be little or no wind, and speeds will start to clock up.

The on-going battle between PUMA’s Mar Mostro and Telefónica continues as they engage in their own private drag race, causing a frenzy of activity for each tack as gear and crew are stacked in the optimum position. The two boats are in sight of each other, which adds to the onboard competition.

It is hard for CAMPER (Chris Nicholson/AUS), who are on their own, 78 nm to the north. Nerves of steel are needed on board as the crew cling to their strategy to sail closer to the low-pressure system and meet the promised new wind.
Meanwhile, the crew of Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA) are relishing their lonely course 24 nm inshore.

They spent a magical night racing downwind under a full moon, no clouds and a balmy 20 degrees Celsius. The dream trip will be over if the weather gods kill what little is left of the trade winds, but for now the crew are enjoying themselves and last night they saw very clearly the lights of their former base camp in Lanzarote. Earlier this morning they gybed away from the Canary Island of Fuerteventura and they are now running parallel with the coast.

Discussions on board include how best to bridge across to the west and re-join the fleet. Earlier this morning, bowman Brad Marsh described this move as “similar to crossing a battlefield full of mines and bombs -- with surrounding trenches and gunfire from all angles”. But he added that Groupama sailing team are a band of smart and experienced Frenchmen who are confident in their battle plan.

Every position report tells a story. Will Groupama 4’s bold move pay off or is west still best? The crews wait in anticipation for the only source of information that gives the answer – at least temporarily.

Meanwhile, a long way behind, Abu Dhabi resumed racing this morning as they stepped tentatively back into Leg 1 with a replacement mast.

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VOR Update :Groupama Gamble pays off In shore

It’s losses all round tonight at 2200UTC as Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA) extends her lead.Telefónica with the Spanish super star Iker Martinez has lost 20 nautical miles (nm), PUMA’s Mar Mostro (Kenny Read/USA) 19 nm, and the worst casualty CAMPER (Chris Nicholson/AUS) has lost 24 nm. She’s now 105 nm in deficit and has only averaged 5.4 knots out to the west, while the French team is creaming along at 13.8 knots as the boat heads into fresher breeze on their inshore course. Telefónica and PUMA’s Mar Mostro are just a mile apart, still clinging tightly to each other and watching every move, while CAMPER is out of sight, 21 nm further west with Madeira 60 miles on their port beam. Groupama 4 has about 60 nm to sail before the French team reaches the Canary Island of Lanzarote. But, it’s going to be a long painful night for the three in the west until they reach Madeira and a potential change of fortune. Contacts ►

For more information on the Volvo Ocean Race please visit:www.volvooceanrace.com For media information on the Volvo Ocean Race, please contact: Sophie Luther – Communications Manager (travelling) Tel + 34 966 011 152 / Mob +34 606 894 940 sophie.luther@volvooceanrace.com Lizzie (Green) Ward – (UK) Mob +44 7801 185 320 lizzie.ward@volvooceanrace.com Christina Gaither- Press Assistant (Spanish language) Tel + 34 966 011 158 / Mob +34 676 675 931 christina.gaither@volvooceanrace.com Media Guide Download in English (38 MB) or read flip version online Images High resolution images can be downloaded fromhttp://images.volvooceanrace.com Tim Stonton, Picture Desk Manager (Spain) Tel +34 966 011 151 / Mob +34 606 905 497 tim.stonton@volvooceanrace.com Broadcast For video inquiries, please contact: television@volvooceanrace.com Please visit www.volvooceanrace.com/broadcastroomFor any assistance please contact: sonia.kannengiesser@synapticdigital.com  Radio For radio accreditation and requests please contact USP Content at:radio@volvooceanrace.com Media Zone  www.volvooceanrace.com/mediazone

Editors' Notes: The Volvo Ocean Race The Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 started on October 29 in Alicante, Spain and will finish in Galway, Ireland in July. The course of the race includes stopovers in Cape Town (South Africa), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sanya (China), Auckland (New Zealand), Itajaí (Brazil), Miami (USA), Lisbon (Portugal) and Lorient (France). The first race first took place 38 years ago (as the Whitbread Round the World Race 1973-74), testing the crews against some of the most ferocious elements that man can encounter. The 2011-12 race takes the teams over 39,000 nautical miles (45,000 miles or 72,000 kilometres).