It’s tight at the top as Volvo Race crews cross Atlantic

Date Published: 24-May-2012

 IT was back to racing this week in the Volvo Ocean Race after the celebrations concluded in Miami – and even Galway City’s Mayor Hildegarde Naughton got in on the act as she was ceremonially thrown over the side as the Team Sanya boat left the harbour.

That was part of the publicity drive leading up to the race’s conclusion in Galway – and if the action on the water this week is matched in that final leg, we will be in for a treat. Race leaders Groupama and Telefónica have been trading first place since the weekend, with Telefónica finally reducing the French team’s lead to zero during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Groupama Media Crew Member Yann Riou expressed their frustration as their lead was whittled away – particularly given that they couldn’t actually see their rivals cutting that gap – and the team were tried to make sense of an increasingly complex weather scenario.

“All the expected weather systems are not in their normal place and the traditional strategies do not apply. Consequently the fleet has stuck to the direct route, as we all wait for opportunities to come up. There is an option of a very northerly route, which flirts with the ice gates. This cold option is always possible, but not certain.

“This part of the Atlantic is under the influence of the warmth of the Gulf Stream current, while to the west, next to the ice gates and Newfoundland 280 miles more to the North, there is the cold Labrador Current,” he explained.

Competition in the chasing pack on Leg 7 is equally tight as Puma defends the final podium spot from Abu Dhabi, Camper and Sanya – with all four separated by just over 20 nautical miles.

Groupama had eked out a two and a half nautical mile lead on Telefónica during the night, but by morning Telefónica had pulled back to within a fraction over one nautical mile of Groupama, while Puma had dropped three nautical miles further from the lead and just over one nautical mile ahead of Abu Dhabi.

Camper and Sanya remained in fifth and sixth, 36nm and 45nm off the lead respectively.