Groupama sailing team edged ahead of their biggest threat Team Telefónica overnight to claim first place as the pair’s fight for the overall lead intensifies on the Leg 8 race to Lorient.
The French team took the top spot at 2200 UTC to hold a most tenuous lead at 0500 UTC of 0.2 nautical miles.
While Groupama are fighting for a chance to retain the overall lead, which they have held since Leg 7, and race into their homeport of Lorient in first place, Telefónica are searching for redemption having failed to win a leg since Leg 3.
Just whose desire to win is strongest is yet to be seen, but one thing is for certain; they’re both prepared to put everything on the line for their chance at Volvo glory.
The remainder of the fleet’s positions remained unchanged overnight, at 0500 UTC with PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG were third, followed by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in fourth, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand fifth and Team Sanya sixth, more than 30 nm behind the leaders.
The wind is slowly easing as expected as the fleet close in to about 150 nautical miles of the turning mark at São Miguel island, where they will compress and the race will intensify under the pressure of the Azores High.
Ensuring the crews are rested and ready for the close-quarters scrap is a top priority, Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson said, with the temptation to work in overtime on what is the shortest leg yet proving appealing.
But the veteran of four Volvo Ocean Races said it was vital to keep fatigue at bay and ensure the sailors’ efficiency.
“Once we are settled and the stack is in place and we know we are setup correctly for a bit, we start the watches as soon as possible,” Sanderson said. “This gets the boys rested, fed and in a routine right away.”
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