PUMA Secure Galway In-shore Series

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A PUMA team decked out in Irish rugby shirts rounded off the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 in style on Saturday, securing victory in the in-shore series with a win on the waters of Galway watched by tens of thousands of race-mad fans.

Ken Read’s team scored a commanding first place in the Discover Ireland In-Port Race, their ninth podium finish of the 10-race inshore series and a first victory.

An electrifying scrap for second between CAMPER and Groupama saw the two teams virtually inseparable right to the end of the 8.2-nautical mile course with Chris Nicholson's team stealing the runners-up prize on the day, and in the series as a whole.

A last-minute comeback from Telefónica saw them steal the final podium position from Groupama on Saturday, but fourth was enough to give the French team third overall in the inshore series.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing finished fifth ahead of Team Sanya.

“It tastes very sweet,” said PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG skipper Ken Read who punched the air in delight as he steered Mar Mostro over the finish line.

“To race against the best sailors in the world and come out on top is all we can ask for.”

A third place in the inshore series rounded off a fantastic Volvo Ocean Race debut for Franck Cammas' crew on Groupama 4, cementing their reputation as one of the slickest teams in the race in whether racing offshore or around a short course.

“For sure it is a big dream – it's a great feeling for everyone,” Cammas said ahead of a special prize-giving which will see him hold up the newly designed Volvo Ocean Race Trophy. “We did not expect it so it's a big surprise, but it's a good one.

“I think the secret was that we were outsiders at the beginning and we were forced to learn all the time. We had to learn to race against the best crews in the world and eventually it got easier. We made mistakes at the start but all the time we tried to get better, right until the finish in Galway.”

The thousands of spectators who turned out in force to watch the grand finale were treated to a thrilling start, with CAMPER and Abu Dhabi leading through the downwind line as the fleet split towards the first mark in 12 to 16 knots from the north north-west.

Both teams picked the right-hand side along with Telefónica, but it was the boats in the other group – PUMA and overall race winners Groupama sailing team – who led round the first mark.

A penalty for obstructing Sanya saw Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing crew relegated to sixth, as PUMA, Groupama and CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand fought it out at the head of the fleet.

By the fourth mark the PUMA crew had eked out a 26-second lead, challenging Groupama and CAMPER to pull out something special to catch them.

Meanwhile Sanya and Telefónica locked horns in pursuit of fourth while Abu Dhabi tried to reduce the huge deficit caused by their penalty.

Driven to score their first in-port win, there was no stopping PUMA as a flawless performance saw them extended their lead, holding on to take the win around the 8.2 nautical mile course by one minute and 19 seconds and secure the overall in-port title.

CAMPER's second in the inshore series rounded off a successful Volvo Ocean Race campaign which also saw them take second in the overall rankings.

“This race is the easiest race in the world to lose,” said skipper Nicholson, “so to be runner up when we've had quite a few troubles on the way is great. We've shown a lot of character along the way.”

The 2011-12 edition was always tipped to be the closest edition in 39 years of the event and it didn't disappoint.

Groupama, the first French team to compete since Eric Tabarly's La Poste crew in 1993-94, finally secured victory with a second-place finish in Leg 9 from Lorient to Galway.

Telefónica, led by Spanish Olympic gold medallist Iker Martínez, won the first three legs but a string of disappointing results saw them finish in fourth overall.

The next edition of the race will start in 2014 and will be raced in 65ft one-design boats from Farr Yacht Design.

Results of Discover Ireland In-Port Race, Galway:

1. PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG 53 minutes 12 seconds 

2. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand + 1:19

3. Team Telefónica: + 1:56

4. Groupama sailing team: + 2:29

5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing: +4:00

6. Team Sanya: +4:32

Puma First Past Fastnet Rock

Photo: Ian Romano

PUMA led the fleet on the rounding of the iconic Fastnet Rock at 1031 UTC on Monday, marking the final 150 nautical mile stretch to the finish at Galway, Ireland, where the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 race will be decided.

The final offshore leg has seen some of the closest racing yet, with the top four teams on the overall leaderboard Groupama, PUMA, CAMPER and Telefónica each switching the role of leader since the race started from Lorient, France, on Sunday.

Just six minutes separated the top four around Fastnet Rock and at 1400 UTC with 113 nautical miles remaining it was PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG who held the narrowest of advantages over Team Telefónica, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, Groupama sailing team, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Sanya.

“The motivation is still there,” said PUMA bowman Casey Smith. “We’re racing hard, we’ve got all the boats around us, and we’re not going to let them get past.”

Fourth place would be enough to give Groupama overall victory from their first appearance in the race, though with conditions still far from easy nothing is certain for Franck Cammas’ team.

“No one is giving an inch,’’ CAMPER navigator Will Oxley said after a cold, rough and uncomfortable night’s sailing in the English Channel, which has pushed each crew to the limit as they fight to pour every ounce of their flagging energy into the final day’s racing and keep their winning ambitions alive.

“This leg and this Volvo race is going to come down to the wire.”

Abu Dhabi still have ambitions of winning the in-port series although their hopes of overall victory were ended by damage to their boat some time ago -- and they were struggling for speed again on Monday with suspected keel damage.

“We normally struggle a bit, but now we’re struggling a lot,’’ skipper Ian Walker said. “I suspect we’ve got some damage to our keel, but there’s no way to find out till Galway.”

Sanya are eager to gain a place on the podium before the race is out and at 1400 UTC they remained in touch with the leaders, just behind Abu Dhabi.

Though the miles are decreasing the level of difficulty is not. After rounding Fastnet Rock, the most southerly tip of Ireland, the fleet sailed head first into westerly winds gusting in excess of 25 knots.

Proving key on the remaining course is the gybe that the teams will have to measure-up near the entry to Galway and a potential light wind approach, Volvo meteorologist Gonzalo Infante said.

“The leg could be won or lost on the back of how the teams play a critical gybe later today,” he said. “This gybe will set their layline to the waypoint at Inishmore Island off the coast of Galway, and if they get it wrong it could cost time and distance.

“There could also be opportunities for gains and losses in the final 30 nautical miles from Inishmore to the finish because a warm front passing over the area is causing unpredictable rain and light winds, likely less than 10 knots.”

The latest ETA for the arrival of the first team in Galway is between 0300 and 0500 UTC.

PUMA Consider Lisbon Plan

With only 65 nautical miles separating first and last in the Leg 7 race to Lisbon, second place PUMA are asking should they play the offensive or defensive game as the pressure mounts over the remaining 500 nm to Lisbon.

Overnight, PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG remained about 30 nm behind longstanding leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, while Groupama held third place and Team Telefónica jumped ahead of CAMPER to claim fourth.

PUMA Media Crew Member Amory Ross said nerves were running high with the team realising that others, including Telefóinca, Groupama, CAMPER and Sanya, were “cutting the corner” to Lisbon.

But, with Abu Dhabi just 29 nm ahead at 0400 UTC, the PUMA crew were torn between where they should be focusing their attention - - ahead, or behind.

The situation is only complicated by the long-dreaded ridge that lies about 100 miles off Lisbon’s coast, which will bring the fleet to a screeching halt and potentially cause chaos amongst the leg standings, Ross said.

“Abu Dhabi has always been in our sights, but we’re clearly more invested in the guys nibbling at our tail; there is more to lose against them than there is to gain against Abu Dhabi.

“The question remains: do we approach the remaining miles on the defensive or on the offensive?

“Some of the trailing boats appear to be cutting the corner to Lisbon, sailing fewer miles certainly has its merits, but Tom (Addis) is confident in our approach to this windless ridge and that deserves proper consideration, too.”

Meanwhile, on board CAMPER the team were feeling a little robbed having been knocked to fifth place by overall race leaders Team Telefónica at 1900 UTC.

Skipper Chris Nicholson said it was now a case of working hard to be close to the fleet when they “park up” in the ridge, and then negotiating whether to take a north or south route around those ahead.

“We have got a lot of work to do,’’ Nicholson said. “It feels wrong for us to still end up in fifth spot so we need to pull something out of the bag.”

Weather Split Could Change Lead

Nick Dana/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing/

Overall race leaders Team Telefónica extended their Leg 7 advantage to nine nautical miles on Thursday, as a pair of high pressure systems threatened to create a north-south split in the fleet.

However at 1300 UTC both Telefónica and second placed Groupama were being closed down by rapidly charging third and fourth placed Abu Dhabi and PUMA, 18 and 21 nautical miles (nm) behind respectively. Fifth placed CAMPER were the biggest gainers, taking 41 nm out of their distance to lead total. Sixth place team Sanya also closed up significantly, moving to within 66 nm of the lead.

Having missed an opportunity to hook into an easterly moving cold front, the crews now have no option but to head north to swerve around the semi-permanent Azores High weather system, Race meteorologist Gonzalo Infante said.

The split could come as the teams negotiate a new high pressure that is also moving east from Newfoundland, with PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand and Team Sanya looking more likely to choose the northerly option, skirting closest to the ice exclusion zone put in place by the race organisers.

“They will likely head around the top of the new high, mostly in downwind conditions,” Infante said, adding that Telefónica, Groupama sailing team and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing were more likely to stay south and sail upwind through the bottom of the high before the boats converged again in around five days' time.

Telefónica navigator Andrew Cape said that given the unpredictability of the weather, the Spanish team had been focusing primarily on maximising their boat speed.

“It’s been a funny old weather pattern out here,” Cape said. “It’s been pretty patchy, so we’ve just sailed the boat as hard as we could.

“We did have to do a lot of sail changes. I don’t think there was a watch where there wasn’t a sail change, but the guys are just so keen to do whatever it takes to get to the front and they’ve been rewarded for that. It’s all good news.”

Cape said the coming days could easily undo all their good work but declared himself content with their positioning.

“There’s too many little tricks up ahead to know what’s going to happen but we’ll keep pushing, and we’re very happy,” he said. “It will be very interesting. We’re certainly where we want to be and hopefully it will all come together from here."

Team Sanya watch captain Richard Mason believes the northerly option to be the safest route through the high pressure systems and expects his team to head that way for around a day and a half to avoid the clutches of the light wind zone.

“There was a chance that on the easterly route we’d have been able to nip through the high, but that chance disappeared,” Mason said. “So now we have to find a safe way to get north, wait for the high to redevelop and scoot round the top of it. Anyway, that’s what we think is going to happen.”

Mason said the Sanya crew welcomed the onset of unstable conditions which could give them a chance to steal a march on the fleet from behind.

“It does present plenty of options and we have managed to pull a few miles back on the guys in front which is always heartening,” he said.

“We don’t see the forecast as a problem as such as it creates a lot of opportunities. We just need to pick our way through and turn them to our advantage.

“The guys at the front are constantly looking over their shoulders and will be looking to cover one another. They’re not going to be too worried about us if we go off in a different direction and bang the corner.”

Abu Dhabi skipper Ian Walker said hopes of a direct route to Lisbon had now evaporated with the arrival of the new high pressure from the north.

“It was a dream scenario -- a very direct and downwind route that avoided the ice gates to the north,” Walker said. “Sadly, reality is now being faced by the fleet as we gybe north one by one.

“Ahead of us we face a very light wind high pressure zone to cross, a day of upwind sailing, much colder temperatures and a few more days at sea.”

Walker said there could well be a leg leaderboard reshuffle coming.

“I suspect we could see a real shake up in the standings with some big gains and losses,” he said. “The navigators and skippers will have their hands full as this tricky and rapidly evolving weather unfolds in front of them.

“All of a sudden Lisbon feels a lot further away from us than it did 24 hours ago.”

Latest estimates have the leading boats arriving in Lisbon on or around May 31.

PUMA and Telefonica Close Gap

PUMA Enjoy Miami Welcome

PUMA's American skipper Ken Read enjoyed a glorious homecoming and a second consecutive leg win on Wednesday after an intense match race with close rivals CAMPER that has thrown the overall race wide open.

Read’s men crossed the Miami finish line at 1414 local time, 1814 UTC, with a lead of around five nautical miles over CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, who gave them a real scare over a fraught final 24 hours and at one point closed to within just 0.6 nm.

CAMPER crossed the finish line for second place just over an hour later, at 19:21:25 UTC.

PUMA’s valiant defence of their long-held lead, which they lost just briefly to CAMPER early in the 4,800 nm race from Itajaí, Brazil, has earned them 30 points and confirms them as serious trophy contenders with 147 overall.

“This is unbelievable,’’ Read said just minutes after crossing the line in the company of about 100 spectator boats. “It's great to be back in the United States, actually we've been to Miami before in this boat, so this marks our complete circumnavigation.

“It was touch and go, the guys on CAMPER sailed very well, but I couldn't be more proud of our team, they did an unbelievably great job.”

It is the fourth podum finish in six legs for PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG and confirms a major fightback since the team’s devastating retirement from Leg 1 with a broken mast.

CAMPER's second place earned them 25 points, taking their total to 149 points.

Skipper Chris Nicholson complimented his competitors on a hard fought victory against his team who are gaining form ahead of Leg 7.

"It's been a long leg and PUMA have sailed very nicely, they have defended very well, but I think we have attacked well too,’’ he said. “I'm pretty happy with how it's gone. We're in better shape now for the next leg.”

The finish marks a major shift on the overall race leader board that threatens Team Telefónica’s grip, with their 16-point lead set to decrease by at least one, but potentially five points.

The Spanish team are still on the race track tussling with Groupama sailing team for the remaining podium finish, with an ETA of 0300 UTC. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are expected at about 0800 UTC on Thursday.

OSM news service

CAMPER Still Seeks Puma Chance

Hamish McRae

CAMPER navigator Will Oxley said this morning that the Gulf Stream and the potential for thunderstorms on the approach to Miami could still create a chance to overtake PUMA.

Leg 6 of Volvo Ocean Heats up

With under 350 miles to go to the Leg 6 finish, CAMPER were hoping on Tuesday that the fight for the lead was now solely between them and PUMA – but after stealing third and catching up more than 30 miles in the last 24 hours, Groupama had other ideas.

“From a situation where we were at the end of the fleet with another boat at a rather big distance from the head of the fleet, we are now fighting for the third place” - Yann Riou, Groupama

CAMPER were still around 11 miles adrift of PUMA at 0700 UTC as they passed east of the Bahamas, and with winds and boat speeds back up to around 10 knots, the two frontrunners were afforded some temporary relief from Groupama’s rapid advance.

However, after watching Telefónica drop away into fourth after sailing into a wind hole, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand media crew member Hamish Hooper said the team were all too aware of the pitfalls of the final few days.

“We are hoping that this leg has now turned into a two-boat match race, but like we saw Telefónica drop so many miles the other night, nothing is given and wont be until the finish line is crossed,” he said. “This will be a very long 48 hours or so until then.”

Meanwhile, Groupama sailing team’s spirits have rocketed with the realisation that they are back in the race.

“From a situation where we were at the end of the fleet with another boat at a rather big distance from the head of the fleet, we are now fighting for the third place,” said media crew member Yann Riou.

“And not with anyone,… with the overall leader. The two leading boats are not so far either.

“It is awfully good for the spirit. It was beginning to hitch a bit to be at the end of the fleet the past two weeks.

“Now, everything is possible. On paper, it will be difficult for us to come back on the two leading boats, strongly ahead of us right in our line.

“But the road to Miami is full of pitfalls. Areas of light wind, islands to be rounded, algae that get stuck in... So we'll have to keep sailing at our best, while being opportunistic.”

Even an 11-mile lead wasn't enough to calm nerves on first-placed PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG.

"With just 350 miles to go it would be easy to overlook the remaining distance, but nobody seems to be making that mistake," PUMA's MCM Amory Ross said.

"The proper mindset, and one we’re all emphasizing, is that each mile is just as important as the next. Don’t look too far beyond the horizon because this race is far from over!"

Telefónica were 66 miles behind PUMA at 0700 having pulled back eight miles between position reports, and were the joint-fastest boat in the fleet along with Groupama with an average speed of 11 knots.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing were just under 40 miles further back, the slowest boat doing 7.5 knots.

OSM news service

Little Change in Volvo Leg 6

It was a case of enjoy the good times while they last on Thursday, with the Volvo Ocean Race teams revelling in boat speeds of up to 30 knots as light winds up ahead threatened to bring the rapid progress of the past few days to a grinding halt.

"We’re not going anywhere. We’re planning on being here right to the death on this one” - Chris Nicholson, CAMPER

PUMA Fights off Advances

PHOTO: Amory Ross

Leg 6 leaders PUMA have been fighting off the advances of second placed CAMPER and third placed Telefónica, virtually from the moment the fleet left Brazil for Miami.

No matter how hard they try, escaping the clutches of the chasing duo has proved impossible. By 1600 UTC today just six nautical miles (nm) separated the top three boats.

Media Crew Member (MCM) Amory Ross said after such a prolonged battle the PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG team were now getting used to living in such close company with their rivals.

“At least today we were ready for it!” Ross wrote in his latest report from the boat. “Sunrise this morning brought the familiar sight of CAMPER on the horizon, and sure enough, they only got bigger.

“Then came Telefónica just before sundown. So here we sit, three’s company, all lined up after 10 days of great racing.

Ross confessed that being under such pressure to perform added an extra thrill to leading the fleet on Leg 6.

“As nice as it’s been out in front, there’s a certain excitement that comes from having other boats in clear sight,” he said. “Not that this leg has been boring, but more than a week on the same tack in similar conditions gets extremely repetitive.

“It’s fun to have something to disrupt the monotony and it sure helps to pass the time too.”

However, Ross said the trade wind sailing the fleet is expected to have for the next few days could favour CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand and Team Telefónica, as PUMA’s Mar Mostro is better suited to lighter upwind conditions.

“Every boat has design strengths and weaknesses that favour certain wind speeds, sailing angles and sea states,” he said. “Today marked a clear transition from one to another.

“Finally gone (knock on wood) are the dismal Doldrums and the volatile conditions that they can create, and arrived are the first hints of true trade wind sailing and 20 plus knot winds.

“But Mar Mostro tends to thrive in lighter conditions and now we’re moving away from that; maybe towards a windier corner that suits the design of CAMPER or Telefónica a little better.

“It’s impossible to know for sure though, so all we can do is focus on making our boat go as fast as possible in the building breeze."

Ross said despite the other two teams being so close, the PUMA crew had nevertheless chosen to sail their own race and trust in their ability and speed, rather than adopting a defensive strategy.

“With our two rivals in sight – even at night we can track their lights – we’re more or less back to the starting gates,” he said. “It would be easy for us to change our strategy to defend against them, but it’s important to remember that we’re only just over halfway through this leg.

“We still need to sail our own race, plot our own course. There’s still a very long way to go until Miami.”

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PUMA Set Early Leg 6 Pace

Paul Todd

PUMA wasted no time in stamping their intentions to win the Leg 6 race to their home country, leading the fleet out of Itajaí and into the first few crucial days of the 4,800 nautical mile course to Miami.

After a six-leg inshore course off Itajaí’s coast in winds of 15-20 knots from the south, Puma Ocean Racing powered by BERG were followed around the final mark by Team Telefónica, CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Groupama sailing team.

The five teams are in hot-pursuit of the maximum 30 points, which could prove vital as overall leaders Telefónica hold just a 16-point lead over second-placed Groupama with four legs to go.

The fleet will face more moderate conditions than those encountered in previous leg starts, with 14 knots from the southeast creating perfect reaching conditions for the opening hours.

The conditions are likely to favour Groupama, who have proven time and time again that they are the team to beat on a reaching racetrack.

“We can enjoy this leg a lot, it has a lot of good conditions, a lot of reaching conditions,” Groupama skipper Franck Cammas said. “It’s good for the crew, it’s good for the boat, and I think we can manage this Volvo Open 70 very well in these conditions.”

But, with CAMPER on the hunt for their first offshore leg victory, no one can rest easy. Co-skipper Stu Bannatyne said his team mates were ready to rumble.

“It’s going to be a very tough leg, all the boats will be very tough to beat," the six-time Volvo veteran said. 

“It looks like a three-stage race with the beginning and end separated by trade winds in the middle. 

“We’re looking at an average of 14 days, about half the time we spent at sea on the last leg. We’re looking forward to it.”

The weather is expected to intensify as the crews near the South Brazil Bight, where a violent low-pressure system with wind in excess of 30 knots awaits.

There are plenty of other weather obstacles littering the course from Itajaí including tropical weather systems, strong currents and the dreaded Doldrums.

A tricky transition from the low-pressure system into the south-southeast trade winds will also be crucial.

The teams will have to weigh up whether they choose to chase the trade winds further offshore, or take advantage of a strong coastal current and sea breezes inshore in the race to the Caribbean.

The final 1,300 nm stage from the Caribbean to the Miami finish line could prove to be a drag race, but violent lows that develop in the Gulf of Mexico and north of Florida near Cape Hatteras could give rise to an overtaking lane.

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PUMA Clinch Leg 5 in Itajai

PUMA held firm in the face of a relentless attack from Telefónica to clinch an epic Leg 5 victory on Friday, crossing the finish line in Itajaí, Brazil with a slim winning margin after the Spanish team had threatened to complete one of the greatest sporting comebacks.

After more then 7,500 nautical miles of racing from Auckland, starting with a first-night battering as bad as any in the race’s history and on through brutal conditions in the Southern Ocean and around Cape Horn, PUMA’s Mar Mostro crossed the Itajaí finish in brilliant sunshine at 16:09:51 local time (19:09:51 UTC) to take their first victory of the 2011-12 edition.

Telefónica crossed at 16:22:29 local after their comeback came up just short.

Both PUMA and Telefónica received heroes' welcomes with an armada of spectator boats up to a hundred strong escorting them for the final 10 miles to the finish.

Ashore, crowds lined both sides of the river leading to the race village, where thousands more cheered and waved as the crews arrived at the dock.

Skippers Ken Read and Iker Martínez each paid tribute to the warmth of the welcome their teams had received.

"This is amazing," Martínez said on the dock as he waved to the cheering race fans. "So many people here for our arrival, such a surprise and such an honour."

"I want to thank everyone for coming to see us," Read told the crowd at the prizegiving ceremony. "Many of us have done a lot of Volvo Races but we have never received a welcome like this. You are the best. Thank you so much."

It was clear by Friday morning that Telefónica were going to give PUMA a real run for their money. A deficit that had stood at hundreds of nautical miles came all the way down to 10, then two and at one stage just 0.7 -- a little over a kilometre -- as Telefónica consistently enjoyed better breeze.

But crucially, while the breeze was light, it remained relatively stable and PUMA were able to avoid the sort of wind hole that cost them so dearly on the first stage of leg 4 from Sanya to Auckland.

Over the final 20 nm, skipper Ken Read kept his rivals at bay over a match race up the coast, putting his boat between Telefónica and flawlessly completing a series of gybes to ensure there would be no final heroics.

It was an extraordinary finish to the battle for first place in a leg that saw five of the six boats forced to stop for repairs.

Telefónica were 400 nm behind the leaders when they resumed racing following a pit stop to work on structural damage to their boat. They quickly began to reduce that gap and when Groupama were forced out following a dismasting they were suddenly in a two-way battle for first.

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG score 30 points for their win, taking their total to 113 points. It means they are just 34 points behind overall leaders Team Telefónica, despite having been forced to retire from Leg 1 because of a broken mast.

A mix of emotions from elation to relief was evident on the faces of the 11 crew on board PUMA as they celebrated their victory.

"I've never done such a tough offshore leg in my life," Read said moments after stepping shore. "We ran out of food a day and a half ago and it''s been pretty intense. Our hearts go out to the crews who have suffered damage. We know what that's like and it's even worse when it's in a place like the Southern Ocean."

PUMA have had a steady rise since the devastating blow of their broken mast on Leg 1. In the past four scoring events PUMA have finished second three times and now first, with real momentum with the American-based team as they head towards Leg 6 to Miami in the United States.

Puma Lead Down to Six Miles

Amory Ross

PUMA’s buffer over Telefónica was down to just six miles early on Friday as the pair prepared to enter the final 100 miles of Leg 5.

With the wind now behind the leading duo, boat speeds were up into the twenties as the dash to the finish line in Itajaí intensified.

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG still occupied the top spot at 0700 UTC but Telefónica had a slight edge over their rivals, sailing slightly quicker in a few knots more breeze directly south of the leaders.

PUMA media crewmember Amory Ross said while the leaders were concerned about Telefónica’s gains, there was little they could do to stop the advance.

“We’re doing our absolute best but there’s something very disconcerting about watching your lead evaporate sched by sched to a boat thriving in conditions we can’t reach,” he said.

“But therein lies the “bright side:” there is nothing we can really do about Telefónica, so we’ve been focusing on sailing our own boat as best we know how.

“We’re finally coming down, they’re finally coming up, and there’s a good chance sunrise tomorrow will bring some new company on the horizon.

“It’s going to make for a very exciting final day of racing!”

The estimated time of arrival for both teams is around 1600 UTC today.

Puma Push as Telefonica Attack

Leg 5 leaders PUMA are feeling the heat on Thursday, this time from overall leaders Telefónica, after their closest competitor Groupama suspended racing overnight with a broken mast.

At 0700 UTC on Thursday Ken Read’s PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG were within 465 nautical miles of the finish and held a 56 nm lead over Iker Martínez’s Team Telefónica.

PUMA are pushing hard to defend the relentless attack from Telefónica, who have clawed back from a 400 nautical mile deficit after suspending racing on March 31 for 17 hours to repair structural damage.

Media Crew Member Amory Ross said his PUMA teammates were feeling vulnerable, with Telefónica more than 100 nautical miles to the southeast and well out of range.

“Telefónica is very much a threat to our first leg win as they make their charge well to the east,’’ Ross said. “It is going to be very close, and it’s a strange feeling on board, as there is very little we can do to protect ourselves.

“There’s just no way to cover a boat that five days ago was 400 miles behind and at a dock. Incredible, really. Frustrating, absolutely. They’ve simply had better weather, weather we haven’t. And that’s continued all through today, too.”

Ross said navigator Tom Addis and Read were working on optimising the weather windows, and remained hopeful that the front that propelled Telefónica from Cape Horn would soon reach them.

But, with one routing model showing the two teams finishing within five minutes of each other, tension are mounting Ross said.

“We still have a race to win,’’ he said. “The pedal is on the floor and we’re pushing the crew and the boat at 100 per cent, there is no question or reason to do otherwise.

“We feel we deserve this one and are primed to do everything we can to make it so!”

PUMA trailed in second place when Groupama’s mast broke and the team suspended racing at 1542 UTC on Wednesday. Groupama skipper Franck Cammas today reported that his team planned to resume racing with a jury rig.

Team Telefonica Apply Pressure

The pressure on front pair Groupama and PUMA to defend their lead was mounting early on Wednesday after Team Telefónica closed in to less than 60 nautical miles.

“Today, our main concern is not our preoccupation of PUMA, but the return of a third competitor, which has begun to be quite worrying” - Yann Riou, Groupama

Iker Martinez’s crew started their fourth day of comeback more than a knot quicker than their rivals as they rode at the head of a weather front around 150 nm south east of the frontrunners.

Telefónica suspended racing at 0405 UTC on April 1 to fix structural problems, rejoining the race just 17 hours later.

Since then they have gone from being resigned to third place with a deficit of more than 400 nm to serious challengers for the Leg 5 win with just over 700 nm of racetrack remaining.

Their rapid advance has caused worry among the two front boats as they are forced to factor Telefónica’s challenge into their tactics.

“Today, our main concern is not our preoccupation of PUMA, but the return of a third competitor, which has begun to be quite worrying,” Groupama media crew member Yann Riou said.

“Indeed, Telefonica are coming back to the front of the race with a weather system tailored to their measure. To catch up over 350 miles including a technical stop, is saying that this is hand-sewn!

“We do not know yet how far they can go, but one thing for sure is that Franck (Cammas, skipper) and Jean-Luc (Nelias, navigator) are now forced to integrate it into their tactical choices.

“This session of match racing is finished!”

PUMA MCM Amory Ross said at some point today the breeze was due to swing behind them, allowing for fast downwind sailing towards the finish line in Itajaí.

But for now, the team has been left bashing north into a 20-knot headwind and big seas.

“It’s stirring some horrible memories of the start of this leg, memories none of us have yet had time to displace,” he said.

“The uncomfortable sound of a bashing boat is only going to make our limited sleeping hours that much tougher.

“The breeze is expected to go aft at some point and we should start reaching north towards Itajai.

“Then, and only then, will the 700-odd miles between us and Brazil start disappearing at a likeable rate!”

PUMA Back in Volvo Lead

photo : Amory Rosss

PUMA were back in the lead on Tuesday evening as the fist fight for fist place in Leg 5 continued with arch rivals Groupama –- while Telefónica ramped up their assault on the leading pair.

Constant lead changes have peppered the past few days of racing as PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG and Groupama sailing team exchange blows.

At 1900 UTC PUMA were back in front with a 0.1 nm lead after being overtaken around 15 hours earlier by the French attackers.

Meanwhile, Telefónica continued to close on the front two, narrowing the gap to 88 nautical miles.

Incredibly, just three days ago they were more than 400 nm behind.

CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand were around 25 miles from Puerto Montt in Chile where they will stop for repairs after suspending racing at 0130 UTC.

With just under 800 nm left to sail to the finish line in Itajaí, Brazil, the conclusion of Leg 5 was this evening far from decided.

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PUMA Win Leg 4 Speed Challenge

A 24-hour run of 527.8 nautical miles has earned Ken Read’s PUMA team the IWC Schaffhausen Speed Record Challenge award for Leg 4.

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG, who also set the best 24-hour distance in Leg 3, edged out leg winners Franck Cammas’ Groupama sailing team by five nautical miles to record the best Leg 4 day’s run on February 29.

Groupama claimed the Leg 2 top daily distance award when they clocked up 478 nm in the Indian Ocean on the way to then secret safe haven port in the Maldives.

However, Chris Nicholson’s CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand still hold the current race record after powering to 553 nm in a day on the first leg from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa.

CAMPER’s Leg 1 run was short of the world monohull 24-hour speed record of 596.6 nm set by Ericsson 4 during the 2008-09 race.

The team recording the greatest distance over a 24-hour period in each of the nine legs will receive an IWC Trophy.

The overall fastest time, over the entire eight months of the race, will land all 11 members of the winning crew with an IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12”.

Confidence is high that a new 24-hour race record could be set on Leg 5 when the boats take on the strong winds and big waves of the Southern Ocean on their way to Itajaí in Brazil.

Leg 4 best 24-hour distance from each team:

Puma 527.819 nautical miles

Groupama 522.394

Abu Dhabi 513.213

Telefonica 500.322

Camper 471.679

Sanya 482.95