CAMPER Ready To Take Brazil - Volvo Ocean Race Update

CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand rounded Cape Horn under the cover of darkness on Wednesday, marking a major milestone on their mission to complete Leg 5 to Itajaí, Brazil.

Photo: Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race

The CAMPER crew passed the cape at 0025 UTC, catching brief but poignant glimpses of the headland when the lighthouse flashed, Navigator Will Oxley said.

“We didn’t do much (to mark the occasion) because by that stage we were in to 25 to 30 knots, beam reaching, so it was fire-hose weather on deck,’’ he said. “We acknowledged we had passed it, spent a bit of time staring at a flashing light and got into focusing on the next landmark.”

Despite being unable to properly sight the cape, Media Crew Member Hamish Hooper said the team were nevertheless pleased to have passed one of the classic ocean racing waypoints.

“Unfortunately when we rounded it was dark, no moon to even lighten it for a slight sighting,’’ Hooper said.

“For some reason this doesn’t seem to bother me, more often than not it would with a landmark like this, but I guess it illustrates the relief and jubilation of finally making our way north out of the relentless Southern Ocean.”

Hooper along with helmsman/bowman Daryl Wislang and helmsman/trimmer Adam Minoprio were rounding Cape Horn for the first time, while helmsman/trimmer Tony Rae and co-skipper Stu Bannatyne, have passed the Cape four and seven times respectively.

Skipper Chris Nicholson said it was late in the year to be taking on Cape Horn, but having been delayed by structural damage which forced the team to suspend racing on April 3 and resume on April 8, there was little choice.

“Ideally you want to be doing this in February, but there have been a few little delays,’’ he said. “It’s been quite a marathon really for all of us in the team to get here at this stage. We would have done an extra 2,000 miles than everyone else, and taken 10 days longer.”

Since the rounding CAMPER have been battered by gusts in excess of 60 knots and are racing with a reefed mainsail and storm jib, Oxley said.

They have their sights firmly set on the Falkland Islands with an estimated time of arrival in Itajaí around the end of the week.

“Our plan is to pass to the east of the Falklands, try and use this wind to project us fairly quickly to the north east,’’ Oxley said. “We have our arrival some time around the 15th, but there are plenty of landmines between now and then.”

At 1300 UTC CAMPER had 1752 nautical miles remaining on the racetrack to Itajaí. If they successfully complete Leg 5 they will receive 15 points, and return to third place on the overall leaderboard.

Leg 5 11/04/2012 13:02:20 UTC DTL DTLC BS DTF 1 PUMA FIN 019d 18h 09m 50s 2 TELE FIN 019d 18h 22m 28s 3 GPMA FIN 023d 12h 58m 44s 4 CMPR 0.00 0 18.6 1752.8 - ADOR Did Not Finish - SNYA Did Not Finish

 Volvo Ocean Race Media