Just 27 NM's To Go For CAMPER - Volvo Ocean Race Update

The CAMPER crew is too excited to sleep as the navigation table fills with paper charts of the Itajaí finish, now less than 50 nautical miles away, and the team prepare their clean clothes, saved especially for the arrival.

Photo: Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race

The team have averaged 14 knots and covered 240 nm in the past 24 hours, but at 0700 UTC they were slowing in the expected lull near Florianopolis about 45 nm from the finish.

Photo: Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race

After 31 days racing, including a five day pit-stop at the Chilean port of Puerto Montt for structural repairs on April 3, the team are finally set to conclude their epic Leg 5 race from one of their home ports, Auckland, to Itajaí, Brazil.

Photo: Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race

Media Crew Member Hamish Hooper said the anticipation of getting to port was greater than it had been on any pervious leg.

“There hasn’t been a lot of sleep on the off-watches by the guys, such is the anticipation of getting to shore and meeting our loved ones, fresh off their own long haul trips from around the world,’’ Hooper said on Tuesday morning.

Photo: Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race

“A sure sign we are nearing the finish of the leg, Will (Oxley) had his navigational charts scattered over the engine box searching for the ones necessary for our approach to Itajaí.

“At the same time Chuny (Roberto Bermudez de Castro) was digging through his gear pack and picking out his especially vacuum packed shorts and tee shirt labeled ‘arrival’.”

Photo: Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race

Should the team successfully finish they will collect 15 points that will return them to third place on the overall leaderboard. Co-skipper Stu Bannatyne said his team had done exactly what the race demands of teams.

Photo: Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race

“That’s what this race is all about; collecting points as best as you can, and no points come easy in this race and this leg has been a classic example of that,” he said.

Race Data Report time: Tue, 17 Apr 2012, 9:05:08 UTC

Pos	Team		DTL (Nm)	DTLC (Nm)	Speed (KTS)	DTF (Nm)
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	10.5	27.1
-		ADOR	Did Not Finish
-		SNYA	Did Not Finish

Volvo Ocean Race Media