The North Atlantic is a playing field that Franck Cammas/FRA and
Groupama sailing team know well and today they played Tropical Storm
Alberto to perfection, extending their lead by gybing at the critical
time.
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| Photo: Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/Volvo Ocean Race |
“We might actually be faster than this low,” said CAMPER
with Emirates Team New Zealand navigator Will Oxley earlier today. “If
it is stationary and we move off it won’t be so good. If it moves with
us we could see some fast 24-hour runs for sure. For now we’re
concentrating on this particular system – there’s another low ridge at
the end so there’s plenty of stuff going on. We don’t care how long the
leg takes as long as we’re first.”
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| Photo: Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race |
Earlier, Groupama and PUMA set
off down wind at high speeds while the chasing pack of four struggled
with upwind conditions. By 1900 GMT tonight, CAMPER with Emirates Team
New Zealand had risen to second position as PUMA Ocean Racing powered by
BERG paid heavily for an expensive hitch to the north, losing 24 nm in
the past three hour period.
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| Photo: Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race |
Although speeds have settled at around 18
knots for the leaders, the chasing pack of five in the Volvo Ocean Race
fleet have yet to engage in a really high-speed chase. Abu Dhabi
Ocean Racing’s skipper Ian Walker/GBR is looking for a break, although
spirits on board are high after winning the PortMiami in-port race on
Saturday.
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| Photo: Hamish Hooper/Camper ETNZ/Volvo Ocean Race |
“With a bit of luck we’ll be able to stay in the south
east quadrant of it [the storm], and, as the depression moves northeast
we can ride with it giving us a good angle up to the north east,” he
said. “It really then depends on whether we can stay with the depression
up towards the ice exclusion zone or whether we try to hop across the
Azores High. It’s all very uncertain at the moment.”
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| Photo: Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race |
At 1900 GMT,
Groupama led by 47.3 nm over CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand,
while the rest of the fleet struggled to keep pace. Mike Sanderson’s
Sanya suffered heavily, losing 35 nm and after just over 24 hours at
sea, the fleet is now split by 87.20 nm from Groupama in first, to Sanya
in sixth.
| Leg 7 |  |
21/05/2012 19:17:58 UTC
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