SAILING. VOR2012, Leg 5 Day 1 – CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand are leading the fleet in a battle against more than 37-knot winds and six-metre seas on the brutal opening night of Leg 5 that has already forced Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing back to port with damage.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, skippered by Ian Walker from the UK in heavy weather, at the start of leg 5 from Auckland, New Zealand to Itajai, Brazil, during the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. (Photo © PAUL TODD/Volvo Ocean Race)

The fierce conditions caused by a tropical storm near New Zealand’s North Island are giving the teams no time to ease back into racing after the brief stopover in Auckland, and there is no relief in sight with the weather tipped to worsen to over the next 24 hours.

CAMPER navigator Will Oxley said the barometer on board the red boat was dropping and the sea state was building as the team prepared to batten down the hatches.

“It will be a long hard night ahead, it seems to be the norm to start each leg in particularly heinous conditions," he said.  “Hopefully we can continue our trend of starting well, but this time carry it on through the entire leg.”

Oxley said his team was able to navigate to their lead by weaving around Rakino Island, gaining an advantage from the tide. At 1300 UTC CAMPER held a 0.3 nautical mile lead over PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG.

Overall race leaders Team Telefónica were third, and the only team on a port tack heading southeasterly, while Leg 4 victors Groupama sailing team were in fourth place followed by Team Sanya in fifth, just three miles behind CAMPER.

The crew on board Abu Dhabi’s Azzam returned to Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour at 1030 UTC and were visibly disappointed as they threw their mooring lines to their waiting shore crew.

The team were forced to suspend racing at 0630 UTC, just five-and-a-half hours into the leg, after their Volvo Open 70 crashed off a steep wave and ripped a bulkhead in their bow, which secures a crucial heavy weather headsail, clean out.

Skipper Ian Walker described the situation as “not disastrous”, saying that if it had happened a week into the leg the team would have carried on.

However, given the team’s location Walker said it made sense to return for repairs especially as they needed a sound bulkhead to enable them to use their J4 sail, which will be needed for as much as 80 per cent of the Southern Ocean stretch.

“We discussed it and took the decision that we’re only 40 miles from Auckland, let’s come back and we’ll probably repair it quicker and better, and then we can get back out and try to catch everyone up,” he said.

Abu Dhabi team director Jamie Boag said he expected repairs to take about 24 hours.

“The guys are back here in one piece and the problem is pretty straightforward,’’ he said.  “They were so close to our big resources here in Auckland that I think they made the right decision to come back. We will try to get the boys turned round as quickly as we can and get them back in the race. It should be 24 to 30 hours or so.”

To Abu Dhabi’s advantage, the fleet will continue to battle against the massive low-pressure system and transition into survival mode as the wind peaks to in excess of 40 knots Volvo meteorologist Gonzalo Infante said.

The fleet is likely to continue to trek north where they will find the best escape route to survive the worst of the storm’s might in offshore waters away from the Continental Shelf and pick up northerly winds on the eastern section of the storm.

As for Abu Dhabi, they are likely to face tough conditions if they depart in 24 to 36 hours.  “It will not be an easy departure, they will have a south-east wind gusting up to 35 to 40 knots with steep waves,’’ Infante said.

Leg 5 is the longest leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. It takes the fleet on a 6,705 nm race through the Southern Ocean, around Cape Horn and on to Itajaí, Brazil where they are expected to finish in early April.

Volvo Ocean Race 2011 - 2012
March 18, 2012 - 1330 UTC

CAMPER ‘FLICK THE SWITCH’ WITH HOME WATERS IN-PORT WIN

SAILING. VOR2012, Auckland In-Port Race – Local heroes CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand stormed to victory in front of tens of thousands of ecstatic home fans in the Auckland In-Port Race on Saturday, giving them a first Volvo Ocean Race victory and ‘flicking a switch’ on their campaign.

Chris Nicholson’s men produced a dominant performance on the waters of Waitemata Harbour, taking the lead on the sprint to the first mark thanks to their decision to tack way out to shore and out of the strongest current, and then refusing to let go.

Fifty-four seconds after they heard the gun – and huge cheers from the crowd -- PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG crossed the line in second place ahead of Groupama sailing team following a terrific battle for the podium positions.

Behind them, Auckland-born skipper Mike Sanderson was also celebrating as Team Sanya finished the race in fourth, having out-manoeuvred Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in fifth and overall race leaders Team Telefónica in sixth.

Tens of thousands of people lined Auckland’s shoreline and packed hundreds of spectator boats to watch Auckland’s first Volvo Ocean Race action in 10 years – and a win for CAMPER, the Spanish-sponsored team who count Auckland as one of their two home ports, made the day all the more special.

“The one thing we said all week is how do we thank everyone who has supported us and I hope this goes a long way to doing it,” said CAMPER’s Australian skipper Chris Nicholson as his team moved back to within 18 points of the leaders. “It’s been a huge week of support and it’s helped.

“Now we’ve flicked the switch and we want this on the next leg.”

PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG got off to a flying start leading the boats over the line in 15-20 knots of easterly breeze but by the first turning mark CAMPER had snuck in front.

Groupama moved up into second but PUMA clawed their way back on the second upwind leg, overtaking Franck Cammas’ men to claim second and bank a vital five points.

“It was a lot of fun,” said PUMA skipper Ken Read. “We had a good start but CAMPER got the first shift and that’s all they needed.”

With Telefónica picking up just one point for sixth place, their stronghold on the overall leaderboard weakened.

“We had a pretty bad race,” said Telefónica skipper Iker Martínez. “We didn’t sail well, so it was a headache for us. It was pretty difficult. We didn’t have much room to play with out there."

Groupama moved to within 15 points of the overall leaders as they took home four points from the in-port race.

“Third is not so bad,” said Cammas. “We had a problem with the keel which lost us the 20-second advantage which we had over PUMA and PUMA took advantage well to overtake us. But apart from that we are happy with the race.”

Team Sanya scored their best result since the Iberdrola In-Port Race in Alicante, the first competitive racing of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race.

“That was awesome,” said Sanya’s local boy Sanderson. “We’re just so stoked to be in the race but that was one step better because we had a couple of boats behind us.”

The fleet now faces its biggest challenge yet when they set sail from Auckland at 1400 local time on Sunday – the Southern Ocean.

The 6,705 nautical mile sprint around Cape Horn and on to Itajaí in Brazil will see the teams dodging icebergs and huge storms.

“The Southern Ocean is a fearsome place and deserves a great deal of respect,” said Telefónica watch captain Neal McDonald. “Climbing Everest is not particularly risk free or glamorous but people want to do it for the challenge and it’s the same with the Southern Ocean.”

Waves of 12 metres and winds of up to 60 knots are forecast and teams will use night-vision goggles to try to spot icebergs at night.

Three new sailors join the fleet for Leg 5. Anthony Nossiter from Australia is joining Abu Dhabi to replace the outgoing trimmer/helmsman Justin Ferris, Finnish Olympic gold medal winner Thomas Johanson takes over for the leg from injured Kelvin Harrap on PUMA and Danish Olympic gold medallist Martin Kirketerp steps up for Leg 5 on Sanya for Ryan Houston who picked up a kidney infection.

Auckland In-Port Race results:
   1. CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand (60min 38sec) 6pts
   2. PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG (+0:54) 5pts
   3. Groupama sailing team (+1:26) 4pts
   4. Team Sanya (+2:20) 3pts
   5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (+2:52) 2 pts
   6. Team Telefónica (+3:27) 1 pts

Volvo Ocean Race 2011 - 2012
March 17, 2012 - 0330 UTC