Monday 26 March 2012

This is the REAL South Pacific Sailing

Yesterday the leading 4 boats were really enjoying (or frightened?) by the ferocious winds and waves in the Southern Pacific that has made 2 more casualties. 


That leaves only 2 boats on this Leg 5 without serious damage. 
-Groupama is leading the South Pacific race and seems still to be unscaved , apart from some bruises for the crew. Also Groupama reported that they have reduced speed, in order to be able to safeguard the boat to reach Cape Horn safely. 
-Puma is trailing on short 50Nm and seems also still to have been spared serious damage. They are sailing about  same speed as Groupama, but now the wind has reduced to the high 20's , I guess that Puma will try to find a way passed. 
-Azzam, with early damage on a bulkhead have finished the repair alreay and now sailing as a healthy boat. However the repair, made them miss the stormy weather front and they are now trailing the leaders with some 1000 Nm. But with Camper going for repair and some ? on Telefonica, maybe Azzam still has a chance to join the Podium. 


Camper, had earlier some structural damage inside their bow. They slowed down for a repair and started sailing again. However the repair broke also and not the plan is to sail slowly and towards a Chile harbor on the West coast for repairs; estimated for maybe 3 days. 


Telefonica showed a short video, how she was hit by two successive big waves that tossed the crew members around on deck. The boat is pushed far over, but is erecting itself reasonably fast again. 


Telefonica reported some damage on the bow, but without details. Fact is that they have lowered the boatspeed and now trailing Puma with about 100Nm. 

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