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Making the most of the Doldrums

Tuesday 1 May 2012, 4:09PM

By Emirates Team New Zealand

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CAMPER at speed in the Doldrums.
CAMPER at speed in the Doldrums. Credit: Emirates Team New Zealand
It's all go aboard CAMPER during a tight duel with Telefonica.
It's all go aboard CAMPER during a tight duel with Telefonica. Credit: Emirates Team New Zealand

CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand is making the most of its fourth and final Doldrums crossing with the team making steady inroads on Puma’s lead, while pushing Telefonica back into third. 

Over the last 12 hours CAMPER has halved Puma’s lead and after days of being neck and neck with Telefonica has managed to consolidate a modest eight nautical mile (nm) advantage over them.

CAMPER has so far enjoyed the best Doldrums crossing of the top three boats with the team using the clouds to their advantage, and finding some favourable pressure that has delivered a speed edge of up to two knots at times over Puma and Telefonica.

However, despite the good crossing so far  a lot of work remains to be done says CAMPER co-skipper Stu Bannatyne.

“We are making our way towards Miami with good speed right now -- we have about 20 knots on the speedo at the moment and we are all very happy.

“The Doldrums have been very well behaved so far. There have been some clouds and thunderstorms clouds  but nothing too serious, we a pretty fortunate.

“Being this far west in the Atlantic is a lot kinder crossing I think. A few more miles and then we can say we are clear. Fingers crossed it stays as nice as it is right now.

“We have had Telefonica in sight for the last couple of days and it has certainly been some pretty close racing so it’s nice to finally put some miles on them.  We’ve also done a good job closing up on Puma but the reality is that one bad cloud can throw that out the window pretty quickly, so there is still plenty to play for.

“We will work hard over the next 24 hours  to get through the Doldrum area and into the next part of the race.  The trades are a bit messed up and at this time of year and it’s not uncommon to have a front push down from Florida and mess things up even more from the Bahamas onwards

“I remember finishing this race 10 years ago into Miami and we had all sorts of rain clouds and thunderstorms and there were a lot of place changes in that last 150 miles.

“So it is all still on the table at this point.”

CAMPER in the latest position report at 1400h 1 May NZT is in second place sailing at 20.5 knots in a 19 knot easterly.