Auckland to Fiji race....Howww

[PCP]

The race has not yet finished to a lot of boats, but the two first really were flying: A top monohull, the new VOR 70 Camper and an older multihull, a 60ft ORMA class boat, the old Geant, now TeamVodafone. They have followed different courses, more short to the VOR, with supposedly better wind but longer for the multihull.

On Camper they thought they were going to get it but a power final from team Vodafone left Team Emirates NZ close to a nervous breakdown. With only 22 mile to go team Emirates-NZ had a 2 nm lead but they were passed and end up 18m behind. That's what I call a power final from team Vodafone


YouTube - ‪NZL Yachting Trust Auckland to Musket Cove Ocean Race 2011 - The Start‬‏



The two yachts have been well separated for much of the 1,140nm Auckland to Fiji Race. At one stage Camper reported she had stretched out to be 174nm ahead of the ORMA60 trimaran, which was formerly Geant, winner of two trans-Atlantic races. ...

TeamVodafone Sailing followed her router-prescribed course to the east and separated from the rest of the fleet, led by Camper, with Emirates Team NZ's CEO Grant Dalton aboard.

TVS got stuck in light winds sailing for much of the time at 4-5kts, before getting a sniff if the SE Trades and cutting back onto the same direct line to Fiji as Camper.

The catch up started in earnest last night at 2200hrs when Camper still enjoyed a 100nm lead, which was erased in the space of 19-20 hours.

Speeds fluctuated over the final day with TVS being recorded as hitting speeds of 31.5kts but for much of the day she was sailing an average of 21.5kts compared to Camper's 17.7kts. In the final few hours of the race, TVS stepped up the pace staying over 25kts, with Camper hovering around the 18-20kt mark in the SE Trades.

The rest of the race fleet are still at sea, with third placed yacht on the water, the Bakewell-White design, Wired (Rob Bassett) still 320nm from the finish and sailing at just under 14kts.

Sail-World.com : Volvo Ocean Race: Camper has Fiji Race win stolen at the finish

Take a look at the race map:

Auckland to Musket Cove 2011 - Powered by Yellowbrick Tracking

Lot's of big boats still heading from Fiji and Camper is already back, way out in the Ocean, heading home That's a fast monohull!!