Volvo Ocean Race- Telefonica leads around waypoint

by Volvo Ocean Race on 29 Jan 2012
Overall race leaders Team Telefónica were this morning back in charge of the second stage of Leg 3 as the teams lined up for a 'make or break' day’s racing through the Malacca Strait.

Telefónica had a tiny buffer of 0.4 nautical miles over second-placed Groupama sailing team at the 0700 UTC position report with Puma Ocean Racing 0.4 miles shy of the leaders. The three leading yachts were travelling at around 11-12kkts.

In a night of constant lead changes in downwind sailing conditions, the front three made a break after Camper and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing were snared in a windless hole close to the shore of Malaysia.

Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand media crew member Hamish Hooper described the situation as 'torture' as his teammates were forced to drop anchor to stop themselves drifting backwards.

'Right now is certainly no comfort as we are well and truly parked up,' Hooper said. 'We just had to drop anchor to stop drifting backwards. This is torture.'

Thirty-seven miles now separate Camper from the leading pack, with Sanya 134nm adrift. However camper and AbuDhabi are chasing hard and sailing at speeds of up to 16kts.

'Today could be the make or break day of this leg,' Puma’s MCM Amory Ross wrote this morning. 'Several major weather features have helped in splitting the fleet, and we find ourselves in a position that could see us go either way.

'There are so many variables at work, so many unpredictable factors, that even the positive developments of the last 18 hours might prove irrelevant. We have shipping lanes, fishing boats, nets, floating debris, currents, winds, squalls, and last but not least, exclusion zones to avoid.

'Between where we are now, and where we’ll be when we leave the Straits near Singapore, it’s a race course full of unexpected hazards.'

The leaders face at least another 24 hours in the Malacca Strait dodging unlit fishing boats, commercial ships and floating rubbish.

Editor's Update: Since this report was published, the first three boats have round the third waypoint, with a firther 12 to be passed, before they exit at Selia Island, beyond Singapore, and head for the finish off Sanya, China.