New Caledonia Groupama Race - Bull Rush and Intelia out front

by Matthias Balagny on 11 Sep 2012 The 2012 New Caledonia Groupama Race is underway and 40 hours after the start, the New Zealand team, Bull Rush (Eliott 12) is at the head of the race; they are the first to have arrived in the extreme North of New Caledonia. At this point in time, they are abeam the wind; in about one hour’s time they will begin to run up towards Noumea.
 
They will be the first to change direction after 30 hours of running with the wind. The co-proprietor of the boat, Janine Robinson joined the crew of Bull Rush by phone yesterday, they mentioned surfing the waves at speeds between 18 to 23 knots, in a swell of approximately two metres, the crew completely soaked with the spray, conditions that doesn’t stop them from smiling, they added ‘everything is fine on board’.

In the category, compensated time, the honours, at the moment, go to Alan Quéré on ‘Intelia’. The crew stated at the start of the evening, that they were ‘organised and rested’ knowing that this second night at sea could be a decider. Surfing and gliding at 10 knots, they are the sixth boat to arrive at 2hrs in the Great Pass, a zone known for its strong currents, crossed sea, with a fauna often present where boats have often beaten their speed records, last year they played in the surf at more than 22 knots.

Weather conditions are stable during the night, with winds at 15 – 20 knots in the South/South East with a swell between 2 - 2.5m.

At this moment in time, seven boats are side by side. The New Zealand ‘Bull Rush’ is approximately 15 miles ahead, after that there are six boats side by side. Their distance from each other measuring their goal Noumea (330 miles), is inferior to five miles. Who will be the first at the exit of the Great Pass? To finish this tack of 30 miles and to race the last 300 miles beating the wind before re-joining the CNC?

Classification at 4h00 Monday 10 September:

Real Time

1. Bull Rush
2. Silhouette et Frimousse-Pacific Charter
3. X3 - Mange Mieux Bouge Plus
4. Away Again Province Nord
5. Intelia Legacy
6. BMW EfficientDynamics
7. Pao Production Chairman
8. BCI Radical Concept
9. XLR8 Arthur Bonnet
10. Lagoon Ozone Speed Marine
11. 41Sud Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes
12. Speedmarine
13. Bell&Ross Jolie Brise
14. Windmills
15. Internautic 6
16. Lapita Team Aus
17. Gummo Nautile
18. GFC Forasol
19. Beale
20. Ilbidun Lau (abandon)

Compensated Time

1. Intelia
2. BCI Radical Concept
3. Pao Production Chairman
4. X3 Mange Mieux Bouge Plus
5. Bull Rush
6. Away Again Province Nord
7. XLR8 Arthur Bonnet
8. Lagoon Ozone
9. Windmills
10. Silhouette et Frimousse-Pacific Charter
11. 41 Sud Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes
12. Gummo Nautile
13. Lapita Team Aus
14. BMW EfficientDynamics
15. Bell&Ross Jolie Brise
16. Internautic 6
17. Speed Marine
18. Beale
19. GFC Forasol
20. Ilbidun Lau (abandon)

Note: The Ilbidun Lau has had to abandon after damaging her rudder. Aboard, everyone is fine, the boat is at the moment being towed back by the SNSM, from the South of the ‘La Grand Terre’ and is expected to join Noumea during the course of the morning.

www.groupamarace.nc [Sorry, this link had a problem]_Caledonia_Groupama_Race_website [Sorry, this link had a problem]