Volvo Ocean Race- Fishing net gets between Camper and speed record

by Thomas Pryor on 25 Nov 2011
Camper - Emirates Team NZ report from the South Atlantic with only 1,000nm left to sail to the finish. At the current rate of progress that is just two days sailing! Here's the latest report, video and audio off the boat:

At the 1340 UTC report CAMPER showed 550.05 nm of distance sailed in the last 24 hr period, averaging 22.95 kts boatspeed, a fishing net caught around the keel slows CAMPER for an attempt on the 24 hour record. They are now blasting east at speeds in excess of 25 knots, the record remains very difficult to beat the record, but still possible. The crew are set for a full on 24 hours ahead as they sail into 40 knot conditions!

'We heard a large noise and the boat slowed down, It sounded like someone trying to suck a tank dry with a bilge pump. We looked around the boat trying to figure out what was going on. We have a device that we can stick down through a hole into the hull and look around. We could see there was something on the foils creating turbulence. We made the unpleasant decision to furl the sails and back the boat down – turn the boat into the wind and make it go backwards so the item could drop off the keel. Then we bore away and unfurled the sails and off we went. When it floated out of the back it looked like a large chunk of rope or fishing net that was certainly hampering our progress. We had to get rid of it but it did cost us time,' navigator Will Oxley Listen to full audio here

Interview with bowman Daryl Wislang (Day 19) by CAMPER ETNZ

MCM Hamish Hooper blog Day 19
Its been another chilly day on CAMPER today, even more so for the fact that as the low front builds behind us, so does our speed, and then so does the amount of freezing 12.8 degrees water across the entire deck.

Its pretty much every bit of warm kit on for the 4 hour watch, thermals, fleece pants & top, vests, mid layer jacket, survival suit beanie, gloves, the works. The guys come in almost frozen and pretty much take as little time as possible to get food into them and get into their sleeping bags. From sleeping without a sleeping bag for the bulk of this leg, they are now a very precious commodity with everyone sleeping fully inside them head covered and all, thermals and socks etc stay on 24hours a day, and the best way to dry out damp items of clothing it to put it under your mattress or inside you bag with you. I thought it was supposed to be summer down this side of the world!

Everyone is getting a bit sick of the food I think, I know I am, and probably most people would after nearly 20 days of the same stuff. As I was having my daily ration of 2-minute noodles and yet another can of tuna for dinner, Adam mentioned how good it will be to have a plate of proper food in front of us when we get to Cape Town. I told him I won’t know what to do with it, he said he will probably eat it so fast he will vomit- I actually think he will to.

I have been asked to make a statement; that there have been very strong undertones of disapproval, in fact more disbelief, coming from all corners of the boat that a particular moustache has been shaved for reasons that are simply unimaginable on this vessel. I will not name names, but there will be more to come of this indiscretion upon arrival into Cape Town, that much is for certain.

It has been a very fast and furious night, averaging 23.5 knots at times like being on a low flying aeroplane. With the speeds both Telefonica and we are doing, the runway into Cape Town isn’t too long. Right now its 1280 miles to the finish line, but then that is still long enough for anything to happen. CAMPER is pushing hard and will be all the way to Cape Town.

I think there will be just enough time to finish publishing everyone’s burger- here is Salty’s best effort
'The Salty Dog'
Garlic Herd Burger bun
Eye filet steak seasoned with rock salt (Medium Rare)
Caramalised Onion
Beetroot
Avocado
Rocket lettuce
Reduced Balsamic dressing



Bowman Daryl Wislang
'Yeah the temperature has come down a fair amount, we've got a water temperature of about 15 degrees right now and ranging from 22 - 25 knots of breeze so getting along pretty good and buckets of water over the deck. It's like someone just standing in front of you and throwing buckets of freezing cold water at your face! Four hours can be a long time but it makes it go pretty fast when you're just humming along at 24/ 25 knots of boat speed'.

How to follow the project:

Website: www.camper.com/volvoocenarace
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CAMPERwithEmiratesTeamNewZealand
Twitter: CAMPERETNZ
Flickr: CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand photostream
You Tube: www.youtube.com/Camper