Please select your home edition
Edition
Selden 2020 - LEADERBOARD

Volvo Ocean Race- Setting a speed record of 39kts is not one you want

by Chris Nicholson on 17 Jun 2012
Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand blasting on the approach to the finish of Leg 8, from Lisbon, Portugal, to Lorient, France Paul Todd/Volvo Ocean Race http://www.volvooceanrace.com

Camper with Emirates Team NZ's skipper Chris Nicholson blogs from Lorient following the finish of Leg 8

Hi all,

What a leg! That would have to be some of the hardest sailing I’ve done and the most on the edge conditions we’ve seen in this race. The Southern Ocean was bad but what we had to deal with out there for the last 48 hours took it to another level.

The guys are all battered, bruised and absolutely exhausted. But we’re all in one piece, the boat is one piece, we set a new 24 hour distance record for the race and with our second place moved back onto the podium. All in all a good leg and result for the team.

The guys have been just amazing over this leg. We had no dramas all the way here and at times we had over 50 knots and massive seas. To finish second here and get ourselves back on the podium is massive for all sorts of reasons.


It gets us on a nice roll heading into the finish and it’s something positive for the team at a vital time. The sailing over the last few days has been hugely exciting and at times a bit scary so to take away the 24 hour record and a solid result is great.

We had to do well in this leg and we did. It shows the fighting spirit of this team – we don’t give up and we’ll keep fighting as long as there are points on offer. As a team we’ve had some pretty hard times but managed to stay motivated so it’s nice to see things coming together.

We knew we would be on the back foot from the beginning during this leg because of the long stretch of jib reaching down to the Azores, but then we knew there would be some chances in the low pressure.

The guys did a nice job of minimising the damage in that two sail reaching stage and then when the opportunities presented themselves in the low pressure we took them and got the results. We also showed that we’ve got real speed in downwind conditions.


When you find yourself in 45-50 knots you’re just trying to make it through in one piece – forget about the results, you just want to make it through the night, and we did it with good speed. Obviously, everybody is pushing to get here first, but when you look back at the conditions we had you’re just glad to get here in one piece.

When you’re sending it as hard as what we were it is pretty easy to do serious damage to boat and crew and finish in last place or worse, so I think we got the balance about right.

Everyone’s saying they have never been this knocked around. On the last night we had a few moments where we were going at 38 knots down waves in the dark – that’s not right. I think I got the record for top speed with 39 knots or so but trust me it’s not a record you want.


Looking at the race you have to think Groupama are in with a pretty good shot now for the overall title.
They have got an impressive programme, great speed and nice tactics. But we’re going to keep on pushing right to the very end and we’re certainly looking to forward the next in-port and leg and moving further up the leaderboard.

There are still plenty of points on offer and we intend to grab as many of them as possible. The boys are taking a well-earned break now and we’ll be back on deck next week for the in-port race ready to give it everything.

Talk soon

Nico

From www.etnzblog.com










Cyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERSydney International On-Water Boat Show 2025Allen Dynamic 40 Footer

Related Articles

2025 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship day 2
Intense Competition Continues The 2025 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship continued yesterday under ideal weather conditions and steady winds that enabled sailors to complete their qualifying races across all fleets.
Posted on 29 Oct
17th Transat Café L'or Day 4
Press Pause, Press Play The Class40 fleet on the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR are filing into La Coruña, led this morning by Corentin Douguet and Axel Tréhin (SNSM, Faites un don) at a little after 0800hrs UTC.
Posted on 29 Oct
Registration for 2026 Sardinia Cup now open
Pre-Notice of Race published today with full technical details for participants The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda has officially opened registrations for the Sardinia Cup 2026, taking place from 31 May to 7 June 2026.
Posted on 29 Oct
America's Cup: Four Challengers likely for Naples
NFL-style America's Cup vision faces first test as American Magic withdraws The decision by American Magic to not enter the America's Cup would seem to put the likely entries at the lower end of the 4-7 range. However the "No-Show" by American Magic will drop some hot talent into the market.
Posted on 29 Oct
Gitana 18: A New Chapter of Offshore Flight
The result of more than two years of design, construction and creative collaboration This December, the five-arrow fleet will welcome a new flagship: Gitana 18, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. This next-generation trimaran is the result of more than two years of design, construction and creative collaboration.
Posted on 29 Oct
17th Transat Café L'or Class 40 Leg 1 Finish
SNSM Faites un don! first Class 40 into La Coruña At 0805hrs UTC this Wednesday morning, Corentin Douguet and Axel Tréhin (SNSM Faites un don!) crossed the Class40 finish line first in La Coruña, for what has become the first leg of The TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandie double handed race.
Posted on 29 Oct
2025 IKA Youth Worlds at Praia da Vitoria Day 1
Young guns rise and fall on giant Atlantic swell Forty-seven riders from nineteen countries took to the Atlantic waters off the island of Terceira as the Formula Kite Youth World Championships got under way in the Azores.
Posted on 29 Oct
Sixt team leads 18ft Skiff Spring series
Pre-season preparation pays off for young team Pre-season preparation has played a big part in the early season success of the young Sixt 18ft skiff team in the Australian 18 Footers League's 2025 Spring Championship, sponsored by Sixt, currently being contested on Sydney Harbour.
Posted on 29 Oct
2025 J/70 Worlds at Buenos Aires day 1
71 teams hit the waters of the Río de la Plata In another first for the International J/70 Class, the 2025 World Championship kicked off Tuesday at Yacht Club Argentino. This is the 11th edition of the World Championship, but the first in South America.
Posted on 29 Oct
American Magic out of 38th America's Cup
Following a comprehensive review of the event's current Protocol and Partnership Agreement The decision follows a comprehensive review of the event's current Protocol and Partnership Agreement and their alignment with the team's long-term sporting and strategic objectives.
Posted on 28 Oct