Past the 1000 mile mark
CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand has passed the 1000 mile mark to Puerto Montt and is fast approaching the pit stop to get the bow repaired and the boat back racing.
With downwind sailing all the way, the latest ETA for CAMPER into Puerto Montt is April 3. Despite a confused sea state and 30 knots plus of breeze the temporary repair is remaining stable and holding up well.
CAMPER skipper Chris Nicholson says that the biggest challenge aboard now is keeping the crew occupied with all the extra spare time they have on their hands.
“I can’t say we’d be a very good delivery crew as everybody is pretty frustrated to not be going at full racing pace.
“The cards are out, any reading material aboard is being monopolised, and I think the guys are getting more sleep than since the campaign began.
“Everyone on board is really ready to get racing again and with the way the fleet is shaping up once we restart we could be fighting hard all the way to Brazil for a potential podium finish.
“One thing is for sure and that is that it’s never over until you cross that finish line. We are going to pushing hard when we leave Puerto Montt and resume racing. There’s still a lot of points on the line and we want to get as many of them as we can.
“This race is so tight that every point you can grab now is going to be useful down the track.”
Good luck guys! have my fingers crossed. Can someone explain the “suspend racing” rule? I read on Telefonica’s blog that they were modifying their pit stop to keep within the 12 hr allowable window. Will the repairs on CAMPER be completed within this window or… is there some other rule that will be in play?