Global Ocean Race Leg 3 - Day 8
By Oliver Dewar on 5 Feb
More strong upwind conditions for the GOR trio
The first week of Global Ocean Race (GOR) Leg 3 has been the most demanding of the entire circumnavigation so far with strong conditions for the five double handed Class40s from within hours of the start in Wellington, New Zealand, on Sunday 29 January.
Conrad Colman and Adrian Kuttel led the fleet in to Cook Strait from the shelter of Wellington Harbour with Cessna Citation right into 30-knot headwinds and big seas forcing the fleet to reef for the first night at sea. As light faded, Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron took pole position with Campagne de France as Marco Nannini and Hugo Ramon split from the fleet and took Financial Crisis on a flyer south parallel to the coast of South Island.
As the main pack of the fleet dropped south-east leaving Chatham Island to port, the leadership changed constantly and the speeds increased with Ross and Campbell Field on Buckley Systems delivering the highest average of 14 knots with Campagne de France, Cessna Citation and the South African duo of Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire with Phesheya-Racing all polling averages of 13+ knots.
By Wednesday, Financial Crisis had re-joined the group as the fleet prepared for strong south-easterly headwinds with Buckley Systems leading and 20 miles separating the front three boats with Campagne de France furthest south a 49 degrees. Beating into a Force 8-9 gale with the boats hurled through immense seas took its toll and on Thursday evening at 48S, Ross and Campbell Field – leading the fleet on Buckley Systems – and Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron on the Franco-British entry, Campagne de France in second place, abruptly turned north. Initially this was thought to be a move to avoid 40-50-knot headwinds, but injury and gear damage on Buckley Systems had forced the Fields to head for port in Auckland, 1,000 miles to the west, with Mabire and Merron making the same call.
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Global Ocean Race Leg 5 - Day 2
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Posted on 20 May
Global Ocean Race Leg 5 - Start
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Posted on 19 May
Global Ocean Race Leg 4 prize giving
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Posted on 17 May
Sec. Hayai and Phesheya-Racing finish GOR Leg 4 in Charleston
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Posted on 3 May
Financial Crisis takes second in Global Ocean Race Leg 4
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Posted on 2 May
Hat Trick for Cessna Citation in Global Ocean Race Leg 4
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Posted on 1 May
Global Ocean Race Leg 4 - Day 29
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Posted on 30 Apr
Global Ocean Race Leg 4 - Day 28
For the leaders, Cessna Citation, there’s high pressure agony tantalisingly close to the finish line in Charleston as the three chasing Class40s, Financial Crisis, Phesheya-Racing and Sec. Hayai thunder north at high speed parallel to the Bahamas.
Posted on 29 Apr
Global Ocean Race Leg 4 - Day 27
It has been a painful 24 hours for Marco Nannini and Sergio Frattarruolo in second place on Financial Crisis in the double-handed Global Ocean Race (GOR) as the two chasing Class40s, Phesheya-Racing and Sec. Hayai, eat heavily into their lead.
Posted on 28 Apr
Global Ocean Race Leg 4 - Day 26
Over the past 48 hours, the Global Ocean Race Class40s have been negotiating the Caribbean Islands and a swollen area of light breeze blocking the route to Charleston. Fleet leader, Cessna Citation broke into fresh north-easterly breeze.
Posted on 27 Apr