At 1900 tonight the trailing Groupama 4 (Franck Cammas/FRA) was in for yet more grief. The boat will continue to wallow, making slow progress in light and fickle wind conditions. This will be followed by a low-pressure system, which will build overnight allowing the team to gybe and at least point their bows in the direction of the Cape Town finish line.
However, the same frontal system that battered CAMPER (Chris Nicholson/AUS) yesterday will also threaten Groupama 4. Upwards of 30 knots of wind is forecast with the same boat-breaking confused sea state.
“We want to get to Cape Town as soon as possible because the stopover will be short, but we also want to get there in one piece with the boat in perfect condition,” skipper Franck Cammas said as he waited for the wind to fill in.
Computers are predicting a finish tomorrow morning, although current progress is down to five knots average and the arrival for this, the final boat to cross the line in Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race, is still uncertain.
Leg 2 to Abu Dhabi begins on Sunday December 11, with the second in the in-port race series held the previous day.