With a lead of 135 miles, it looks as if the sailors from Groupama will actually be able to take the winning sip from the bottle. But the last few miles of this eternally long 4th leg were tough, because the wind was blowing from the east and the French got the worst of it. It was blowing on their noses at up to 38 knots and the maximum wave height was up to seven metres. This meant that Groupama was bucking more than she was bending and Capt'n Cammas had to literally carry the boat on his hands, intent on saving this lead to the finish. Suffering a breakage so close to the end would have been just as hair-raising as being in the lead in the final lap of a car race with engine damage.
The Puma team didn't want to be left behind again, proving with anger in their bellies that Wylie the Coyote can beat the Roadrunner after all. Ken Read and his colleagues had once again pushed past Telefónica, because the Spaniards had to sail a long haul in order not to lose sight of Cap Reinga on the northern tip of New Zealand. Camper also quietly closed the gap, setting off a fierce three-way battle in which they sailed against each other with increasingly close margins. This worked to the advantage of Abu Dhabi and Sanya, who came roaring up from behind with a half breeze and made huge miles with a more direct course.
But even they still have to go through the washing machine. "We're somehow fighting our way out here," reported watch leader Richard Mason from Sanya, who are trying to hand over the red lantern to Abu Dhabi. "It's going to be an exciting night, the waves are gigantic. If you stand at the back and steer, you're probably five metres above the water and the horizon dips when you have to go over these things."
Sanya was only 17 miles behind Abu Dhabi at 5am CET, but the match that has everyone's attention is Puma versus Telefónica and Camper, who still had more than 440 miles to sail but were only seven miles apart. "The race behind Groupama is wide open," says meteorologist Gonzalo Infante. "It will be a close finish." Groupama is expected to arrive in Auckland tomorrow, Saturday, at around 11am CET.
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