After 31 days, brutal weather conditions and an endless stream of boat repairs, Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race has finally come to a close. The arrival of CAMPER in Itajai, Brazil on Tuesday marked the end of the longest stretch of the entire race, and arguably the most challenging segment up to this point.
The leg certainly put the CAMPER crew to the test. Massive waves and winds up to 40 knots damaged the bow. Lacking the necessary materials on board to make sufficient repairs, the team made the call to stop in Puerto Montt, Chile to restore the boat back to functioning order.
Though this pit stop hindered their progress, CAMPER resumed sailing, and finished a week behind Groupama.
Their fourth place finish earned them 15 precious points, putting them in third place overall. CAMPER skipper Chris Nicholson says these points are incredibly valuable to the team.
“We won’t even know how valuable those points are until the end in Galway, but I have a feeling they’re vital,” said Nicholson.
Teams will participate in Itajai’s in-port race on April 21, hoping to snatch a few more points that, according to media crew member Hamish Hooper, are becoming “more and more scarce” as the competition surges ahead.
Photo by Paul Todd/Volvo Ocean Race
