Telefonica gunning to the finish

Spanish boat Telefonica expected to arrive in Cape Town on Saturday.

CAPE TOWN // As the front-running Spanish boat Telefonica made a straight-line sail for Cape Town last night, Volvo Ocean Race organisers estimated the gun announcing the first-leg winner would go off late this afternoon.

Barring more of the woe that has struck three of the six entries, Iker Martinez, the skipper, and Telefonica would reach Cape Town between 3pm and 8pm (7pm and midnight UAE).

"We're very happy as we're running first with no major breakages, which counts as a success," wrote Diego Fructuoso, the Telefonica media crew member from a race in which Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (broken mast), Team Sanya (broken bow) and Puma (broken mast) all retired from Leg 1.

Telefonica held a gaping lead over the Spanish-New Zealand entry Camper, which held an even more yawning lead over the French yacht, Groupama, in third.

If that form held, Telefonica would dart from last to first with 31 points (one for a last place finish in the Alicante in-port race of October 29, 30 for first in Leg 1). Camper would lie second with 29 with Groupama on 22.

As one of three teams without points for the leg, Abu Dhabi's Azzam will stand fourth (six points) as most of its sailors and crew arrive in Cape Town during the weekend.

"We're trying to look forward, not backward," Ian Walker, the skipper, told the race website. Puma will be fifth (five points) and Team Sanya sixth (three) when the fleet leaves for Abu Dhabi on December 11, after the Cape Town in-port race.

All through Thursday night, Telefonica and Camper churned west with 30-knot winds, with Telefonica's lead 170 nautical miles by late afternoon yesterday (and Groupama 552 behind). Camper co-navigator Andrew McLean called the night "blind racing" and wrote, "It's like driving a rally car at 100kmph on a back country road with no headlights and never slowing down."