El CAMPER decide retomar la Regata Auckland Fiji.

El aplazamiento de la regata, debido al fuerte temporal de proa, hace que el Team New Zeeland se replantee su abandono de la regata a Fiji. Las predicciones metereológicas, son ahora más idóneas para los intereses del equipo, y han decidido tomar la salida con el Camper, el barco que representará al RCN de Palma en la Volvo Ocean Race, la regata Vuelta al Mundo.

With the start delayed for 24 hours on Saturday in the face of gale-force winds, conditions are now expected to give the team the race training as well as the sail testing it needs for its preparation for the Volvo Ocean Race.

Emirates Team New Zealand withdrew CAMPER from the race on Friday because forecasts indicated head winds all the way to Fiji and return. That meant little chance of the team being able to do the down-wind sail testing required for its round-the-world race preparation.

Today the wind across the start line was a constant 40 knots, with 50 knots in the Hauraki Gulf. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron decided on a 24-hour delay.

Emirates Team New Zealand meteorologist Roger Badham said: “The gale-force winds and low-pressure system is moving to the south of Auckland tonight. With the race start delayed by the RNZYS officials by 24 hours, the nature of the race has changed considerably.

“A more varied wind regime is now expected with both upwind and downwind conditions ranging from eight to 18 knots. CAMPER should reach Fiji on Thursday and from there, the team plans to do some testing in the south-east trades winds by heading west and using the downwind conditions varying from 15 to 25 knots.

“It is then planned to come south again during the following week and use some pre-frontal north-northwest conditions for more downwind testing.”

Skipper Chris Nicholson said today now the team could achieve both of the original goals: go racing and tick off a considerable amount of the down-wind sail testing programme.

“We are very happy that we can go racing. It will be a good test for the boat and crew. Then we can settle down to do some serious testing on the way home.