On crossing the finish line moored off Lorient at lunchtime today, Franck Cammas and his men secured their second leg victory after their win in Auckland. This result also boosts Groupama 4's position at the top of the overall standing.

Groupama wins Volvo Ocean race leg 8

Groupama wins Volvo Ocean race leg 8



It was a nail-biting battle to the finish. With an extremely close four-way battle since the start in Lisbon last Sunday, both Groupama and the team's Spanish rivals Telefonica suffered damage, and there was a big storm to contend with on the final night.

Despite a technical issue with her mainsail on Wednesday evening (trapped car), which caused her to lose around 10 miles, the French boat managed to catch up with the head of the fleet and then overtake the Americans and the Kiwis through sheer speed.

The rudder damage suffered by the Spanish boat on Thursday evening proved damning for Telefonica, especially once her second rudder gave up the ghost midway through last night, following a gybe towards Lorient. This left the way clear for Groupama 4 to snatch the lead, but she was still under pressure from Camper and Puma with the wind picking up to over 40 knots on the edge of this disturbed system. However, Franck Cammas and his men asserted themselves in a breeze, which was gradually easing as they approached Les Coureaux de Groix: at 11:31:02 UTC, Groupama 4 took victory in the eighth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race in front of a massive crowd gathered at the Pointe du Talut headland and around the port.

Camper elated in second
An elated Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand secured second place on Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race, bringing them back into overall contention for a podium place as they move into third place in the race for the trophy.  Once again, the Spanish/New Zealand team has won the IWC Schaffhausen Speed Record Challenge for the leg, posting a 24-hour run of 564 nautical miles on June 14 in the heinous conditions in the Bay of Biscay (see the video below).


“We knew on the transatlantic leg into Lisbon we had to have a good leg and we didn’t, so this one we knew we really, really had to do well. So this result is really pleasing and deserving for the crew. As for the 24hour record, we thought the watches (the prize for winning the speed record) were gone. We’re just looking at Groupama and Telefonica and thinking there is no way, so we just hung in there.  It’s so cool for us to hang on and do that,” said Skipper Chris Nicholson.