Red hot Camper make world seem small

The Camper crew are shedding their jackets as the water warms on the remaining 1000 nautical mile northerly course to the finish of leg five in Itajai, Brazil. The team have notched up more than 350 nm in the past 24 hours as they edged into the 27th day of their marathon journey from their home port of Auckland. A reflective mood overcame skipper Chris Nicholson as his team made their way north in the South Atlantic, just days after resuming racing from the Chilean port of Puerto Montt where his team suspended racing for repairs. "The world seems a small place at times in these boats," he said. "Four days ago we were in Chile, all of a sudden we have rounded the bottom of the world via Cape Horn, sailed past the Falkland Islands and are just over 1000 miles away from our destination in Brazil." The team's current estimated time of arrival at Itajai is April 17. If they successfully finish the leg they will receive 15 points, sending them back to third place on the overall leaderboard. "At the end of the day it keeps us in the hunt and keeps us competitive," Nicholson said. "We're only halfway through the points in this race so it's vital we grab everything that we can. To be sitting in third at this stage of the game isn't too bad. "But finishing this leg is about more than points - it's about pride as well. It has been hard on the guys but everybody has dug in and is determined to finish it.