Racing at a blistering pace towards Wellington in Portimao GOR

4:48 AM Sun 18 Jan 2009 GMT

'Race Viewer 0920 GMT 17/01/09' Portimao Global Ocean Race

The two yachts still racing in Leg 2 of the Portim?o Global Ocean Race have had a blistering 24 hours reducing the distance to the finish line in Wellington by 240 miles.

Belgian solo sailor, Michel Kleinjans, on Roaring Forty and the British duo, Jeremy Salvesen and David Thomson, on Team Mowgli have been riding the back of a low pressure system across the Tasman Sea in south-westerly breeze of between 30-40 knots while the two boats have maintained 11 knot boat speed averages throughout Saturday night.

After 6,900 miles in the Southern Ocean, brutal conditions and a battering from from a Force 8 gale are hardly the ideal circumstances for the yachtsmen or their boats, but Team Mowgli and Roaring Forty are currently charging towards South Island, 330 miles from the coast with 600 miles to the finish line. When Leg 2 victors Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme on Beluga Racer and the chasing Chilean duo of Felipe Cubillos and Jos? Mu?oz on Desafio Cabo de Hornos appraoched the coast, a high pressure system blocked their path. By contrast Kleinjans, Salvesen and Thomson may carry the strong breeze through to late Sunday GMT.

Although this weather forecast will deliver highly demanding conditions, it is slashing the ETA for Team Mowgli and Roaring Forty and - with the boats separated by under 15 miles - finishing Leg 2 on Tuesday is now a possibility.

www.portimaorace.com

by Brian Hancock

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