Race 2, Day 27: All to play for with redress likely to impact podium positions

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It’s been a game of cat and mouse at the top of the leader board with just five miles separating leaders PSP Logistics and second-placed Jamaica Get All Right after 5,000 miles of racing.

However, with the application of redress times to some boats which suspended racing to refill drinking water supplies from each other earlier in the race, the final positions could be shaken up.  

Race director Justin Taylor said: “Henri Lloyd is only trailing PSP Logistics by 35 miles yet has been awarded a redress of 7 hours 15 minutes.  Henri Lloyd could cover this distance in just 2.5 hours, clearly having the potential to beat both Jamaica Get All Right and PSP Logistics, which has a redress of 1 hour 11 minutes.”

Pete Stirling, skipper of Jamaica Get All Right, describes the fight to get into Rio first.

“The last 24 hours have been a game of cat and mouse with PSP Logistics. First they were in the lead, then we were in the lead. Right now they are just five miles ahead of us and we are slowly reducing their lead.

“It's going to be very close, especially with various other teams making a last minute charge for the line. The last 24 hours have also probably been one of the busiest for the crew in terms of evolutions (changing the sail plan) with more sail changes than on any other day of the race so far.

“We have 100 miles to go to Cabo Frio then another 65 miles from there. Normally we would easily complete that distance in 24 hours and this would be my last blog for a few days. However we are expecting the weather to change in the next couple of hours and give us a hard beat to Rio in strong head winds. Did we do something to upset King Neptune?”

For more details of the fight to get into Rio, read the skippers’ reports here. You can keep an eye on the fleet’s progress here at the Official Race Viewer.