Yachting: Volvo leaders juggle for position on race north

Team NZ's Camper led the Volvo Ocean Race fleet yesterday. Photo / Supplied

The Volvo Ocean Race fleet has again closed up with the leaders bunched together within eight nautical miles of one another as they engage in a drag race north.

With previous race leader Team Sanya, who at one point held an advantage of nearly 150 nautical miles, forced to detour to Madagascar after breaking a vital piece of supporting rigging on their mast late on Monday, the battle for the lead has heated up.

Team New Zealand's entry Camper led the fleet early yesterday, but last night's position report had Chris Nicholson's crew back in third, five nautical miles off second-placed Puma, and a further three behind Telefonica.

However, it is fourth placed Groupama who are the ones to watch.

Groupama has made substantial gains on day eight, finding good winds away from the main pack.

In fifth, Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing is the only boat that looks to be out of the running, 108 nautical miles off the pace.

The trade wind conditions are ensuring good progress up the Indian Ocean, however the infamous doldrums are looming in the next few days and the crossing of them is likely to once again throw the fleet into shifty conditions and unpredictable racing.

Nicholson said his team's focus is now on making the most of the more stable conditions and hitting the doldrums in the best shape possible.

"We are now determined to get as much out of this drag race north as we can to ensure that we are well positioned to enter the doldrums zone in a competitive spot," he said. "The reality is that with the fleet pretty tightly bunched as it is at the moment an awful lot is going to come down to having a good crossing of the doldrums and picking up the new breeze first."