Yachting: Team New Zealand holds firm

On day eight of leg one, Team New Zealand boat Camper is holding its position and focused on chasing down new race leader Puma in the Volvo Ocean Race.

Camper remains in fourth place, 118 nautical miles behind and having gybed overnight, it is now heading south in pursuit of Puma, Telefonica and Groupama.

Conditions are good with Camper making the most of the strong frontal system.

Skipper Chris Nicholson said the focus was now on getting south as quickly as possible and through the doldrums in the best shape possible.

"The next 30 hours are key for us - if we can make our way through the northeasterly trades better than the other boats and we arrive in the doldrums well-positioned then we'll be back in the fight.

"We need to pick up our performance and here's a good chance.

"It's a relief to be honest to be back in some wind and sailing some decent angles after all that time beating west waiting to pick up this front.

"I think we can now be pretty confident that sticking west was the right call and it looks like Groupama will have some real issues getting out from the African coast into some decent pressure."

At 6pm today NZT (Sunday), Camper was north of the Cabo Verde Islands averaging 15 knots in a 15-knot northeasterly.