Yachting: Team NZ give up protest idea

Camper is lifted on to a ship in the secret safe haven port at the end of the first stage of leg two. Photo / VOR

Emirates Team New Zealand have dropped a planned protest against Team Telefonica after losing a nail-biting finish in the first stage of leg two in the Volvo Ocean Race.

The two leading yachts were engaged in a match race over the final 24 hours to a secret finish line in the Indian Ocean but the Spanish boat grabbed the decisive lead with eight nautical miles remaining after 15 days at sea.

Camper crossed the line 1 minute 57 seconds behind its rival and the team initially said they would challenge the result over a manoeuvre near the end.

They had told race organisers Camper had to bear away to avoid a collision.

But Team NZ and Telefonica, who were lining up an unseamanlike conduct protest of their own, mutually agreed to drop plans to lodge protests.

Telefonica retains the overall lead with 61 points; Camper is second, seven points behind.

Team NZ skipper Chris Nicholson said a quirk of nature with the line almost in sight proved decisive.

"We got rolled about an hour from the finish by one rogue cloud," he said.

He praised Telefonica for the win during an epic final day when the boats were in sight of each other as they raced towards the finish.

"We had an amazing battle. This was a seriously tough race," he said.

The threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean means the yachts will be shipped to a spot off the Sharjah coast next month for a day-long sprint into Abu Dhabi to complete the leg.

Puma finished third in the stage and Groupama was leading Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the race for fourth. Sanya was forced out of the leg with damage to its rigging.