Minimal gains and losses as the fleet powers north

3 May 2012, 05:57UTC

Minimal gains and losses as the fleet powers north

Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/Volvo Ocean Race

The boats remained locked in their formation overnight as they blasted northward towards Miami at average speeds over 20 knots.

Charles Caudrelier highspeed sailing. Onboard Groupama Sailing Team during leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami, USA.

Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/Volvo Ocean Race

Lots of water on deck onboard Team Telefonica during leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami, USA.

Diego Fructuoso/Team Telefonica/Volvo Ocean Race

Fourth placed Groupama sailing team have been consistently fastest and the only ones to make a tiny gain on leaders PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG, extending their advantage over fifth placed Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the process.

By 0400 UTC today second placed CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand had pulled out a 13 nautical mile (nm) gap in front of Team Telefónica in third and were just five nm behind long time leaders PUMA.

Groupama stayed in fourth, 18 nm ahead of fifth placed Abu Dhabi, but still more than 120 nm off the lead.

By 0700 UTC there was little change still, with PUMA 4.9 nm ahead of CAMPER whose advantage over Telefónica remained vitually identical, while Groupama pulled out to 22 nm ahead of Abu Dhabi who are now 144 nm off the lead.