“This is a leg to survive. There are still a lot of points on the board. To be on the podium is a big deal for us. We’ve come a long way.”

PUMA skipper Ken Read commenting on PUMA’s steady rise on the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 leaderboard. PUMA lost their rig in Leg 1 of the race. The team has been clawing their way back ever since.
Update from Amory, 21:20 GMT: LAAAAANNNNDDDD HOOOOO!!! 5 miles to the first point, 12 to the finish, and this’ll be the final report from Leg 7… FO SHO. It’s been a heck of a day but the end is in sight and there’s a lot to be happy about. No, things didn’t go as well as they could have—we made our share of mistakes and didn’t get the better part of lady luck—but we did a lot of things really well, including staying poised and patient today and over the last 500 miles. So now, ripping into Lisbon at 22 knots, the city lights illuminating the sky in the distance, we have much to look forward to (besides a few days off). We are not out of this race, not by a longshot, and everyone will be eager to get back out on the racecourse and make up some more ground on the leaders. But first, a finish line to cross—10 miles away now! Have a great night everyone, from all of us onboard PUMA’s Mar Mostro, and thanks for all of your support over the last 11 days. As always, very much appreciated! Amo out. High-res

Update from Amory, 21:20 GMT:

LAAAAANNNNDDDD HOOOOO!!! 5 miles to the first point, 12 to the finish, and this’ll be the final report from Leg 7… FO SHO. It’s been a heck of a day but the end is in sight and there’s a lot to be happy about. No, things didn’t go as well as they could have—we made our share of mistakes and didn’t get the better part of lady luck—but we did a lot of things really well, including staying poised and patient today and over the last 500 miles. So now, ripping into Lisbon at 22 knots, the city lights illuminating the sky in the distance, we have much to look forward to (besides a few days off). We are not out of this race, not by a longshot, and everyone will be eager to get back out on the racecourse and make up some more ground on the leaders. But first, a finish line to cross—10 miles away now! Have a great night everyone, from all of us onboard PUMA’s Mar Mostro, and thanks for all of your support over the last 11 days. As always, very much appreciated!

Amo out.

Update from Amory, 20:00 GMT: 35 miles go go now… It appears no Volvo Ocean Race leg ever finishes on an easy note! We’ve just taken a massive 30-degree lift, way off course—a real dooozy of our well-documented “PUMA clouds”—and we’ve just thrown in our first of two jibes. Holy cannoli. CAMPER safely behind, but now our worries turn to Telefónica who is working the low road, maybe low enough that they won’t need to jibe = massive gain to them. As the sun starts to set the sailing is only going to get more intense. Almost time to start cooking dinner, last dinner on the boat: Green Thai Chicken Curry. High-res

Update from Amory, 20:00 GMT:

35 miles go go now… It appears no Volvo Ocean Race leg ever finishes on an easy note! We’ve just taken a massive 30-degree lift, way off course—a real dooozy of our well-documented “PUMA clouds”—and we’ve just thrown in our first of two jibes. Holy cannoli. CAMPER safely behind, but now our worries turn to Telefónica who is working the low road, maybe low enough that they won’t need to jibe = massive gain to them. As the sun starts to set the sailing is only going to get more intense. Almost time to start cooking dinner, last dinner on the boat: Green Thai Chicken Curry.

Update from Amory, 17:30 GMT: Within 75 miles and all still well onboard the Mar Mostro. Mini crisis—ran out of small Starbucks VIA packs and the guys will have to drink flavored cappuccino mix (flavor: unknown). Winds lightening, down to 8 knots now, which is causing some concern… Just switched from Fractional Zero to the A5, still in need of a little power! Going to be exciting to watch Abu Dhabi and Groupama duke it out for first, hoping we can stay in front of charging pack to our south. Have spent last 3 hours working down to their line, sacrificing a bit of forward progress to put ourselves in a safer spot between them and the finish. Time will tell… High-res

Update from Amory, 17:30 GMT:

Within 75 miles and all still well onboard the Mar Mostro. Mini crisis—ran out of small Starbucks VIA packs and the guys will have to drink flavored cappuccino mix (flavor: unknown). Winds lightening, down to 8 knots now, which is causing some concern… Just switched from Fractional Zero to the A5, still in need of a little power! Going to be exciting to watch Abu Dhabi and Groupama duke it out for first, hoping we can stay in front of charging pack to our south. Have spent last 3 hours working down to their line, sacrificing a bit of forward progress to put ourselves in a safer spot between them and the finish. Time will tell…

Leg 7 Day 11 blog from Amory onboard PUMA’s Mar Mostro: Really though, we just don’t know. It’s a helpless feeling, sitting here staring at the computers and their tortuous routing models. Our very meaningful fate is in the hands of the weather gods and that’s never a comforting circumstance. There is only so much we can do… If anything, it has almost eased some of the stress and pressure riding on this leg. At some point you just say, “Well, we’ve done what we can and now we have to cross our fingers and hope like hell.”  So here we are, all 11 of us, just hoping like hell. Never in a million years did we expect to be here, fighting for an honest share of the lead, so in many ways that’s enough to be excited about, but man, wouldn’t it be cool!? Continue reading on PUMA.com/sailing. High-res

Leg 7 Day 11 blog from Amory onboard PUMA’s Mar Mostro:

Really though, we just don’t know. It’s a helpless feeling, sitting here staring at the computers and their tortuous routing models. Our very meaningful fate is in the hands of the weather gods and that’s never a comforting circumstance. There is only so much we can do… If anything, it has almost eased some of the stress and pressure riding on this leg. At some point you just say, “Well, we’ve done what we can and now we have to cross our fingers and hope like hell.”

 So here we are, all 11 of us, just hoping like hell. Never in a million years did we expect to be here, fighting for an honest share of the lead, so in many ways that’s enough to be excited about, but man, wouldn’t it be cool!?

Continue reading on PUMA.com/sailing.

Update from Amory, 15:10 GMT: 120 miles to go now, and the sailing is fast and fun. What a great way to end this leg… 18 knots of wind, 21 knots of boatspeed, and we’re “haulin’ the mail” to Lisbon! Looks like we’ll miss out on first or second but locked up in a tight battle for 3rd and 4th place. Just served lunch: today’s meal of midday mud? Beef Ale Stew. Heavy on the mash please! Updates coming through every few hours up until the finish in Lisbon, Portugal. High-res

Update from Amory, 15:10 GMT:

120 miles to go now, and the sailing is fast and fun. What a great way to end this leg… 18 knots of wind, 21 knots of boatspeed, and we’re “haulin’ the mail” to Lisbon! Looks like we’ll miss out on first or second but locked up in a tight battle for 3rd and 4th place. Just served lunch: today’s meal of midday mud? Beef Ale Stew. Heavy on the mash please!

Updates coming through every few hours up until the finish in Lisbon, Portugal.

A Bit of Wind and Luck
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A Bit of Wind and Luck

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Skipper Ken Read is hoping that luck is on PUMA’s side for the Leg 7 finish into Lisbon.