13 Jan 2012

Team NZ hopes in-port race will be plain sailing

9:11 pm on 13 January 2012

The skipper of Emirates Team New Zealand's entry in the Volvo Ocean Race says his crew will be trying to stay out of trouble in Friday's in-port yacht race at Abu Dhabi.

Camper is currently second overall, eight points behind Spanish boat Telefonica.

Skipper Chris Nicholson says racing around marks in-port is hard on the crew, as the boats are primarily rigged for offshore racing.

Nicholson says the two previous in-port races at Alicante and Cape Town were a real scramble for sailors, although Camper finished third and second respectively.

He says after Friday's race there is little respite for the crew, as the third leg of the offshore race to Sanya in China starts on Saturday.