As night falls at the end of the second day of the Southern Traverse, race strain and fatigue is starting to set in.
New Zealand's Team Propeller-heads remain in the number one position after checking in at checkpoint 11, the first checkpoint in the grueling 47-km mountain trek section, at 4:50pm Tuesday (NZ time).
Team Propeller-heads is followed by Nokia, which checked in at 5:33pm. The Science Team checked in at 5:40pm, and Merrell Footwear checked in at 6:10pm (all Tuesday).
It is the first of four checkpoints in that section, which is certain to push the competitors to the limit.
Propeller-heads, comprised of Kathy Lynch, Steve Gurney, Nathan Fa'avae and Jeff Mitchell, stayed at the front of the field through the 39-km kayak leg and the 26-km mountain bike to Glenfalloch Station.
The American-Australian team, The Science Team, comprised of Ian Adamson, Robyn Benincasa, Mike Kloser and John Jacoby, lost momentum when it came off the water after the kayak leg — overshooting checkpoint 9.
It has been an action-packed day on the course, with one major drama.
The Argentinean team, Aeropuertos Argentina, had to be rescued by helicopter after the team set off its safety beacon. The team managed to get lost between checkpoints 1 and 2, on the first section of the race.
Three teams had to withdraw because of injury. They were Canada's Subaru Outback and Adrenaline Junkies, and USA's Boundary Quest.
The weather, which has been fine for most of the race, is starting to change, with winds picking up, causing a few problems for the tail-end competitors caught on the Rakaia River.
Some competitors on the mountain bike leg have resorted to wearing dust masks, as the wind has stirred up on the gravel roads.
Snow showers down to 1000 meters with southerly winds are forecast for the region. These will cause cold, blustery conditions for the leading teams in the Arrowsmiths Range.
– Southern Traverse Ltd
