bc magazine

MAPFRE Win Qualifying Sprint

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Volvo-Ocean-Race-2017-18/i-9HtxSNQ

Xabi Fernández and his in-form MAPFRE team claimed their second victory in Leg Zero qualifying with another commanding performance in the build-up to the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18.

MAPFRE had a lead of seven nautical miles when they crossed the finish line off the iconic French sailing city of Saint-Malo.

Team Brunel took second place in their first race sailing with new recruit Peter Burling, the Olympic gold medalist and America’s Cup winning helmsman, whose signing was announced just hours before the fleet’s departure from England’s south coast.

Dongfeng Race Team, the Chinese entry with a French skipper, Charles Caudrelier, completed the podium to maintain their own excellent form in the series – and were followed by Vestas 11th Hour Racing, team AkzoNobel, Turn the Tide on Plastic and Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag.

MAPFRE’s latest victory was barely in doubt in a race they dominated following a decisive moment shortly after the Plymouth start. “It’s a very good result for us, and it’s been a really good leg for us from beginning to end,” said MAPFRE skipper Xabi Fernández. “We made some good choices going offshore, finding the sea breeze and beating the current, as we watched the other teams struggle with the current. I’m really pleased with our result.”

MAPFRE chose to dive south with Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Turn the Tide on Plastic. The others chose a route down the coast that required an exhausting gybing duel. When the fleet came back together, the offshore option had paid off, and Brunel and Dongfeng Race Team switched sides to choose the southern option with MAPFRE and Vestas 11th Hour Racing.

The fleet then had to negotiate a barrier of light winds that blocked the route. The calms were narrower in the south and the four boats that had invested in this option slowed but continued moving whereas Sun Hung Kai/ Scallywag went backwards on the tide, completely becalmed.

After the turning mark by the Needles and a drag race across the English Channel, excitement awaited in the tidal acceleration zone next to the French coast.

Just like stepping onto a moving walkway at the airport, the speeds on every boat jumped from 13 knots to 19 as they were pushed by a river of current in the ocean. From there, MAPFRE were never challenged.

For Burling, it was a first experience of racing onboard a One Design Volvo Ocean 65 – and he said that the short race to France was the perfect introduction to the Volvo Ocean Race.

“It’s been great to get out and race – I have a lot to learn but Leg Zero is a really good way for me to ease into this,” said the Kiwi. “I think we’re in good stead for the future considering how little training this team has done.”

Leg Zero, stage 3 results, Plymouth to Saint-Malo:
1. MAPFRE elapsed time 0629 UTC
2. Team Brunel 0710
3. Dongfeng Race Team 0719
4. Vestas 11th Hour Racing 0728
5. Team AkzoNobel 0732
6. Turn the Tide on Plastic 0835
7. Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag 0908

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Volvo-Ocean-Race-2017-18/i-RhKcbKN

The teams will complete Leg Zero qualifying with a race from Saint-Malo to Lisbon, starting on Sunday at 1050 UTC and with an ETA of Wednesday.

MAPFRE now have a three-point advantage at the top of the Leg Zero standings, with two wins and a runners-up spot from the three races to date. While an overall winner will be declared, no points will be carried forward to the Volvo Ocean Race itself, which starts on 22 October.

Overall Leg Zero standings after 3 of 4 races:
1. MAPFRE 23 points
2. Team Brunel 20
3. Dongfeng Race Team 19
4. Team AkzoNobel 15
5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing 12
6. Turn the Tide on Plastic 9
7. Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag 7

Photos: Jen Edney, James Blake, Volvo Ocean Race

Dongfeng Win Volvo Ocean Race Fastnet Leg Zero

China’s Dongfeng Race Team edged out MAPFRE by just 56 seconds in a Rolex Fastnet Race thriller in the early hours of Wednesday, as an intense night of lead changes and fickle winds ended with the entire fleet separated by less than 40 minutes after more than 600 miles of racing.

Victory for Charles Caudrelier’s team keeps it tight at the top of Leg Zero qualifying for the Volvo Ocean Race – and heralds an epic battle to come when the race around the world begins from Alicante on 22 October.

MAPFRE and Dongfeng had the best start back in Cowes on Sunday, stayed close all the way around the race course and finally finished just metres from each other after fighting all the way to finish line off the Plymouth breakwater.

Dongfeng crossed the line at 04:18:10 local time, with MAPFRE following shortly afterwards at 04:19:06.

Bouwe Bekking’s Team Brunel were next over the line – a result that will give them a massive boost given that their preparations started so late – followed by team AkzoNobel in fourth. Vestas 11th Hour Racing, Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag and Turn the Tide on Plastic completed the fleet arrivals – and with just over 39 minutes between the first and last placed boats, they will be boosted by the belief that they can close the gap further by October.

Volvo Ocean 65s in the Rolex Fastnet Race:

1. Dongfeng Race Team: 2 days 15 hours 38 minutes 10 seconds
2. MAPFRE: 2 days 15 hours 39 minutes 06 seconds
3. Team Brunel: 2 days 15 hours 45 minutes 47 seconds
4. team AkzoNobel: 2 days 15 hours 52 minutes 40 seconds
5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing: 2 days 16 hours 09 minutes 11 seconds
6. Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag: 2 days 16 hours 13 minutes 53 seconds
7. Turn the Tide on Plastic: 2 days 16 hours 17 minutes 32 seconds

Dongfeng leveraged their experience on how to set up the boat from the last race, and their crew’s local knowledge of these tricky coastlines, at times demonstrating superior boat speed and superb navigational choices.

Critical moments in their victory were when they regained the lead from team AkzoNobel before the Fastnet rounding and later, perfect navigation on the return from the Rock that saw them split from the fleet on the downwind run and pass through the obstacles around the Scilly Isles with fewer maneuvers.

Leg Zero, Rolex Fastnet Race: Day 2 Morning on board SHK, . Photo by Konrad Frost/Volvo Ocean Race. 07August, 2017

Despite often leading the fleet, Caudrelier revealed at the finish that their victory was far from certain. “We were leading at the Fastnet, leading the downwind and then suddenly, in big clouds we lost everything, we were last! Then another cloud helped us to come back, but afterwards MAPFRE were still there. They came back, passed us but we passed again. It was a nice fight with MAPFRE.”

A testament to the close racing, MAPFRE skipper Xabi Fernández explained that the final finishing order was determined by one crucial gust. Dongfeng were able to furl and drop their masthead zero before MAPFRE and pass the Spanish boat when they were caught out with too much sail up.

“At the end we had a big sail and a 20-knot gust hit us, while Dongfeng had a smaller sail,” explained Xabi. “It’s a pity but it was a very good race for us.”

Brunel’s third place finish – after they grabbed second in the record-breaking race around the Isle of Wight last Wednesday – was another sign that Bouwe Bekking’s team have hit the ground running after announcing their participation only recently.

“The team has done extremely well,” said the Dutchman. “They all dug in 100% and I think everyone can look each other in the eye and say for the time being we got the maximum out of the team. We learnt a heck of a lot. I think that’s the most important thing.”

Overall Leg Zero rankings after 2 of 4 stages:

Mapfre 15 points
Dongfeng Race Team 13
Brunel 13
AkzoNobel 11
Vestas 11th Hour Racing 7
Turn the Tide on Plastic 6
Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag 5

There are two more races to go in the Leg Zero series of qualifiers. On Thursday, the fleet will race from Plymouth to Saint-Malo in France. After a non-scoring Pro-Am Race on Saturday, the teams will complete the series with a race from Saint-Malo to Lisbon, starting on Sunday.

While an overall Leg Zero winner will be declared, based on equal scoring for each of the four stages, no points will be carried forward to the Volvo Ocean Race itself.

Additional reporting: Volvo Ocean Race
Photos: Copyright of their respective owners

Hong Kong’s Team Scallywag Announce Volvo Ocean Race Crew

Hong Kong’s first ever Volvo Ocean Race entry Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag have announced their crew for the upcoming 2017-18 edition. Led by skipper David Witt, it features a mix of rookies and veterans, including a winner from 2014-15, a history-making navigator back for his sixth edition and local sailor Tiger Mok,.

Australian Luke Parkinson, who won the trophy as a rookie onboard Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing last edition, will race as part of skipper Witt’s crew – and he is joined by navigator Steve Hayles, who returns to the event after almost a decade.

“I’m delighted to have a crew of guys I’ve known for a long time – they’re all great sailors, and we’ve done a lot of miles together over the years” said Witt

Hayles made his debut as a 20-year-old onboard Reebok/Dolphin & Youth in 1993-94 – and still holds the title as the youngest ever navigator to compete in the history of the event. He went on to make it five consecutive races over 15 years, onboard Silk Cut in 1997-98, Team Tyco in 2001-02, Ericsson in 2005-06 and Green Dragon in 2008-09.

Also named in Witt’s squad are New Zealand’s Mark Fullerton, who raced with Brunel in the 2005-06 edition, Briton John Fisher, Hong Kong’s Tiger Mok and Australian trio David Mann, Alex Gough and Ben Piggott.

“Steve Hayles is the best navigator I’ve ever sailed with, and Luke Parkinson comes with bags of Volvo Ocean 65 experience. That’s one of the areas where we’re a little bit light, so he’s a big asset to us and brings a lot to the team.”

“We want to create a team ethos where everyone can reach their potential in whatever their role is – and to do that, you’ve got to trust and respect each other 100%,” Witt added.

“We’re all a team and want to succeed in a team, but we recognise that part of our role is to promote and let everyone be as good as they can in an individual role in the team without ego or conflict.”

“Tiger (Mok) is Hong Kong born and bred, and he’s a great sailor,” continued Witt. “He will race some legs – and he’s also the backup navigator, so will do a lot of onshore navigation and work closely with Steve (Hayles). Having him onboard will help to build the profile of the sport in the region, and encourage kids in Hong Kong to see that there’s a real future in offshore sailing.”

Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag had their first taste of competitive Volvo Ocean 65 action in the opening stage of Leg Zero, the Cowes “Round the Island Race” where they finished last – and now prepare to tackle the Rolex Fastnet Race, starting on 6 August.

Witt added: “We’ve finished with our squad selection for now, but the only thing that’s up in the air with us is whether we need to take more crew on the boat or not. Right now, we’re playing catch up a little bit with all of the idiosyncrasies of the boat. We still think we’re on the right track going with minimal crew – but we’re still open, and that could change as the race draws nearer.”

Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag
David Witt (skipper, AUS), Steve Hales (GBR), Luke Parkinson (AUS), Mark Fullerton (NZ), Alex Gough (AUS), Ben Piggott (AUS), David Mann (AUS), John Fisher (UK), Tiger Mok (Hong Kong).
On Board Reporter: Konrad Frost (GBR).

Additional reporting: Volvo Ocean Race, Jonno Turner.
Images: Copyright their respective owners.

Scallywag to Represent Hong Kong in Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

Hong Kong will have a team in the Volvo Ocean Race for the first time as the fifth entry to the 2017-18 race was announced in Paris. The team will compete as Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag and is sponsored by Seng Huang Lee and Sun Hung Kai & Co., the owner of supermaxi yacht Scallywag.

Hong Kong will also debut as a Host City in the race with the fleet expected to arrive from Melbourne on 20 January 2018. A series of races will be held during the stopover including the In-Port Race and an Around the Island race.

“This campaign will showcase world class competitive offshore sailing in Hong Kong. I have every confidence that Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag will make Hong Kong proud,” said Lee.

Lee who grew up in Sydney, Australia, a stone’s throw from the start line of the iconic Sydney to Hobart Race, said it was watching the fleet leave every year for the start of that race that first got him hooked on sailing.

He purchased the 100-foot maxi-yacht Scallywag in 2016, and won the recent San Fernando Race in record fashion. An entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, one of the most demanding and competitive races in the world, was the next challenge.

The team, racing a Volvo Ocean 65, will be skippered by experienced Australian sailor David Witt, who returns to the Volvo Ocean Race following a 20-year absence, after competing in 1997-98 race onboard Innovation Kvaerner – the boat led by former Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Knut Frostad.

A veteran of the Sydney to Hobart Race, having competed the challenge over 20 times, Witt is regarded as one of the best heavy weather sailors in the sport, and is keen to retest his mettle in the Southern Ocean when the fleets heads south later this year.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the Scallywag team to represent Hong Kong on a truly global stage,” said Witt. “With the race returning to a more traditional route and competing in One Design yachts, we feel that we are capable of achieving something that has been a life long personal dream.”

With five months to the start, the fleet is shaping up with confirmed entries AkzoNobel (skippered by Simeon Tienpont, Netherlands), Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier, France), Mapfire (Xabi Fernández, Spain) and Vestas 11th Hour Racing (Charlie Enright, USA).

The 2017-2018 race, featuring 12 host cities, will start from Alicante on 22 October 2017 and see the teams cover 46,000 nautical miles before they reach the finish in The Hague at the end of June, 2018.

Additional reporting and images: Volvo Ocean Race, Andrea Francolini

Dongfeng Announce Strong Volvo Ocean Race Team

After wining a leg and finishing third overall in it’s first appearance Dongfeng Race Team, the Chinese entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18, announced it’s full crew in Paris as they look to climb to the top step of the podium.

With 160 days to go to the start of the world’s toughest fully-crewed offshore race at Alicante in Spain on 22 October, Dongfeng’s 12-strong sailing squad combines youth with experience. Led for the second consecutive time by Charles Caudrelier of France, the crew counts five Volvo Ocean Race wins, five Olympic campaigns, and 32 Solitaire du Figaro campaigns – including five wins – among its sailors’ achievements.

In addition to Caudrelier, the crew includes Figaro and Transat Jacques Vabre winner Pascal Bidégorry, who returns as navigator. An ocean racing record-setter, Bidégorry was Caudrelier’s righthand man, in the previous edition of the race, and played a key role in the team’s meteo and tactical strategy.

“I wanted a group of people on the boat who will grow stronger in adversity, never give up and have some fun along the way too.”

The French offshore all-rounder Kevin Escoffier, another pillar from the last campaign, is also back in the squad. Escoffier is not only a brilliant offshore sailor but an expert technician and boat builder.

New Zealanders Stu Bannatyne will compete in the race for the eighth time while Daryl Wislang won the last edition with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. Also in the sailing team is Jeremie Beyou, the French Vendée Globe podium finisher and one-design offshore specialist, who will be taking on his first Volvo Ocean Race campaign.

The team’s two female stars are Marie Riou of France, a four-time world champion in the Nacra 17 class, and Carolijn Brouwer from Holland who has already sailed the race twice with all-female crews.

On the bow and also helping with helming duties is the up-and-coming Australian/British sailor Jack Bouttell, a veteran of three Figaro campaigns.

As before, Dongfeng Race Team looks to establish offshore ocean racing in China and the crew includes three young Chinese sailors – Yang Jiru (Wolf), Xue Liu (Black) and Jinhao Chen (Horace) – originally selected and trained for the 2014-15 race.

Commenting on the squad Caudrelier said: “I wanted a group of people on the boat who will grow stronger in adversity, never give up and have some fun along the way too.”

He added: “We will be living in close quarters for months. We will be wet, cold, hungry, hot, exhausted and desperate for sleep at times, so the relationships we build have to be strong to withstand those pressures. I am happy with the squad we have assembled and I am confident that we will measure up to the task ahead.”

In this campaign Dongfeng Race Team will look to improve on its impressive debut appearance “The key has been to use our experience from 2014-15 and add to it, not rely on it,” said Team Director, Bruno Dubois at the press conference.

“Appointing Charles Caudrelier as skipper was the first step. I know that Charles is more determined than ever to improve on his superb performance three years ago and he has demonstrated that he has the leadership skills to deal with the unique demands of Dongfeng Race Team. But we have added some new ingredients to the mix – high-achieving men and women who bring experience and a hunger for success that fits our philosophy,” added Dubois.

Follow the preparations for the race and the race itself live at www.volvooceanrace.com

Dongfeng Race Team Sailing Team

Charles Caudrelier (FRA), skipper
Pascal Bidegorry (FRA), navigator
Stu Bannatyne (NZL), watch captain
Jeremie Beyou (FRA), watch captain
Daryl Wislang (NZL), watch captain
Carolijn Brouwer (NL), trimmer
Jack Bouttell (GBR-AUS), bowman
Jinhao Chen ‘Horace’ (CHN), bowman
Kevin Escoffier (FRA), bowman
Xue Liu “Black” (CHN), pitman
Marie Riou (FRA), trimmer
Yang Jiru “Wolf”(CHN), pitman

Additional reporting and images: Volvo Ocean Race, Dongfeng Race Team, Vincent Curutchet

Volvo Ocean Race Comes to Hong Kong

Hong Kong is set to host its first ever stopover in the Volvo Ocean Race as the race organisers announced today that Hong Kong will be part of the 2017-18 race, which will start from Alicante, Spain in the autumn of 2017, with the fleet scheduled to arrive in Victoria Harbour in February 2018.

Widely acclaimed as the toughest round the world sailing challenge on the planet, the Volvo Ocean Race, originally The Whitbread Round the World Race, was first held in 1973. At a press conference today, Volvo Ocean Race organisers announced to bring the race to Hong Kong for the first time. The world’s premier ocean yacht race will transform the old airport in Kak Tai, with the Race Village offering features to attract sailing fans and those new to the sport.

As the 2014-15 race showed modern one-design ocean racing is hard fought, close and exciting sailing with boats finishing minutes apart after days and thousands of miles of racing. The 2018 Hong Kong stopover will also feature in-port racing, giving spectators the opportunity for a closer look and to experience the thrilling atmosphere of competitive sailing.

Antonio Bolanos Lopez, acting CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, said “I am thrilled that the race is visiting one of the most iconic and beautiful ports in the world for the first time. We are delighted to welcome Hong Kong to the Volvo Ocean Race family and know that we will have a stopover here, which will be one of the highlights of the 2017-18 edition.”

Hong Kong brings the confirmed list of stopovers so far for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 edition to nine, which already includes Alicante, Auckland, Cape Town, Cardiff, Newport (USA), Lisbon, Gothenburg and The Hague.

Yes! Dongfeng on the Podium!

For China, the Volvo Ocean Race, and all those who thought we couldn’t do it. Dongfeng Race Team secured a place on the podium of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 at their first attempt today in Gothenburg, Sweden – an incredible achievement for Charles Caudrelier and his Chinese backed team.

However this podium finish reaches further than just the realms of the team. It touches the Chinese sponsors Dongfeng Trucks, Aeolus Tyres and the city of Shiyan, who took the risk of financially backing the campaign, for whom sponsorship and sailing were completely new just last year. It is a huge reward for the professional sailors and shore team who embraced the project knowing that it was not labelled a ‘winning’ campaign. And finally, it touches the journalists, family, friends, fans and everyone else who believed in us and supported us on our journey.

Winning comes in many forms, we didn’t take the trophy home but does that mean we didn’t win? Maybe we didn’t win the Volvo Ocean Race but we won our own challenge.

It’s true that this 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race has been epic and unbelievably, after 11 countries, over 41,000 nautical miles, two leg wins, five podium results out of nine, one broken mast and it it all came down to the last few miles. Dongfeng Race Team finished leg 9 in fourth place behind Team Alvimedica, Team Brunel and MAPFRE. The Spanish frustratingly managed to slip in front of Dongfeng a few hundred metres from the line after being covered all the way from The Hague by the Caudrelier-Bidegorry duo. But it was enough for Dongfeng to secure the overall podium place they deserved – Mapfre had to beat Dongfeng by two places to overtake them in the overall standings.

So whilst there was some disappointment on their faces from missing a leg 9 podium after putting so much energy in to these past few days, the overall third place is a great victory for a team for whom a podium finish in Gothenburg was just a distant dream.

“I want to thank Dongfeng and Bruno for giving me this opportunity. A year ago I never would have believed this possible. I have lived the most incredible human story with this team and I am so proud of the progress of the Chinese sailors. Turning Chinese athletes including HongKonger Cheng Ying-kit into professional offshore sailors was challenging but it was worth every second.” – Charles Caudrelier.

In most people’s mind the concept of winning is an absolute. Technically, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has won this race, and we congratulate them, they were there the favourites, they delivered, and they deserved it. They got first place, they held an unassailable lead coming in to Gothenburg and they will take the trophy home. So what does this tell us? Well, we know they were the ‘race favourites’ and as Charles said “It’s hard to be the race favourites and even harder to maintain that image. They’ve done a great job.”

But for Dongfeng Race Team it has been a different story. Hardly race favourites, from day one this Chinese campaign has faced adversity and sometimes it’s been draining, both physically and emotionally. It’s a given that if we had a dollar for every tear, drop of sweat and laughter over the last nine months, we would be millionaires today.

As a campaign we wanted to reignite offshore sailing in China. We wanted to build a campaign the Chinese people could take ownership of, something they were proud of. We wanted to inspire a new generation of sailors and we had a mission to teach and train young Chinese sailors, take a first step in the right direction to bring offshore sailing to China and if we could, leave a Volvo Ocean Race legacy.

“There is still a long way to go but I know from the reaction back home this project has been great for offshore sailing in China,” says Yang Jiru (Wolf). “I hope it will inspire young Chinese sailors for years to come. Eighteen months of this life with this team has taught me a lot. Besides offshore sailing it has taught me how to deal with situations and emotions I would have never otherwise faced.”

This team defied the odds, and ultimately became a team that could win – if not this time, then in the future…

This time though – Charles Caudrelier, Chen Jin Hao (Horace), Pascal Bidégorry, Yang Jiru (Wolf), Thomas Rouxel, Liu Xue (Black), Eric Peron, Cheng Ying Kit, Yann Riou, Sam Greenfield, Kevin Escoffier, Liu Ming (Leo) and Kong Chencheng – and the whole team – be proud.

From Broken Mast to First Place, Dongfeng Win Leg 6 of The Volvo Ocean Race

Dongfeng’s American dream became a reality just after dark local time, winning leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race in Newport, USA, beating their arch rivals Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing by just 3 minutes and 25 seconds after 19 days of racing.

Skipper Charles Caudrelier immediately dedicated this leg win to his shore team: “I would like to dedicate this victory to the shore team. It started in Ushuaia with the shore crew, when first they delivered the boat to Itajai and then fixed the boat and put in a new mast in less than one week. They worked so hard to have the boat ready – I am very proud of them. Everyone on the boat for this leg did a fantastic job and that was the key to winning, for sure. All the team deserves this victory. All the crew have improved, the Chinese improve, we get stronger and stronger each time. To beat Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing shows we have become a great team.”

In many ways there was more at stake for Dongfeng – Abu Dhabi were going to be happy with a 2nd in terms of overall points. But for Dongfeng the energy gained from the comeback was worth more than just the points of victory.

The leg from Itajai, Brazil to Newport, USA has been by no means straightforward. A broken water maker 24 hours into the leg nearly threatened the team’s hopes and dreams, but the indefatigable Kevin Escoffier (Mr Fixit) managed to make a repair that lasted. Then it was head back into the race and by day 7, the Chinese team were in the lead with 3,364nm to go: “It was a complicated leg, we had a big advantage in speed sometimes, not easy to make the right tactical decisions all the time, so speed was so important. We had something like 10 lead changes. We gained slowly a small advance but every time the other guys came back. Abu Dhabi sailed very well – we made a mistake one or two nights ago – we were 10 miles ahead but they got ahead again and we lost a lot. And then they were ahead of us just two or three hours ago when we hit a light spot. It was just crazy but we had a nice fight with them!”

It was always a question mark as to whether Dongfeng could bounce back after being forced to retire from Leg 5 with a broken mast. “I have never seen the gang so focused and intense,” said American Onboard Reporter, Sam Greenfield. “When we won leg 3 into Sanya our lead was comfortable. This time Abu Dhabi was right over our shoulder and breathing down our dry-seals [necks].”

In one of the most intense finishes the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 has ever seen, the identical boats and sheer determination of both teams ensured it was a neck and neck battle lasted right up to the finish line. It was clear that both teams were giving it everything they had with every ounce of energy they had left as they approached the finish.

With only three short legs remaining, and a commanding points lead, the race is Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s to lose. “Now we still have to push hard – this was the first step to come back in the race after the 8 points we got breaking the mast,” said Kevin Escoffier. “We still have three legs to come back on Abu Dhabi and I hope they will do a mistake and we can be better than them. For sure they have not made many but statistically they can. Its not over.”