An arm infection has forced Team Brunel’s (Bouwe Bekking/NED) bowman, Gerd-Jan Poortman, out of Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Newport to Lisbon starting on Sunday (full story below).

– Team Brunel sailor sidelined by arm affliction

– Reserve Hagoort gets chance to show skills

– Milevicius takes over as bowman

NEWPORT, Rhode Island, USA, May 13 – An arm infection has forced Team Brunel’s bowman, Gerd-Jan Poortman, out of Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Newport to Lisbon starting on Sunday.

The 39-year-old Poortman’s (NED) place will be taken by the third-placed Dutch team’s first reserve, Timo Hagoort (NED). Rokas Milevicius (LTU) will assume the role of bowman for Leg 7.

The infection, called elbow bursitis, is a common affliction for offshore sailors, especially bowmen.

“It all started a couple of days ago. I’m taking antibiotics now,” said Poortman. “According to the doctors, it’s not certain that it will be cured within four days.

“And even if the infection is cured before the start of the next leg, I still can’t use my arm on a professional sailing level.

“Because the next leg is very demanding from start to finish, I have decided, together with our physio (Mark Haak), and skipper Bouwe Bekking, not to participate in the this leg which will take us to Lisbon.“

The popular Dutchman is confident that his stand-in will ensure his absence is not badly missed by the in-form crew, which finished with a podium third-placed finish in the last leg to Newport, Rhode Island, from Itajaí, Brazil.

“Timo is a hard worker and a fine replacement,” said Poortman. “And Rokas has enough training to take on the role of first bowman.”

He continued: “I‘m happy that I was able to sail all stages, including rounding Cape Horn, so I’ve actually already been around the world. Of course I’m disappointed, but I find it especially hard to let the team down. In Lisbon, I will step back onboard.”

Meanwhile, skipper Bekking is happy that Hagoort has already gained a lot of experience with the Dutch team.

“I really wanted someone who had previously sailed on the boat,” he explained. “And during the preparation for the Volvo Ocean Race he sailed many miles with us, so that’s why the choice fell on him.”

For Hagoort, who has been patiently waiting for his chance ever since joining the crew, the call-up is a dream come true.

“I got a call this afternoon,” he said. “When he told me that I can sail to Lisbon onboard Team Brunel, I let out a little cry of joy and immediately afterwards I asked who had to be replaced.

“I know Gerd-Jan very well and I learned a lot from him. Since I became the first reserve, the team has grown a lot, so I don’t know exactly which role I will get, but my strengths are that I can trim and work on the foredeck.”

via Infection forces out bowman Poortman| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Leading French offshore sailor Sidney Gavignet, fresh from breaking a record last week, has been called up by Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) for Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Newport to Lisbon (see story below).- Oman Sail skipper takes over from Peron – Gavignet broke 20-year-old Irish record – Wolf replaces Black for Leg 7 to LisbonNEWPORT, Rhode Island, May 12 – Leading French offshore sailor Sidney Gavignet, fresh from breaking a record last week, has been called up by Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) for Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Newport to Lisbon.The 46-year-old is also skipper of the Sultanate of Oman’s MOD70 trimaran, Musandam-Oman Sail.With a largely Omani crew, they broke Steve Fossett’s 20-year-old Round Ireland course record last Wednesday, in a yet-to-be ratified time of 40 hours 51 minutes and 57 seconds.Gavignet will take the place of fellow Frenchman, Eric Peron, on board Dongfeng. Peron is taking a breather before the final two European legs.“Sidney is an excellent driver,” said Dongfeng Race Team skipper, Charles Caudrelier.“He’s a Volvo Ocean Race expert, and I’ve been wanting to sail again with him for a long time. We sailed together 12 years ago and it went really well so I can only hope this leg will be just as good.”Dongfeng Race Team are already in fine form, having won their second leg of the race from Itajaí, Brazil to Newport, Rhode Island, last week, to cut Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s overall lead to six points. They had earlier won Leg 2 to their home port in Sanya.The team has also announced that Yang Jiru (English name ‘Wolf’) will take over from fellow Chinese Liu Xue (‘Black’) for the 2,800-nautical mile leg across the Atlantic, by far the shortest leg contested so far.Gavignet’s experiences in Leg 7, which starts on Sunday, will be watched very carefully by Oman Sail’s CEO, David Graham.“The movement of the Volvo Ocean Race to one-design racing has a far greater affinity with Oman Sail, our strategic plans of and its pathway to achieve them,” said Graham.“We are observing the current race with great interest and in particular, the progress of the Dongfeng Race Team, given the similarities between our two entities.”Gavignet is a four-time veteran of the race. He competed for the first time in 1993-84 on board Eric Tabarly’s La Poste and followed up with Assa Abloy (2001-02), winners ABN AMRO ONE (2005-06) and PUMA Ocean Racing (2008-09).Dongfeng Race Team’s team director, Bruno Dubois, explained the reason for standing down Peron for the stage, after helping them win Leg 6.“With complete transparency we can say that although the Chinese sailors have exceeded our expectations, they still have a long way to go,” he explained.“This means that the non-Chinese sailors are naturally over-compensating for their lack of experience, spending more time on deck, more time explaining, teaching and above all more time supervising.“Some of them are tired, and the rotation allows us to keep on top of this. Only Charles (Caudrelier) and Kevin (Escoffier) have not stepped off the boat yet since Alicante – and we don’t envisage that part changing.”Caudrelier’s rotations so far have seen Figaro sailor, Jack Bouttell (dual national Australian/British), contesting Leg 3, French navigator, Erwan Israel, on Leg 4 and Irish Volvo Ocean Race veteran, Damian Foxall, on Leg 5.After the leg to Lisbon, the race will conclude in June with stages to Lorient (France) and then to Gothenburg (Sweden), via The Hague for a pit stop. The event will finish on June 27 with the Gothenburg In-Port Race.

via Gavignet bolsters in-form Dongfeng Race Team| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Never one to avoid what will inevitably put people’s noses out of joint, I’m going to comment on Team SCA’s less than impressive performance in the Volvo Ocean Race.

We know that the organisers had decided to grant the female team three extra crew, which I would assume was a concession to strength and endurance issues. So this is a clear acknowledgement of a disparity between the genders.

Then we know for a fact that Team SCA’s boat was the first off the blocks and the team has had the most time on the water training. We must also assume that this team has the best female sailors money can buy. Indeed, their inshore sailing skills are beyond question, as seen from stellar results in the in-port races.

On the Volvo PR material it is stated: ‘The entry of the all-female team is no coincidence given that the new boat design puts less of a premium on physical strength and means an all-female team can be just as competitive as any other professional team.’

If all three of these facts hold water, then there is no harm in asking the question: What is happening? If a level playing field was created by the organisers and no expense spared in the crew selection and the training, I wonder if there is more at play here.

Dare I offer the conclusion that women are inferior to men offshore? How can this be when we have seen the likes of Ellen Macarthur and Florence Arthaud, you say. Indeed there have been many female single-handers, mainly French and British, that have impressed.

Is single-handing as intense as a fully crewed race where there is no respite from your shipmates? It is no secret that peer pressure on board can be dramatic. It must also be accepted that going 100 per cent all time while single-handing is impossible and throttling back at times to recoup is all part of that equation.

Catching your breath is not the case in today’s Volvo. If you are female and feeling indignant by this stage, note that there is not one female crew member in any of the other entries. Does that tell you something?

Well, carrying on in this discussion will only land me in hotter water than I am already in for bringing up the subject in the first place. So I will let the reader ponder these things while they cool down.

In the meantime, I will offer a solution that can possibly eliminate any further discussion, and one that I am sure many people have contemplated and even suggested to the organisers if they haven’t thought of it themselves. Simply, crews comprised of 50 per cent guys and 50 per cent girls, which is a good ratio when you consider world population demographics and a lot else, including procreation for that matter. It takes two to tango, right?

This simple and elegant solution will once and for all quench these awkward comparisons between the genders in fully crewed offshore racing. It’s a ‚we’re all in it together’ concept. There is another benefit here in that having more female sailors involved by a simple rule requirement will bring more female sailors up to speed in offshore sailing. And, from the human point of view, imagine the great stories that would unfold both on and off the water!

It has been a long passage for women making their mark offshore. I am thinking of Claire Francis skippering ADC Accutrac in the 1977/78 Whitbread, Tracy Edwards’s ground-breaking all-female crew in the Whitbread of 1989/90, but then we see the all-female team of Heineken in 1993/94 coming 9th out of a ten-boat fleet, EF Education in 1997/98 last and in 2001/02 Amer Sports Too also last.

Might persisting in the all-female crew concept for this pre-eminent event be a step backwards?

If you see me on the dock at the finish I will be the one wearing a hard hat and body armour.

Skip Novak – high latitudes guru

Skip Novak is a columnist and regular contributor to Yachting World, and author of our acclaimed Storm Sailing Series, which you can also find on our website. He was born in Chicago in 1952 and started sailing at an early age. He has raced in four Whitbread Round the World races and in 2001 co-skippered the 108ft catamaran Innovation in The Race round the world in 65 days, an event in which his future wife, Elena, also raced. In 1987 he built the steel cutter Pelagic and has since spent 26 seasons in Tierra del Fuego, South Georgia and Antarctica, sailing and mountaineering.

via Team SCA.

New Zealander Adam Minoprio, the youngest sailor to become match-racing world champion, has been called up by Team Brunel for the last three legs of the Volvo Ocean Race (full story below).

– Talented young Kiwi boosts Dutch campaign

– De la Plaza steps aside through other commitments

– New boy was youngest world champion

NEWPORT, Rhode Island, May 11 – New Zealander Adam Minoprio, the youngest sailor to become match-racing world champion, has been called up by Team Brunel for the last three legs of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Minoprio replaces Spain’s Javier de la Plaza, who has pulled out of the Dutch crew because of other sailing commitments, a team statement issued on Monday announced.

The 29-year-old newcomer brings a formidable in-shore and offshore pedigree to Bouwe Bekking’s crew, which finished third in Leg 6 from Itajaí to Newport.

At the age of seven, Minoprio experienced competition sailing for the first time. Aged 11, he won his first national competition in an Optimist and a year later he sailed in his first world championships in the same class.

In 2009, at the age of 24, Adam Minoprio became the youngest sailor to become match-racing world champion, joining an élite group of illustrious sailors such as Chris Dickson, Dean Barker and Russell Coutts.

He was helmsman and trimmer in the CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand crew that finished second in the 11th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race in 2011-12.

At the beginning of 2014, Minoprio was wing trimmer and tactician for the America’s Cup team, Luna Rossa, but after the Italians withdrew from the Cup, it left space for a new adventure.

“The Volvo Ocean Race is more physically demanding than inshore races,” said Minoprio.

“When I sailed in my first Volvo Ocean Race with CAMPER, I thought the toughest bit was carrying and stacking all the sails, the food, the spares and the tools when changing tack or gybing. But the principles of sailing are the same and nothing changes there.

“It’s an honour that Bouwe Bekking asked me to strengthen Team Brunel. Together with the America’s Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race is the summit of sailing.

“I think that my knowledge and skills will enable me to make a contribution to the development and performance of Team Brunel. I always go for the best result possible.”

Bekking added: “Adam has sailed in the Volvo Ocean Race before and has been match racing world champion. As an experienced match racer, he could just make the difference in the last three short legs.”

The teams will contest the Team Vestas Wind In-Port Race Newport on May 16 before setting out for the seventh leg of nine to Lisbon, Portugal, the following day.

In all, the crews will visit 11 ports and every continent in the nine-month, 38,739-nautical mile race.

It will conclude in Gothenburg, Sweden, on June 27 after visiting Lisbon, Lorient, France, and The Hague, Netherlands.

Team Brunel currently lie third in the overall standings after six legs with 21 points, 10 points behind leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR) and four behind Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA).

via Team Brunel call on Minoprio| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Team Vestas Wind have recruited two talented and experienced offshore sailors to join their crew for the planned return to the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 from Leg 8 (full story below).

– Top sailors join Nicholson’s comeback crew

– I’m delighted with new boys, says skipper

– Follow Team Vestas Wind’s plans for return

ALICANTE, Spain, May 8 – Team Vestas Wind have recruited two talented and experienced offshore sailors into their crew for the planned return to the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 from Leg 8.

The team will be joined from the Lisbon stopover onwards by Tom Addis and Simeon Tienpont.

Addis will navigate the Vestas Wind boat throughout the final legs of the race. Tienpont will replace Tom Johnson as bowman as the latter has decided to accept a position within the Oracle Team USA.

Australian Tom Addis, 45, is a two-time Volvo Ocean Race veteran – having competed with both PUMA and Teléfonica Blue as navigator in previous editions – and has participated in multiple transatlantic crossings and Sydney to Hobart races.

His engineering and mathematical background is a welcome addition to Team Vestas Wind for the relatively short and technical legs from Lisbon onwards.

Experienced Dutch sailor, Simeon Tienpont. 33, formed part of the America’s Cup winning team Oracle Team USA on two occasions and has one Volvo Ocean Race under his belt as an under 30 with ABN AMRO TWO in the 2005-2006 edition of the Race.

“I’m extremely satisfied with the composition of the team – our profiles are compatible and morale is high,” skipper Chris Nicholson said.

“I know both Tom Addis and Simeon Tienpont well, and I’m sure they’ll fit in seamlessly, positively contributing to the dynamics and performance of the team.

“Now as a complete team, we’re solely focused on rejoining the race in Lisbon and on putting in our best performance for the remaining legs of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015,” Nicholson said.

Vestas Chief Marketing Officer and CEO of Team Vestas Wind, Morten Albæk, said: “I am very pleased that Chris succeeded in hiring such strong sailors with a good combination of experience and motivation.

“I am very proud of all the hard work put in by the team in regards to the rebuild of the boat – in particular I would like to thank Persico Marine for an exceptional job – and I can’t wait to see the crew and the boat in Lisbon.”

No further adjustments to the Team Vestas Wind crew are expected to be made ahead of the Leg 8 start in Lisbon.

* Team Vestas Wind’s crew was grounded in Leg 2 and the boat has been rebuilt in the Persico boatyard in Bergamo, Italy.

via Addis and Tienpont join Team Vestas Wind| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Things to think about when anchoring

From type of anchor and things to consider when buying an anchor, to parts of an anchor and letting go and pulling up

Types of anchor

There are several different types of anchor that might be on the boat together with the chain and warp.

Before choosing an anchor consider:

The kind of bottom you will typically anchor in. Different anchors are better at holding in some materials than in others.

Decide what kind of anchoring you plan to do; do you just want to anchor while you have a spot of lunch or are you expecting to anchor in a high current, or during bad weather?

How are you planning to store your anchor?

Parts of an anchor

Shank – the main arm or stem of the anchor

Fluke – the holding part of the anchor buried on the seabed

Stock – cross-bar used to flip an anchor so the fluke digs into the seabed

Crown – where shank and fluke are connected

Tripping ring – for breaking the anchor out with a tripping line

How much warp or chain?

The amount of chain and warp used must be far more than the depth of water to allow a good length of chain to lie on the seabed.  This provides a horizontal pull on the anchor that makes it dig in.  If too little scope is let out the boat may drag its anchor at high water.  By marking the chain and warp in some way makes it easier to prepare the correct amount.

Secure holding requires sufficient scope on the anchor warp or chain, which needs to lay along the bottom, before rising to meet the yacht at an approximate angle of 45 degrees.

With chain, use four times the maximum depth and with a combination of chain and warp use six times.  This means that it is important to allow plenty of room behind the boat when anchoring and for the swing, remembering that not all boat will turn at the same time.  Yachts will lie with the tidal stream and motor boats more often to the wind.

The warp or chain is usually measured in either metres or feet.  Let out enough scope for the maximum depth at high tide, using the following a minimum guide:

4 x maximum depth for chain

6 x maximum depth for warp and chain

Heavy chain will provide greater security than warp, but puts a lot of weight into the bows and may be difficult to let go or pull up by hand.

Letting go and pulling up by hand

REMEMBER: Anchors and chains are potentially dangerous.  Wear gloves and sensible footwear.  Keep fingers and hands away from moving chain.

Some boaters use an electric windlass to drop and pull up their anchor however if you don’t have an electric windlass you need to let go and pull the anchor up by hand.  Heavy chain needs to be handled with extreme care.  The skipper should have the engine running, ready to motor forward or astern if required.

Letting go:

Pull the chain up out of the anchor locker and flake it along the deck in a series of loops, which will provide sufficient scope for the depth of water

Before lowering, take a single turn of the chain around the nearest deck cleat to ensure you can hold the weight – extra turns will quickly lock the chain

Let out the chain steadily hand-over-hand.  Letting the chain run at full speed over the bow roller could be dangerous

Pulling up:

When raising the anchor motor slowly ahead as the crew pull in the slack on the chain

Use the engine to counteract the tidal stream.  Too fast and the boat will override the chain; too slow and it will be very heavy work to pull in the chain.  The anchor will not come free until the chain is almost vertical

As the anchor comes to the surface continue to motor slowly so the anchor does not swing and hit the bow of the boat as it breaks the surface

If there is a problem with lifting the anchor then try breaking it out using the engine, having secured the chain to a cleat.

When working with the anchor and chain it is important to be aware of the weight that can be involved, even when a windlass is used.

For advice on using a windlass to drop and pull up your anchor read the RYA’s Yacht Sailing Techniques book by Jeremy Evans.

Vaughan Marsh, RYA Chief Instructor, Sail Cruising comments: “All of the above is really good advice and the RYA’s recognised training centres that offer cruising courses will also be able to give you further advice, or you may wish to sign up for a practical course and put the theory in to practice! Happy anchoring.”

Extracts and information taken from RYA Day Skipper Handbook – Sail, by Sara Hopkinson and RYA Yacht Sailing Techniques, by Jeremy Evans.  To pick up a copy of these and other great RYA Publications visit the RYA Shop.

via Things to think about when anchoring | InBrief | e-Newsletters | News & Events | RYA.

Team SCA (Sam Davies/GBR) rounded off Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Thursday on a perfect, sun-bathed Newport morning with their heads held high, but a burning sense of what might have been (full story below).

– This was our best leg – but we can do better, says Davies

– Shore crew praised for fantastic job on preparing boat

– Dongfeng Race Team clinch thrilling leg finale

NEWPORT, Rhode Island, May 7 – Team SCA (Sam Davies/GBR) rounded off Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Thursday on a perfect, sun-bathed Newport morning with their heads held high, but a burning sense of what might have been.

For so long in the 5,010-nautical mile (nm) leg to the American sailing capital of Newport, from Itajaí, Brazil, the all-women’s crew were right in the mix in the fight for supremacy.

But in the final four days of a 17-day stage, they conceded nautical mile after nautical mile to their rivals and ended up finishing sixth again (see panel above), nearly 12 hours adrift of leg winners Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA).

There were plenty of reasons for the gap including the masses of sargasso weed encountered en route that infuriatingly clogged up their keel and slowed their progress at the beginning of the week.

But, once again, it was simply a lack of pure offshore experience that primarily proved the difference against the world-class male sailors they are competing against.

Skipper Sam Davies, as ever, put a brave face on a result that probably has satisfied none of the women on board, but adds to their growing bank of hard-won experience.

“It feels great to arrive here,” she said in her first interview in dock, with a sea of blue and magenta clad, flag-waving supporters behind her.

“We’re really proud on board Team SCA because we do feel this is the best leg we’ve sailed so far, despite still coming in just behind the others.

“We spent a week fighting with the leaders, that’s the longest time we’ve spent with the front group.

“It almost felt that they were having to work hard to keep up with us at one point. It’s pretty promising for the next three legs.”

However, she added: “In a way we’re a bit frustrated, because if we could go back to Legs 1 and 2 the way we’ve sailed now, we could do a lot better.”

Davies was told about a heartfelt blog midway through the leg written by Charles Caudrelier in which he gloried in Team SCA’s early competitiveness in this leg.

But, tellingly, she responded: “We’ve still got to try to find a couple of secrets from them (their male rivals) because there are certain points of sail where we still couldn’t keep up and especially Dongfeng seems to have that edge again.”

One bright point, however, was the overall performance of the Team SCA boat, which Davies beforehand had been concerned would lack pace with a patched-up fractional code zero sail. It prompted a big vote of appreciation from Davies to her shore crew.

“Massive thanks to shore team: We brought the boat into Brazil in a bit of a state and they did massive work to prepare it and get it race ready for us to do this leg. We have an amazing shore team who never really get the limelight.”

That ‘amazing’ shore team will now set to work on a much lighter work list before the next leg to Lisbon begins on May 17.

Davies and her crew will again lick their wounds before setting out for the three final shorter legs that have always promised to deliver their best results.

Before that, they tackle the Team Vestas Wind In-Port Race Newport on May 16. They are the only team in the series to have won two of the races and look serious contenders to take the overall prize, currently lying in third place.

via What might have been | Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

Tired, a little disappointed, but still proud, Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA) savoured their home town welcome in the small hours of Thursday as Newport residents stayed out in bitterly cold conditions to cheer them in (full story below).

– Newport braves cold to welcome in Team Alvimedica

– Local boy Enright humbled by warm reception

– Dongfeng Race Team edge to thrilling victory

NEWPORT, Rhode Island, USA, May 7 – Tired, a little disappointed, but still proud, Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA) savoured their home town welcome in the small hours of Thursday as Newport residents stayed out in bitterly cold conditions to cheer them in.

Skipper Enright grew up in nearby Bristol, but learned much of his craft in the sailing crazy town’s Narrangansett Bay.

He had targeted the sixth leg, won late on Wednesday by Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) after a thrilling tussle with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR), as the perfect stage to grab Team Alvimedica’s first victory.

But it was not to be. The Turkish/American team were in contention in the 5,010-nautical mile (nm) leg until, realistically, the final 24 hours, but in the end had to settle for fifth place also behind Team Brunel (Bouwe Bekking/NED) and MAPFRE (Xabi Fernández/ESP).

Their much-awaited arrival in their home port was agonisingly drawn out, as the wind faded completely and the temperature dropped to below freezing point.

Still, the boats and town’s people who had journeyed to the race village by Fort Adams to witness the leaders home in their droves, remained to witness the final rites of Team Alvimedica’s leg.

Enright, 30, was delighted and moved by the reception after finally completing the leg from Itajaí, Brazil, in 17 days 14 hours and 24 minutes (see panel above).

“It’s pretty humbling to see all these guys out here at such an obscure hour in no wind for such a long period of time,” he said.

“Obviously, not the result we were looking for by any means, but it’s always good to be home,” he said.

The team, which boasts the youngest crew in the race ahead of Dongfeng Race Team, is on a steep learning curve.

Until this race, Enright had not crossed the Equator in a sailing career which was first publicly highlighted in the 2008 Disney film, Morning Light.

“We’ve learned a ton,” conceded the skipper. “We’ve been behind since day one with not having experience from previous races, but we’ve learned a lot about the boats, how to sail them, boat speed stuff, tactical stuff, comms stuff. Every day we are learning – as is everybody.

“I like to think we’ve learned at a little better clip because we had a little bit more to learn at the beginning. Although this result doesn’t reflect it, we’ve learned a lot from this leg too. One day one of these legs will be ours.”

Team Alvimedica’s arrival left just Team SCA (Sam Davies/GBR) still to finish the leg. They were forecasted to arrive in Newport around 1300 local time (1700 UTC) later on Thursday.

via Welcome home, boys!| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.

DongfengRaceTeam(CharlesCaudrelier/FRA)edgedoverallVolvoOceanRaceleadersAbuDhabiOceanRacing(IanWalker/GBR)byjustthreeminutesand25secondstowinLeg6toNewportafteranenthrallingdueloverthepast24hours(fullreportbelow).-SkipperCaudrelierpraisesshorecrewafterthrillingwin-AbuDhabiOceanRacingwithinfourminutesofvictors-FollowthefinalboatsinonourAppNEWPORT,RhodeIsland,USA(May7)–DongfengRaceTeam(CharlesCaudrelier/FRA)edgedoverallVolvoOceanRaceleadersAbuDhabiOceanRacing(IanWalker/GBR)byjustthreeminutesand25secondstowinLeg6toNewportafteranenthrallingdueloverthepast24hours.TheresultcutstheEmiratiboat’sleadovertheChinese-backedchallengerstosixpointsandmarksafantasticcomebackforCaudrelierandhiscrewaftertheywereforcedtopulloutofthepreviouslegtoItajaíbecauseofabrokenmast.TheFrenchskipperpaidtributetohisshorecrewwhomanagedtofitanewriginunderaweekinBrazilandpreparetheboatforthe5,010-nauticalmile(nm),ultra-competitivenextstagethroughtheAtlantic.“Forthisleg,thegoalwastobereadyinItajaíandthe(shore)crewdidafantasticjob.I’dliketogivethemthevictory,”saidCaudrelier.“I’mveryproudofthemandveryhappytotakethisfirstplace.Theyworkedveryhardtogetthisboatready.I’mreally,reallyhappy.”AbuDhabiOceanRacingmadeCaudrelierandhismenworkallthewayforthewinafter17daysatseaandeventhreatenedtooverturntheirleadastheypassedBlockIsland30nmfromthefinish.“WewerewithinacoupleoflengthsofgettingoverthematBlockIsland-literallythreeorfourboatlengthsfromrollingthem-buttheyheldonanddugdeep.Verywelldeservedwin,”saidWalker.Caudrelier’shopesofbouncingbackforthetriumphhadlookedinseriousjeopardyjusttwodaysintotheleg,whichstartedonApril19,whentheelectronicwater-maker,whichconvertsseawaterintodrinkingwater,brokedown.Hesaidifhiscrewhadnotbeenabletorepairit,theywouldhavehadtomakea12-hourstop.‘Wewouldn’thavehadtoretire,butwewouldhavehadtostopandfixit.Whenyoustopinthisrace,youseethedifferencebetweentheboats,andthatmeansthelegisoverbecauseitmeansyouloseatleast12hours,”saidCaudrelier,whoseboatfinishedinanelapsedtimeof17days,ninehoursandthreeminutesexactlyafterleavingItajaí.“Thatwouldhavemeantanotherlegwherewewouldhavefinishedlast.”DutchchallengersTeamBrunel(BouweBekking/NED)finishedjustover55minutesafterDongfengtoclaimthefinalpodiumspotfollowingyetanotherclosely-foughtleg.ItwillhavebeenabigrelieftoBekkingwhoseboathasbeenpippedinsimilarclosefinishesinearlierlegs.“It’salwaysgoodtobebackonthepodium.Buttheraceislostforus,wehavetotellthepublicaboutthat,becauseAbuDhabihasaninaccessibleleadnowcomparedtous,hesaid.Dongfengstillhasagoodchance.Theysailedanexcellentleg,congratulationstothem.AndtoAbuDhabitoo–theybothsailedverywell.“We’reaimingforsecondandwestillwanttowintheIn-PortSeriesaswell.We’reintheleadoverthere.We’vegotacoupleofthingstosailfor–andofcoursewewanttowinacoupleoflegs.MAPFRE(XabiFernández/ESP)followedTeamBrunelhomeinfourthspotwithanelapsedtimeof17days10hours34minutesand25secondswithTeamAlvimedica(CharlieEnright/USA)headingforahometownwelcomeinfifthplaceaheadofTeamSCA(SamDavies/GBR),whowereexpectedtofinishlateronThursday.Currentlateststandings(lowpointswins,TeamAlvimedica*andTeamSCA*yettofinishLeg6):1)AbuDhabiOceanRacing11pts,2)DongfengRaceTeam17,3)TeamAlvimedica19*,4)TeamBrunel21,5)MAPFRE24,6)TeamSCA29*,7)TeamVestas(Denmark)44.

via Agloriouscomeback|VolvoOceanRace2014-2015.

Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) felt the familiar presence of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR) to their stern on Wednesday as the thrilling Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race headed for a potential ‘photo finish’ in Newport, Rhode Island (full story below).

– Dongfeng and Azzam set to battle it out to the finish

– Block Island decision could make or break leaders

– Follow the Leg 6 climax all the way to Newport

ALICANTE, Spain, May 6 – Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) felt the familiar presence of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker/GBR) to their stern on Wednesday as the thrilling Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race headed for a potential ‘photo finish’ in Newport, Rhode Island.

The Emirati boat, overall race leaders with seven points to spare from Dongfeng, have stuck to Caudrelier’s crew like glue for the last 24 hours.

The arch rivals were still just over 150 nautical miles (nm) from the finish of a 5,010nm stage from Itajaí, Brazil, at 0940 UTC on Wednesday after nearly 17 days of head-to-head racing since setting out on April 19.

Dongfeng Race Team held a narrow 6nm lead, but the final few hours before a probable Thursday morning finish could yet upset their hopes of a second stage victory following their Leg 3 triumph sailing to their home port of Sanya back in late January.

The boats are shortly exiting the Gulf Stream in good winds and will sail into reaching conditions of some 18 knots, the Race’s official meteorologist, Gonzalo Infante, reported on Wednesday.

They will then run into squally conditions, again with gusts of around 18 knots, before the westerly wind which is driving them turns north-east late afternoon/early evening UTC time.

Towards the end of the day, between 2100-2400 UTC, the boats will run into a relative brick wall in the form of a cold front for the last 30nm or so from Block Island onwards.

That could finally split the two – laterally at least – when they opt to go east or west and the decision could make or break either of them.

No wonder, then, that Infante is predicting: “We could be in for a photo finish.”

The three boats behind them – Team Brunel (Bouwe Bekking/NED), MAPFRE (Xabi Fernández/ESP) and Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright/USA) (see panel above) – were still battling desperately to stay in touch in the hope that either of the front two could make an error in the final straight.

Meanwhile, at the back of the fleet, Team SCA (Sam Davies/GBR) lost significant ground in the last 24 hours with all hope of a first podium finish seemingly lost.

The mood on board Azzam is of high excitement. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing have already won two legs including the toughest of them all, Leg 5 through the Southern Ocean, and are hungry for another.

Their onboard reporter, Matt Knighton, summed up on Tuesday night: “Right now we need to pull out all the secrets we’ve got. In the breezy downwind conditions of the darkness, they’ve (Dongfeng) managed to sail lower and faster towards the mark and extended to 3nm ahead.

“We’ve found at least 10 rabbits in this magic hat of ours this leg – we just need to find one more.”

The boats will spend 10 days in Newport, hosting the race for the first time, before heading back across the Atlantic to Lisbon in Leg 7 on May 17.

via It could be a ‘photo finish’| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015.