Spanish boat MAPFRE (Iker Mart\u00ednez\/ESP) won their second Volvo Ocean Race in-port race running on Saturday, but only with two metres to spare after a thrilling contest in the Portuguese sun (full story below).<\/p>\n
LISBON, Portugal, June 6 \u2013 Spanish boat MAPFRE (Iker Mart\u00ednez\/ESP) won their second Volvo Ocean Race in-port race running on Saturday, but only with two metres to spare after a thrilling contest in the Portuguese sun.<\/p>\n
Helmed by skipper Iker Mart\u00ednez, who needed all his feted match-racing skills, MAPFRE edged past Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker\/GBR) in a sprint to the finish line as they gybed together at exactly the same time.<\/p>\n
At one stage, it looked as if the Spanish boat would take a penalty for blocking the Emirati boat\u2019s path, but former 2004 Olympic champion, Mart\u00ednez, judged the final manouevre to perfection.<\/p>\n
The win, one second ahead, moves the Spaniards back into an outside chance of a podium finish in the series after winning the previous in-port race in Newport, Rhode Island, last month (see Scoreboard).<\/p>\n
However, beaten skipper Ian Walker of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, will not be disappointed for long. His crew\u2019s second place leaves them well clear in the overall in-port standings, with eight of the 10 races completed.<\/p>\n
Their closest rivals, Team Brunel (Bouwe Bekking\/NED), struggled for much of the course, which was cut from six to five legs by the Race Committee, due to decreasing winds on the tidal Tagus River.<\/p>\n
For so long, MAPFRE had looked to have the race safely in their pockets.<\/p>\n
Team SCA (Sam Davies\/GBR) led the seven-strong fleet across the line, only to be penalised for starting too early (OCS – on course side).<\/p>\n
The unlucky all-women\u2019s crew, who later battled back heroically to take fourth place, were forced to turn back against the tide to re-cross the line, losing dozens of metres to their rivals.<\/p>\n
From then, MAPFRE looked in complete control, taking a 400-metre lead at the third mark, but just when it appeared to be a done deal, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing stormed back in stronger wind on Leg 4 and briefly snatched the lead from them.<\/p>\n
Undaunted, Mart\u00ednez slipped his boat across the Emirati yacht in a grandstand finish to take the gun.<\/p>\n
Team Alvimedica (Charlie Enright\/USA), who, pre-race, had trained in nearby Cascais, used their local knowledge for a solid third-place podium spot, but the drama was by no means over.<\/p>\n
Team SCA and Team Vestas Wind (Chris Nicholson\/AUS) had a near copy of the MAPFRE\/Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing showdown, both approaching the finish within metres of each other.<\/p>\n
Vestas Wind, however, was then, unfortunately, snagged on the finish mark and forced to complete a turn and re-cross the line allowing Team Brunel and a disappointed Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier\/FRA) to pass and leave them trailing in the seventh and final position.<\/p>\n
Team Vestas Wind, whose crew member Nicolai Sehested (DEN) was left stranded on the mark as he tried to free the boat, were returning after a six-month absence from the race having grounded on an Indian Ocean reef during Leg 2, necessitating a complete boat rebuild.<\/p>\n
Sunday (1400 local time\/1300 UTC) \u00a0will see the start of Leg 8, a 647-nautical mile stage to Lorient. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing begin with a six-point overall advantage over both Team Brunel and Dongfeng Race Team.<\/p>\n
Lisbon In-Port Race results<\/p>\n
1. MAPFRE 14:59:39 – 1pt<\/p>\n
2. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 14:59:40 – 2pts<\/p>\n
3. Team Alvimedica 15:05:07 – 3pts<\/p>\n
4. Team SCA 15:08:38 – 4pts<\/p>\n
5. Team Brunel 15:09:44 – 5pts<\/p>\n
6. Dongfeng Race Team 15:13:07 – 6pts<\/p>\n
7. Team Vestas Wind 15:15:14 – 7pts<\/p>\n
In-Port Race Overall standings<\/p>\n
1. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing – 21pts<\/p>\n
2. Team Brunel – 25pts<\/p>\n
3. Team SCA – 28pts<\/p>\n
4. Team Alvimedica \u2013 31pts<\/p>\n
5. MAPFRE – 32pts<\/p>\n
6. Dongfeng Race Team- 33pts<\/p>\n
7. Team Vestas Wind – 59pts<\/p>\n
via MAPFRE win showdown in the sun| Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Spanish boat MAPFRE (Iker Mart\u00ednez\/ESP) won their second Volvo Ocean Race in-port race running on Saturday, but only with two metres to spare after a thrilling contest in the Portuguese sun (full story below). LISBON, Portugal, June 6 \u2013 Spanish … Continue reading