Abu Dhabi wins
For this third overall participation and second participation at the head of the UAE project, Ian Walker, double Olympic silver medallist (1,996 in 470 and 2,000 in Star) has led a cosmopolitan crew for this edition (7 nationalities on board). With its experienced and highly trained sailors, Abu Dhabi is one of the favorites in this 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race. They have dominated this first leg between Alicante and Cape Town and are taking their revenge on the 2011 edition which they had to abandon after four hours of racing due to a dismasting.
Hot reaction from Ian Walker " It's a lot of emotion. Nothing was decided and in the last few hours, we gave it our all. The last ten days, the boats were coming back on us. It was hard. I really want to salute the work of Dongfeng. They were incredible, it's a fantastic performance. Charles is a great sailor. Before the start, I said they were probably a very serious opponent."
Dongfeng in second place
While Dongfeng was very close to the Emirati crew âeuros 2 miles separated them âeuros they engaged in a breathtaking finish, approaching Table Mountain, overlooking Cape Town.
The Franco-Sino crew, led by Charles Caudrelier, also caused a sensation on this leg. They finished only 12 minutes and 4 seconds behind Abu Dhabi. A great performance for those who had to face two major damages during this leg: the breakage of a rudder and the breakage of the rear hull, which violently released the gennaker sheet. But above all, it is the huge involvement of the Chinese sailors who had never sailed offshore 6 months ago, that should be highlighted. Team Brunel should cross the line in third place.
Charles Caudrelier's reaction " We are delighted with this result. It is fantastic for our team! We are a special team. We are not only here to win. Our objective is also to train Chinese people to sailing and to develop sailing in China. We are happy with this result. Six months ago, some of our Chinese sailors had not spent a night at sea. Today, they have just completed an incredible leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. We are very proud of them."
A very close race
With the introduction of one-design racing, the face of the Volvo Ocean Race has changed dramatically. The crews sailed most of the leg on sight and right up to the end, the tension was at its highest. Abu Dhabi, with Dongfeng at its heels, is the perfect illustration of the level of sport and emotional intensity that the Volvo Ocean Race sailors will experience until next June!
