After the Mirpuri Foundation In-Port Race in Lisbon won by the Dutch team on Friday 3rd November 2017, the Volvo Ocean Race fleet took the start of the second leg of the race on Sunday 5th November. Heading to Cape Town (South Africa) from Lisbon, after an 8-day stopover and a first stage victory for MAPFRE.
The seven Volvo Ocean 65s left the Portuguese capital this Sunday for a long 7,000-mile leg. The start on the Tagus was given at the scheduled time, 15:00 (French time), in ideal conditions, with plenty of sunshine and a good 20 knot breeze. And it was Team Brunel, winner of the In-Port, who crossed the start line first, launched at over 15 knots, followed by Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag.
But quickly the Dutch boat was overtaken by the Dongfeng Race Team, which was faster thanks to a better positioning on the right side of the river. Passed at the first mark upstream with a 39-second lead over Vestas 11th Hour Racing and 57 over Team Brunel, Charles Caudrelier and his crew kept the lead until the final mark of this preliminary course out of Tagus, flashed as they entered the Atlantic Ocean at 32.7 knots, in 30 knots of increasing wind.
"The real Volvo Ocean Race begins. The first leg counted in terms of points, but it was still a bit of a warm-up. Now we're setting off for the real thing, on a mythical leg to Cape Town. Very quickly, the difference will be made in terms of speed and strategic choices, as positioning will be crucial. Multiple options are possible, even very extreme ones." was rejoicing before the departure of Charles Caudrelier.
Indeed, unlike previous editions, the traditional waypoint on the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha has been removed, making the strategic game particularly open.
"I think it changes a lot, we're going to have an interesting stage and it's possible that we're going to see the biggest gap in positions ever seen in the Volvo Ocean Race." David Witt, skipper of Sun Hun Kai/Scallywag, commented, while Simeon Tienpont, who for this demanding leg of the race brought on board AkzoNobel the experienced Chris Nicholson, Jules Salter and Peter Van Niekerk, added: "It's a stage that will last 21 or 22 days, with technical decisions to be made every day."
