It's a close game... They are three teams who can claim victory thanks to their equal points in the overall standings. Three skippers, three stories, three crews and three countries represented. But only one winner will be known at the end of this 11th leg, which promises to be one of the most hotly contested in the history of the race.
After more than 44,000 nautical miles sailed around the world, MAPFRE and Team Brunel are at the top of the rankings, with 65 points each. Just behind them is Dongfeng Race Team with 64 points, but the Franco-Chinese team is almost certain to win the bonus point awarded to the team with the best cumulative time since the start. With a 21-hour lead, Charles Caudrelier's crew therefore has 65 points.
After more than eight months of racing, we will still have to wait until the last stage to know the winner. Never before seen in the Volvo Ocean Race in its 45-year history.
" It's fantastic to see three boats tied." said Frenchman Charles Caudrelier at a press conference on Wednesday 20 June. " I think one of these three teams deserves to win the race. Now it's time to give it all we've got, and push a little harder than our competitors. We know it's going to be a huge fight, it's great for the race! We're excited, and we're ready to fight ."
Jesus Renedo/Volvo Ocean Race
Xabi Fernández and his MAPFRE crew dominated the race more than anyone else. Today he could be the first to offer a Volvo Ocean Race victory to his country.
" We're in an incredible situation, three boats tied, one race to go. I'm extremely happy that we're one of the three, fighting for victory "said the Spanish skipper. " But we know that only one will win. We have a mission, we have to beat them! "
On the Dutch side, the crew of Bouwe Bekking has just made an amazing comeback, as they were in penultimate position in Auckland. In the last four stages, 47 points were up for grabs, with Brunel taking 45.
" We have the momentum The new government has been able to make a significant contribution to the development of the country," said a confident Bouwe Bekking at a press conference this morning. " If you look at the rankings, we went faster on all the last stages. In the last one, we found an extra speed, which is a good sign. I think we finish with a team that we can be extremely satisfied with. What's more, I'm going to sail home. I lived in Denmark for 25 years. But I also grew up in the Netherlands... We have all the ingredients to win the race ."
At the bottom of the standings, Dee Caffari and her crew of Turn the Tide on Plastic are in a position to overtake sixth-placed SHK Scallywag, as a small point separates the two teams.
" It would be huge for us to overtake them," said the Briton . " For a team that arrived very late, with young and mostly inexperienced sailors, nobody expected a result from us. But we were much more competitive than everyone imagined, in the way we sailed. Not finishing last would be the icing on the cake. It would be incredible for my team, and I would be even more proud. But he (David Witt) isn't going to let us pass that easily - that's for sure! "
"What we can expect in The Hague has probably never been experienced in this race, even if we go back to the time of the Whitbread "judged AkzoNobel team skipper Simeon Tienpont. " There could be more than a million spectators during this week, and I think that shows how big the Volvo Ocean Race is in the world of sport, especially in the Netherlands ."
The Volvo Ocean Race rankings at the start of Leg 11 :
1. MAPFRE - 65 points
2. Team Brunel - 65 points
3. Dongfeng Race Team - 64 points *
4. team AkzoNobel - 53 points
5. 11th Hour Racing Vestas - 38 points
6. SHK / Scallywag - 30 points
7. Turn the Tide on Plastic - 29 points
*a bonus point is awarded to the team with the best cumulative time over the entire race.
