Volvo Ocean Race: Team Brunel win second leg to take lead

Team Brunel are tied on four points with Dongfeng and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing but top the standings as they won the most recent leg

Team Brunel won the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, beating China's Dongfeng Race Team by just 16 minutes after 23 days of sailing.

Starting in Abu Dhabi, the Dutch boat passed Dongfeng five hours before the finish in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Chinese team were also edged out in the first leg, finishing second to Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing by 12 minutes.

Three teams are on four points, but Team Brunel are ahead of Abu Dhabi and Dongfeng as they won the last leg.

Team Vestas Wind of Denmark are still hoping to rejoin the race after sailing into a reef in the Indian Ocean and grounding their boat.

Bouwe Bekking, the 51-year-old who leads Team Brunel, said: "It is a good feeling. I've always said, it's better to be lucky than good but we've been good this leg as well.

"So it's so nice to win this one because it could have been an easy leg to finish last."

Abu Dhabi finished the leg third, with three boats - Mapfre, Team Alvimedica and Team SCA - still racing. They are not expected to finish until at least Sunday.

Leg three, from Abu Dhabi to Sanya, will start on 3 January.

The nine-leg race comprises seven teams, who will compete almost 39,000 nautical miles, visiting 11 ports across every continent and finishing in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 27 June 2015.

Team Vestas are still hoping to return to the race after hitting a reef and being rescued from shark-infested waters

Team Dongfeng of China were pipped to victory for the second successive leg

Team Brunel cruised into Abu Dhabi to win the second leg and take the lead of the race