Volvo Ocean Race: MAPFRE win leg four of round-the-world race
- Published
MAPFRE celebrate first position in leg four of the Volvo Ocean Race from Sanya to Auckland
Spain's MAPFRE have become the fourth different team to win a leg of the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race.
MAPFRE edged out Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing - skippered by Briton Ian Walker - by just four minutes 25 seconds.
The fourth, 5,264-nautical-mile leg of nine in the race, from Sanya on the southernmost tip of China to Auckland, New Zealand, has taken more than 20 days since setting out on February 8.
Abu Dhabi lead the overall standings, external from Chinese crew Dongfeng Race Team.
The teams |
|---|
Team SCA, Sweden |
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Abu Dhabi |
Dongfeng Race Team, China |
Team Brunel, Netherlands |
Team Alvimedica, US/Turkey |
MAPFRE, Spain |
Team Vestas Wind, Denmark |
There are 16 nationalities among the seven teams, with sailors from Australia, Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, US & UK. Other Britons involved are Team SCA's Dee Caffari, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's navigator Simon Fisher & MAPFRE's Sam Goodchild. |
"It was a very tough leg, a very tough last few days especially," stand-in skipper Xabi Fernandez said.
The exciting finish was watched by tens of thousands of people in the port.
The race win moves the Spanish team to fourth place in the overall standings.
The yachts and crews will now have a break of two weeks before the next leg, through the Southern Ocean from New Zealand to Itajai, Brazil, on 15 March.
The race finishes in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 27 June.
About the Volvo Ocean Race | |
|---|---|
The global event takes nine months to complete and covers almost 39,000 nautical miles | One nautical mile is equal to 1.15 land miles and is used for navigating and charting |
The event is regarded as crewed sailing's toughest test | The race was previously called the Whitbread Round the World Race |
Team Brunel, who won the second leg of the race in December, are one of the seven teams taking part
Overall race leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing approached Auckland during sunrise
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