It was the closest finish in the race’s 45-year history. Story by Jon Coen with Adventure Sports Network
The Volvo Ocean Race is held every three years, a pinnacle sailing event. This year, it began in Alicante Spain on Oct. 22, the start of 11 legs around the world with ports including Lisbon, Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Guagzhou, Aukland, Itajai, Newport, RI, Cardiff, Gothenburg, and the tight finish at The Hague.
Dongfeng, the first ever boat to fly under the Chinese flag, hadn’t won a single leg of the race, but were a model of consistency since October. Skipper Charles Caudrelier went into the final 970-mile leg from Gothenburg, Sweden to The Hague in a three-way tie. The top finisher between Dongfeng, MAPFRE, and Team Brunel would take this year’s title.
On Saturday evening, Caudrelier rolled the dice on a coastal route. With 100 miles left, all three crews were still too close to call. Dongfeng finished the leg in 15:22:32, 16 minutes ahead of Team Azko Nobel. Read More
