Volvo Ocean Race – A grandstand finish

by Ian Thomson on 28 Jun 2015 If the Volvo Ocean Race organisers wanted a grandstand finish to what has been the closest of racing events in history, then they certainly got it with today’s Inmarsat In-Port Race on the narrow channels of Gothenburg.

It was all set up perfectly. The battle for first in the In-Port Series between Abu Dhabi and Brunel meant that if Brunel won and Abu Dhabi finished last that Brunel would win on a count back. Even more interest surrounded the battle between Alvimedica and Maprfre. Tied in the overall series it was down to the In-Port series to break the deadlock. Alivmedica had a two-point lead so Maprfre had to put a boat between them to get the win which would be decided on a countback.

Unfortunately the clouds rolled in and the wind disappeared but the spectators certainly didn’t care, they turned out in droves. Probably the biggest crowd of any location in recent editions greeted the fleet as they sailed out of the channel to the race course closer to the entrance. The spectator fleet was a spectacle in itself with lots of old Volvo/Whitbread boats amongst the hundreds of spectator boats. The Goteborg Replica was a sight to see as she came out to the course with spectators on board.

After a short delay, the racing got away in about five knots of wind. With Code Zero’s deployed it was SCA first over the line however Team Vestas Wind was not far behind and had the speed and closer to the favoured pin end to take an early lead. At the back, Brunel and Abu Dhabi locked horns coming very close before splitting to different sides of the course. Marpfre and Alvimedica also split to different sides of the course.

The wind was a bit of hit and miss and it was Marpfre that found that sailing up the left side, through the spectator boats was where the wind was. Whilst others were knocking in very light airs in the middle and right, they got a bit of breeze and lifted half way up the course before knocking back towards the center. Vestas, who had been knocked to the center earlier tacked back to the edge and traded places with Mapfre as they lifted up the edge. Brunel and SCA sailed through the spectator fleet and overtook Abu Dhabi, DongFeng and Alvimedica who had all sailed up the center.

Heading to the top mark and Vestas sailed out from the edge early which proved pivotal as Mapfre once again took the left edge and looked like they would reach the first mark just in front of Vestas coming in from the right. However they left the edge earlier than Brunel and SCA and Brunel had speed into the mark overtaking Mapfre with 50m left to the marks. Vestas wasn’t making the mark and was very slow as they tried to round without a code up.

Mapfre got caught up with them and SCA took advantage to sneak around in second with a bold move to cut in between the buoy and the slow Mapfre. Alvimedica was the only boat to choose the right hand marker which proved a great move as they got clear air and sailed up into fourth, just one position behind Mapfre which was their goal, as Team Vestas’s nightmare rounding continued and they had slipped from first to fifth in one rounding. Dongfeng took sixth with Abu Dhabi nervous in last place as they watched Brunel sail away in the lead. Brunel had gone from last to first in one leg.

The downwind leg saw everyone fall in line as they all sailed along the edge of the spectator fleet, much to the delight of the thousands of colourful and enthusiastic spectators. At the bottom mark, it was Brunel rounding first with SCA hot on their heels. Mapfre and Alvimedica were next with quite a large gap to the fifth place Dongfeng. Abu Dhabi took a gamble to jibe early and inside of both Dongfeng and Vestas and picked up a vital position taking sixth off Vestas who’s in-port struggles continued as they had fallen from first to last in the space of just over a leg.

The beat back upwind to a shortened course had most playing the left once again. Vestas tried the right tacking after the rounding and Abu Dhabi tacked to cover having made a decision to match race Vestas to get their sixth place and the in-port title. At the final rounding mark it was Brunel who had pulled a healthy lead from SCA but the real battle was between Mapfre and Alvimedica.

This battle proved to be the big talking point as Mapfre set about a match racing tactic that you would never think you would see in yachting, let alone the Volvo Ocean Race. I’ve seen it in car racing but never on yachts, but the experienced team on Mapfre decided their only chance was to slow Alivmedica down to try and get another boat between them.

Sailing low and slow and then switching when Alvimedica tried to overtake, the two boats were in a different race. Slowly but surely Dongfeng closed the gap. Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez were trying to achieve what many would think is impossible on a Volvo. However, as DongFeng sailed above the two, they waited till Alvimedica’s wind was taken by the closing Dongfeng and then stepped on the accelerator before their own wind was taken.

It was a masterful move and it worked. As they came to the finish it was Mapfre taking third for the day and critically, they had managed to put a boat between them and Alvimedica. As they crossed the line in third place, there was a huge high five between Iker and Xabi. They had stolen the fourth place in the overall in what will be remembered as one of the most aggressive match racing tactics in Volvo Ocean Racing history.

Ahead of them the victorious Brunel celebrated the win, but it wasn’t enough to steal the in-port series as Abu Dhabi finished in sixth, enough to clinch the series by a solitary point. Team SCA’s well sailed second would have made Magnus Olssen proud as they also claimed the final podium position for the in-port series. It was a solemn crew on Alvimedica who crossed in fifth, knowing they had lost fourth in the overall.

As the crews sailed back to the race village, the spectator fleet lined the channel on both sides. It was an amazing sight and one that would surely make the organisers consider Gothenburg as the finish destination for all future editions of the race; after all it is the home of Volvo, the company that has supported this race as the major sponsor for the last five editions.

In my opinion, this has been the greatest edition of the race for many reasons. The one design concept has seen unbelievable finishes with four boats finishing within an hour after the southern ocean leg, boats match racing their way to the finish after 20 odd days at sea. From a spectator point of view, it has been epic to watch and the race organisers must be commended for taking the one design risk.

The one design concept has also allowed two teams into the competition that possibly wouldn’t have participated had it been a design race like the past. Team SCA was the first all women’s’ team in over a decade and they won a leg as well as taking third for the in-port series.

An even better story in my opinion was Team Alvimedica. Charlie Enright’s team was young and some would say amateurs. They entered the race and won the very first race, the in-port race in Alicante to open the eyes of many people. With the experienced navigator of Will Oxley they learnt on every leg and pulled off a win in the final offshore leg.

They will be disappointed tonight having lost fourth place overall but they can be proud of what they have achieved and the organisers will surely be thanking them for proving you don’t have to have a team of Volvo veterans to be competitive with the new one design concept.

A shout out also has to go to Ian Walker and Charles Caudrelier and their teams. First and Second in this edition is one thing but more importantly they are taking sailing to developing sailing nations in Abu Dhabi and China.

Seeing Horace up the mast of Dongfeng today with fist pumping in the air for the cameras was awesome and Adil Kahlid will surely be a rockstar and role model when he returns to Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Getting these countries sailing is key to these campaigns and the future of sailing so congratulations on your efforts and hopefully both nations will be back in the next edition.

The 2017/18 edition will once again be run on the Volvo 65’s with rumours spreading of a plan to build three more boats and hence have 10 in the next edition, a maximum number for feasibility in ports etc.

But until then, it’s time to pop the cork and celebrate with all the teams that have made this edition one to remember.

Life at the Extreme, the way they do it in the Volvo Ocean Race.