Volvo Ocean Race Leg 4 - Dongfeng feel the pressure

by Dongfeng Race Team on 9 Feb 2015 Volvo Ocean Race Leg 4 - The truth is gaining the lead in this race is hard enough but it’s going to be a damn sight harder to keep it.

At 0600 CET (1400 local time) the Volvo Ocean Race fleet set sail for leg 4 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Sanya, China to Auckland, New Zealand. Dongfeng Race Team is currently leading the race overall and after winning the in-port race in Sanya yesterday it would appear that Charles Caudrelier and his team are on a roll.

'Coming second twice in a row during the first two legs of the race then finishing in first place into our home port of Sanya was a better result than we could have ever expected. The problem is, we now have to face the fact that we’re under more pressure than ever before to keep our position,' explains Charles Caudrelier dockside.

There has always been a struggle within the team to manage the balance between focus on performance and maintaining the long term sporting mission of the team, which is to train up the rookie Chinese sailors to become professional offshore sailors. At no point was it ever considered that we would be in a position where we could have the best of both worlds. But at this point in time it would appear that against all odds we have become a team that is ‘in it to win it’ all whilst maintaining our original promise.

'I am careful because I know happiness comes and goes in this race. From experience I know that you can be on top of the world one minute and be at your lowest the next,' continues Caudrelier.

Caudrelier also has to contend with a big crew change for this leg – half of the team from the winning leg 3 combination are no longer on the boat. Star navigator Pascal Bidégorry is being replaced by French sailor Erwan Israel and Chinese sailors Chen Jin Hao (Horace) and Yang Jiru (Wolf) will replace Liu Xue (Black) and Cheng Ying Kit. 'Our team is united, we’ve learnt to work together. We deserve the result we have. One year ago I never even knew if I’d be onboard for a leg so to be going into my second leg is incredible,' said Wolf.

The next leg (over 6,000 nautical miles) from Sanya to Auckland is going to be tough one. It’s not just going to be the distance this time that challenges the team, as it looks like there will be no time to ‘settle in’ to life onboard as the team will be facing 25-30 knots boat and people breaking upwind conditions from the off.

'Once we get out of Sanya, there is the same exclusion line running that the sailors had coming into Sanya – it’s just to keep them out of the Navy zone. Then there is a mark on top of the Philippines, to stop them from going back to the Malacca Strait. Later on there are a couple of marks around the Solomon Islands, because we didn’t want them to sail through these islands. And that’s it – next mark is the finish line!' – Jack Lloyd, Race Director.

Not many race marks to contend with then but, undoubtedly, plenty of hurdles. And with the other five teams fired up to achieve more and improve their own performance on the next leg – its ‘gloves off’ for the 3 to 4 week fight to Auckland.