Volvo Ocean Race- Team Alvimedica wins first podium place in Sanya

by Sail-World on 27 Jan 2015 Team Alvimedica won a Leg 3 podium place in China, after some of the closest racing ever seen in the history of the Volvo Ocean Race.

The Turkish-American team protected their position in the final stretch to Sanya, carefully navigating a course peppered with fishing boats along the Vietnamese coast and across the South China Sea to cap off a well-sailed leg to clinch third.

Dongfeng Racing won the leg to their homeport after leading from just after the start in Abu Dhabi to the finish in Sanya. The most exciting head-to-head competition was in the middle of the fleet where less than 20-miles separated the places second through fifth. After a hard-fought race where the closest rivals were in sight of each throughout much of the final 10 days to Sanya, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing placed second and Team Alvimedica earned third.

Skipper Charlie Enright and crew fended off an attack from the Spanish entry Mapfre who crossed the Sanya line just 30 minutes behind Team Alvimedica.

'It was a combination of things – our boat speed was better in certain conditions, our crew was gelling better and we were working in a more efficient way,' Enright said of what produced a podium finish on this challenging leg to Sanya. 'We were really determined to improve our performance from the first two offshore legs and it paid off today. The guys really dug deep short-tacking up the coast of Vietnam to maintain our position across the South China Sea into Sanya. I am really proud of the guys and how hard everyone worked together to get this result.'

Leg 3 could be considered one of the most mentally challenging in the 39,000-mile race around the world. After coping with light air sailing across the Bay of Bengal, the fleet had to face one of the top three busiest shipping lanes in the world – the notoriously difficult Malacca Strait. Before entering the Strait, Enright said he was steeling himself for potentially the most challenging part of the entire circumnavigation with the need to be ready for changing sails, changing game plans, avoiding ships and fishing boats, and sleepless nights.

Enright says Team Navigator Will Oxley said while the crew was aware of other teams behind in hot pursuit, Team Alvimedica made the decisions based on what was happening ahead. 'We sailed our race looking forward not looking back. The improvement in boat speed and communication came together on Leg 3 to improve our overall performance on what was likely the most mentally challenging and stressful leg of the entire race.'

Team Alvimedica crossed the Sanya finish line today in third place at 03:51:15 UTC or 11:51am local time, completing the 4,670-nautical-mile leg in 23 days, 17 hours, 51 minutes and 15 seconds. The six-boat Volvo Ocean Race fleet set out from Abu Dhabi, UAE, on January 3.

This marks the young team’s first podium finish for one of the offshore legs. After three stages, the team stands in fourth place overall and only three points short of third place.

Alvimedica CEO Dr. Cem Bozkurt spoke to Enright soon after the team’s arrival to Sanya. 'The team has shown significant progress from the first day of this race, gaining experience and building up on their knowledge in the first two legs,' Bozkurt said. 'Overcoming many challenges along the way and especially in this leg, Team Alvimedica has proved that determination does lead to success.'

Team Alvimedica’s global heart health charity initiative continues at the Sanya stopover. The Chinese Agape Foundation will be the recipient of the funds raised in the online auction now underway for two unique experiences with Team Alvimedica during the Sanya stopover.

Bidding for the 'Jump Seat,' closes February 1. The auction winner will be part of Team Alvimedica as they compete in Sanya against the Volvo Ocean Race fleet. To learn more about the auction, go to the team website here.

Team Alvimedica crew race crew are: Alberto Bolzan, 32, (ITA); Nick Dana, 28, (Newport, RI, USA); Charlie Enright, 30, (Bristol, RI, USA); Ryan Houston, 32, (NZL); Sebastien Marsset, 30, (FRA); Will Oxley, 49, (AUS); Dave Swete, 30, (NZL); Mark Towill, 26, (Kanehoe, HI, USA); and OnBoard Reporter Amory Ross, 30, (Newport, RI, USA).

Team Alvimedica is the youngest entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015, the world's toughest and longest sporting event. The crew is led by American skipper Charlie Enright, age 30. Alvimedica, the European based medical devices company, is the team’s owner. Founded in 2007, Alvimedica is a fast growing challenger in the global field of interventional cardiology, committed to developing minimally-invasive technologies. This is the team’s first entry in the extremely challenging 39,000-mile race that started October 11, 2014 from Alicante, Spain and features stopovers in 11 ports around the world.

Follow Team Alvimedica on:

www.teamalvimedica.com

www.facebook.com/TeamAlvimedica

www.volvooceanrace.com

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