Volvo Ocean Race - Team Alvimedica's ETA in Cape Town

by Amory Ross, Team Alvimedica on 6 Nov 2014 Team Alvimedica congratulates Abu Dhabi Racing on winning Leg One of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Abu Dhabi Racing won Leg One into Cape Town today at 5:10 pm local time. Skipper Ian Walker and crew were pushed hard by Dong Feng Race Team who finished only 12 minutes behind the winners, clinching second place on the leg that began October 11 in Alicante, Spain.

In an impressive performance, the Chinese team overcame two breakdowns during the leg yet remained a threat to the fleet leader until they crossed the Cape Town finish line. After more than 6,000 miles of racing over the past 25 days, the close finish of Leg One reinforces that this will be a hotly-contested race around the world.

Team Alvimedica, currently placed fifth on Leg One, was about 360 miles from the finish late Wednesday afternoon.

The ETA for skipper Charlie Enright and crew is either late Thursday November 6 or early on Friday November 7.

'We’ve got good breeze now and feeling a little better today than we were yesterday,' Enright said Wednesday in a live interview from on board Alvimedica. 'We’re pretty happy to have some wind now and to be cruising toward Cape Town.'

Enright said the team took the dive South a little early. 'We made a tactical decision about a week ago that put us in the place that we are,' Enright explained. 'A big part of this leg is how you engage the South Atlantic High. There was more pressure to the South and we tried to jump the pack getting there, but we weren’t able to get as far Team Alvimedica website