Volvo Ocean Race Abu Dhabi InPort Race - SCA dominate

by Victoria Low on 3 Jan 2015 In the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 SCA, with their all-female crew, dominated the InPort race in Abu Dhabi and took their first victory.

With Olympians Carolijn Brouwer (NED) on the helm and Sally Barkow (USA) calling tactics, the team led the fleet from the start line.

In the searing heat of the afternoon, Team SCA led the five other Volvo Ocean Race teams over the start line and shortly after tacked to the starboard side of the course. This was the call that proved to be the key to their success.

The Swedish-flagged boat found a good breeze in the light and fickle winds and left the rest of the fleet behind. At the first mark they already had a lead of some 100 meters ahead of Team Brunel, while at the second, with the wind staying stable between five-eight knots, they had doubled this to 200 meters.

'It's an awesome feeling,' comments Carolijn Brouwer, 'we had the practice race a couple of days ago and won that but it was great to go out and do it all again exactly the same, with the same result.

'Everyone onboard did such a great job, we didn’t come off the start line too well but we made up for it. Our coach said to us this morning 'just do the same as you did in the practice race' and we literally did - we tacked in the same spot, we jibed in the same spot, and we finished in the same spot.

'We have always been moving around a little bit and figuring out the best positions onboard and I think that has worked well for us but it’s just everyone having their input and gelling together which makes a difference.'

Fellow crew member Annie Lush agrees: 'It is great to get a race win, get that winning flag and to prove that winning the practice race was not a fluke and we can do this – now we just have to embrace this feeling of leading the fleet and try to sustain it for the next 24 days!'

This win in Abu Dhabi, puts the all-female team third on the leaderboard for the InPort Race series and the result is a huge morale booster for tomorrow's start of the 4600-mile Leg 3 from Abu Dhabi to Sanya, China.

Abu Dhabi In-Port Race result: 1 Team SCA (Sweden), 2 Team Brunel (Netherlands), 3 Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, 4 Dongfeng Race Team (China), 5 Team Alvimedica (Turkey-USA), 6 MAPFRE Event website