Volvo Ocean Race- Dongfeng scores historic victory for China

by Sail-World on 27 Jan 2015 The finish of Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race in Sanya, China just before noon on January 27, 2015 marked an unbelievable end to a magnificent leg for Dongfeng Race Team.

After leading the fleet virtually all the way from Abu Dhabi to Sanya in China, over more than 5,000 miles of intense ocean racing, Dongfeng finally crossed the finish line in first place as the sun rose over Sanya (23:31:38 UTC) in a time of 23 days, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 38 seconds.

This is the first time in history a Chinese team (or any Chinese sailor) has won a leg in the Volvo Ocean Race’s 41-year history. And what a leg to win supported by its Chinese partners – Dong Feng meaning wind from the east, Aeolus (Fong Shen) meaning the Wind Guardian and the City of Shiyan.

The reality is that it couldn’t have been scripted better. The Chinese team with two Chinese rookie sailors onboard – Liu Xue (Black) and Cheng Ying Kit – showed unparalleled grit and determination and led the entire fleet of some of the world’s best offshore sailors to their home country China. With the ambition to ‘bring offshore sailing to China’ nobody could have predicted the impact this team would have.

Arriving at the pontoon in Serenity Marina, Charles Caudrelier said: 'It was the most stressful race of my life. We take the lead on the first day and we had to keep it because we had to arrive first here because it was very important for me and for the project, so we are so proud. One year ago we were here and we were discovering the Chinese sailors who were rookies and now they win the leg – it’s just fantastic.

'Maybe in the first time in offshore sailing something like this has happened – in just one year these guys have become great sailors. I am so proud, this is everything I wanted but I didn’t dare think about. It’s a team job and you cannot win a leg without a strong team.'

There were moments of panic where the chasing pack were catching up and the lead did diminish (from 106 miles to 9 miles at one point). In just under 24 days and racing more than 5,000 nautical miles, Dongfeng held their position. It’s the longest time any team has led the fleet since the start of the race back in Alicante in October, which is no surprise as the determination onboard Dongfeng was almost tangible as the teams left for Sanya. Dongfeng was going to fight like hell to win this leg.

Persian Gulf, Hormuz Strait, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea/Malacca Straits and the South China Sea are just a few of the challenges the determined men of Dongfeng have had to face as they battled their way through leg 3. Dongfeng have shown exceptional capabilities and stamina on what has been one of the slowest and agonizing legs so far.

This is the ultimate triumph for a project that has the future of Chinese sailing at its core. The youngest sailor in the race at the age of 21, Liu Xue, could not contain his delight on the dockside: 'I have made the best decision of my life to join this team. I have learnt so much. This leg and this moment I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.' As a very proud grandmother, who had never flown on a plane until she flew into Sanya for this arrival, stood close by to Black.

When it was agreed that Dongfeng Race Team would lay the foundations for offshore sailing in China no one could have predicted such a perfect result. With little under a year of training the Chinese sailors in the squad have impressed, even if this made Dongfeng Race Team one of the less experienced teams and, subsequently, the least favourite to win when the race started. So this is not only a victory for China but for Caudrelier and his men who have worked day and night to train their Chinese counterparts.

Charles Caudrelier wrote on day 12 of the leg: 'I am watching them with admiration, we’re leading this leg, we’re at the top of the overall leaderboard – you can’t compete with the race favourites without a great team. And to build a great team, you need great players. Thinking about the journey of the Chinese sailors since February 2014, Black didn’t speak a word of English and had never spent a night at sea. But from the first day he really impressed us – then he quit straight away after his first offshore sailing, beaten by the brutality of the bad weather – and then a few months later he returned.

To start your offshore sailing career with a Volvo Ocean Race is brutal. This afternoon I was watching him trim the sails and I realised that he’s learnt thousands of details in a very short period of time. It’s the same for Kit who is realising his life’s dream onboard right now, his first offshore race. This evening he gave me a Chinese lesson, and it reinforced the enormity of the challenge they [the Chinese sailors] are taking on, learning in 6 months to sail and to work in a previously unknown language. I am proud of them.'

The Vice President of the International Sailing Federation and China Yachting Association, Mr. Li Quanhai congratulated to Dongfeng Race Team on their victory and stated: 'Dongfeng Race Team has made history. It is the best result for a Chinese team in the world of offshore sailing.'

Dongfeng Race Team has delivered an outstanding result on this leg and is going to enjoy the moment! However, even though this victory has put Dongfeng at the top of the overall leaderboard, this is only Leg 3 of 9 and we can only be as good as our NEXT result.

Dongfeng Race Crew Leg 3:

Charles Caudrelier, Skipper (FRA)
Pascal Bidegorry, Navigator (FRA)
Cheng Ying Kit (Kit) (CHN)
Liu Xue (Black) (CHN)
Thomas Rouxell (FRA)
Kevin Escoffier (FRA)
Eric Peron (FRA)
Jack Bouttell (ENG/AUS)
Sam Greenfield, Onboard Reporter

(NB Due to the VOR requirement for two of the eight crew to be under 30 years old, Jack Boutell was bought into the crew to maintain the Under-30 age ratio, and to accommodate the interchange of Cheng Ying Kit (Kit) who is a Chinese national but over 30 years old. Normally Dongfeng sails with two Chinese nationals in her crew.)

To view the images below in full screen - just click on any image and a slide show will start

Leg 3 Abu Dhabi to Sanya (4,670nm, although many more miles raced)?

Finish position: first place
Time of finish: 23:31:38 UTC
Duration of leg: 23 days, 13 hours, 31 minutes, 38 seconds?
Distance sailed: 5,403nm
Overall result after three legs: first place overall

Day-By-Day Summary Of Leg 3:

Day 1: 04.01.15 4,420nm to go
Fishing net hazards on first night
The obstacle course was quick to live up to its name as two fishing nets caught Dongfeng on the first day.

Day 2: 05.01.15 4,306nm to go
Luck holds for now
Dongfeng hold a slim five nautical mile lead at the front of the fleet. ‘I honestly believe a big part of this leg will depend on luck’ – Charles Caudrelier

Day 3: 06.01.15 4,160nm to go
72 hours in and still leading.
Off the coast of Pakistan – too early to tell and everyone is afraid they are going to jinx it, but a good start for Dongfeng as they head into day four at front of fleet.

Day 4: 07.01.15 3,896nm to go
Decision time
Timing is everything in this game. 220 miles off west coast of India with Brunel breathing down their necks, the timing of the gybe could be the decisive move for the next phase of Leg 3.

Day 5: 08.01.15 3,695nm to go
The big gybe decision is made
Chasing peloton attack Dongfeng who manage to stay ahead – just! 400 miles west of India with 1000 miles to go to turning point of Sri Lanka.

DAY 6: 09.01.15 3,480nm to go
It’s not plain sailing
The big gybe decision was made but it isn’t set to get any easier for Dongfeng as Caudrelier states: 'The first part of the leg was complicated – but now it is getting complicated'.

DAY 7: 10.01.15
One week in, the peloton intact, slow but still intense
350 miles off the coast of India, 650 miles from the turning point south of Sri Lanka. One third of the distance to Sanya completed and one week of super close racing.

Day 8: 11.01.15 2,973nm to go
The wind shadow
'One thing that is obsessing me at the moment is how far off India we should pass.' The question that all navigators and skippers are asking themselves

Day 9: 12.01.15 2,734nm to go
An angry rolling ocean
Dongfeng enter more familiar Volvo territory with big seas, strengthening winds and white water sweeping the deck. 'In five hours we pass the shadow of Sri Lanka so in eight hours we will see if we are ok or not.' Charles Caudrelier

Day 10: 13.01.15 2,488nm to go
A dangerous game
'We have made a mistake, a silly stupid mistake,' Charles Caudrelier as he feared they had taken too much of a risk cutting the corner of Sri Lanka but the ballsy decision paid off as they exited the wind shadow in no time at all.

Day 11: 14.01.15 2,237nm to go
Padeye damage compromises dongfeng
Dongfeng report a problem with the same padeye that broke in dramatic fashion during Leg 1. 'We are not able to perform at 100%. We cannot use our MH0 in certain conditions and we cannot trim it perfectly at all. We will try to reinforce it because if we use it now and it breaks we have no solution.'

Day 12: 15.01.15 2,168nm to go
Get us out of here
Pascal’s birthday but light and unpredictable winds are adding to the stress on board as the whole fleet wait to catch the wind first.

Day 13: 16.01.15
Location:
'I am proud of them…'
Another windless night as Dongfeng gain at first before the peloton chip away at them again. Under 400 miles to Sumatra and the funnel towards Singapore. Tactics aside, Caudrelier takes a minute to reflect on the progress of the Chinese sailors.

Day 14: 17.01.15 less than 2,000nm to go
Dong feng and Fong shen (aeolus)
Now 60 miles ahead of the rest of the fleet, but just 5 or 6 hours becalmed could see the rest of the fleet catch right up.

Day 15: 18.01.15 1,716nm to go
Malacca madness
Just in time for Jack Bouttell’s birthday, Dongfeng are thrown into the lucky dip of Malacca Straits. Big decision, stay on the left (Malaysia) or go right (Indonesia)

Day 16: 19.01.15 1,503nm to go
Dongfeng lead grows to over 100 miles
Possibly the biggest lead a boat has had since Alicante but just 6 hours becalmed could still see the fleet catch right back up.

Day 17: 20.01.15 1,385nm to go
Nightmare 24 hours for Dongfeng – lead diminished to 16nm
Just 36 hours after entering the Malacca Straits, Dongfeng lost more than 70nm to the rest of the fleet with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing just 16nm behind.

Day 18: 21.01.15 1,192nm to go
Wind gods return for Dongfeng – for now!
'Honestly. I have never been so stressed in my life than on the Volvo Ocean Race,' – Caudrelier. The emotional rollercoaster continues as Dongfeng increase their lead to 80+ miles again after the rest of the fleet were parked for two hours overnight.

Day 19: 22.01.15 945nm to go
Broken sail strop
The tack line of the J1 headsail broke suddenly – ‘all hands on deck’ mode to fix the problem. 'It was a good reminder to us onboard if we needed one, and I hope for those on land following, that we have a very long and treacherous way still to go on this leg’

Day 20: 23.01.15 742nm to go
Relative rest before vietnamese coast
A relatively quiet 24 hours – quite steady winds, straight line sailing on the same tack, occasional sail changes. 'We are going to sail along the Vietnamese coast soon…my worst memory from the last Volvo Ocean Race!' – Caudrelier

Day 21: 24.01.15 451nm to go
Less than 500 miles to go.
Not long before the tacking marathon along the coast of Vietnam will begin: 'We will be tacking every thirty minutes to one hour,' Caudrelier.

Day 22: 25.01.15 341nm to go
Dongfeng’s official lead drops from 52 to 9 nm
Timing is everything! Possibly the final big decision of the race as Dongfeng decide when to tack to point towards Sanya.

Day 23: 26.01.15 123nm to go
Final miles, final stress, it’s not over yet
After leading for the entire leg, Dongfeng Race Team is expected across the finish line late Monday night between 2000 and 2400 UTC. But with Sanya Bay often devoid of wind in the first hours of daylight (when Dongfeng are set to arrive) it is not over until the finish line is crossed.

Dongfeng Race Team crossed the finish line in Sanya at 23:31:38 UTC in first place.