Volvo Ocean Race – At the back, but back in the game!

by Dongfeng Race Team on 10 Jun 2015 Volvo Ocean Race – The first 24 hours of leg eight saw Dongfeng Race Team in one of their worst positions since this race started eight months ago. Falling up to 25 miles behind the leader, last night a comeback looked unlikely and morale onboard was low.

However, things have recently picked up and although Charles and his crew are still at the back, they’re back in the game and that’s just what this team needs.

So far this leg the team have been up against it from the start, maybe a knock on effect from last week’s bad week or maybe just a really big stroke of bad luck with the weather – certainly a little lack of confidence on the first night set Dongfeng back as they hesitated between chasing the western pack, or going their own way which has proven the best way during previous legs.

For a while it looked and felt, on land and onboard, like there wasn’t going to be a way back in to the game on this leg – it had to come before the wind kicked in at Cape Finisterre, and we all knew that. Fortunately last night Pascal took Dongfeng further offshore than the rest, and it worked. Back in the game, still at the back, but within a few miles of the main pack again.

The teams have sailed upwind past Cape Finisterre and pounded through winds of up to 40 knots. “Rough conditions onboard,” reports Yann Riou. Facing similar conditions for the next 24 hours it’s going to take a lot out of the team, both mentally and physically. In the words of Charles Caudrelier, “When you’re at the front of the fleet pushing forward is easy, when you’re at the back, not so much.”

However position reports since sunrise show a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. We have be sailing within a mile or two of fourth place overall Team Alvimedica. And Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, MAPFRE and Team Brunel chose to tack along the Spanish shore, whilst we kept on heading north like leaders SCA. Now both groups are tacking back to meet each other in the middle of the Bay of Biscay. Small shifts in the wind might give one group or other an advantage, we have to wait to see who comes out ahead.

Either way Dongfeng Race Team are in much better shape than yesterday and still in the game.

You can follow our story and interact with the team on official website and all social media channels Facebook and Twitter).