Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

Volvo Ocean Race - Team Sanya sail into home port

by Volvo Ocean Race on 6 Feb 2012
Teng Jiang He sprays champagne on stage, after Team Sanya, skippered by Mike Sanderson from New Zealand finish sixth on leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 Ian Roman/Volvo Ocean Race http://www.volvooceanrace.com
Volvo Ocean Race Team Sanya, the first sole Chinese entry in the Volvo Ocean Race, crossed the finish line at their home port late Sunday night to a raucous welcome from thousands of locals who lined the dock.

Firecrackers sounded as the exhausted team, including the first Chinese sailor to compete in the race Teng 'Tiger' Jiang He, stepped ashore for hugs, kisses and cheers from friends, family and well-wishers at Sanya Serenity Marina.

The 37-year-old entrepreneur, who started sailing only two years ago, was greeted with open arms by his wife and two sons, plus his extended family, in an emotional dockside reunion.

Earlier, skipper Mike Sanderson handed the wheel to his Chinese team mate for him to steer Team Sanya across the finish line in his home country.

Tiger said that moment had been a unique and emotional experience and confessed to being lost for words at the sight of his countrymen’s turnout.


'We’re all very happy to be home to my motherland, especially in time for the Chinese traditional New Year,' said Tiger. 'Tomorrow is a big holiday, so I’m very happy. To see my family is just the best.'

Team Sanya crossed the finish line in Sanya Bay at 19:35:17 local time, 12:35:17 UTC, after more than 14 days at sea completing the 3,051 nautical mile leg three stage two race from the Maldives to China.

Sanya receive five points after racing into a stopover for the first time in the race, bringing their total to 16 points. Team Telefónica, who completed a hat-trick of victories from the first three offshore legs when they led the fleet home on Saturday, are top of the overall standings with 95 points.

Despite being visibly exhausted, the crew of 11 were all smiles at the warmth of their rock-star like reception, which came complete with autograph requests and locals queuing for a photo opportunity.

Cameras flashed constantly as the team walked to the main stage on the red carpet path. More than 200 local performers joined the procession, including dozens of traditional drummers as well as lion and dragon dancers.


Skipper Mike Sanderson said bringing Sanya across the finish line of an off shore leg for the first time in the 2011-12 edition of the race was made all the more sweet by the home crowd.

'It’s amazing,' said the New Zealander, who led ABN AMRO ONE to victory in the 2005-06 edition. 'It’s late on a Sunday night here and the reception is amazing. Tiger steered for the last few hours and across the line and did an amazing job of it. He’s come such a long way.'

Commenting on their sixth place finish Sanderson said he and his crew were disappointed not to have done better but would now refocus on improving their performance in the rest of the race.

'We’re competitive racers, we’re not here to sail around at the back of the fleet,' he said. 'We’ve got to look forward now. We’ve got lots of positives to take from and we can definitely get the boat going faster.
'I’m already looking forward to having another chance to race the other guys. I really feel this isn’t a true reflection of our performance and we need to get out there and have another go.'

Team Sanya’s race home wasn’t without adversity, with the team encountering a problem with the structure supporting two of their winches on Saturday.

Sanderson’s men were quick to respond and return to full speed in a north easterly monsoon, crossing the finish line more than 32 hours after leg winner Team Volvo Ocean Race website

Cyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERLloyd Stevenson - Catalyst GT 1456x180px BOTTOMP&B 15% Off Sails

Related Articles

The Winner-Takes-All Race
Event format at the 49er, 49erFX & Nacra 17 Worlds could be the best option for the Olympics The 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships just held in Cagliari, Italy, could well be the most important held in the class. Not just that, it may influence how sailing happens at the Olympics.
Posted today at 7:00 pm
Vaikobi's top-rated polarized shades
VIZE+ Polarized Ocean Eyewear - lenses made for the ocean environment With lenses made for the ocean environment, Vaikobi's VIZE+ Polarized Ocean Eyewear is too good to look away. But don't just take their word for it... all their polarized sunglasses have been tested and reviewed by ocean frothers all over the world!
Posted today at 5:30 pm
#TeamMusto welcomes new ambassador
Tom Laperche, skipper of SVR-Lazartigue joins some of the biggest names in the sport Musto, the world's leading performance brand, has signed Tom Laperche, French skipper of SVR-LAZARTIGUE, to join the ranks of #TeamMusto.
Posted today at 4:28 pm
Inaugural Zenith Nationals Preview
The new fleet is set for Warsash this weekend To say I was shocked would be an understatement. As the new Chairman of the Zenith Class Association, I hadn't even finished my first coffee at the RYA Dinghy Show when the Hartleys suggested I should go ahead and book the 2025 Zenith Nationals.
Posted today at 4:18 pm
Merlin Rockets at the Allspars Final Fling
Joining 73 other dinghies of varying sizes and abilities We arrived to glassy seas with zero wind, however the PRO decided that we should all head out to see if any wind would materialise. The fleet drifted out into the sound with the tide and after a considerable wait, a small zephyr of breeze arrived.
Posted today at 4:12 pm
Blaze Scottish Championship at Helensburgh
Incorporating Northern Championship and Nations Cup The Marine13 Blaze Scottish Championship was held at Helensburgh Sailing Club on the weekend of 6-7th September. Helensburgh SC had hosted a feisty, mostly blown-out one-day event in 2024 and were keen to put on a much bigger, grander event for 2025!
Posted today at 3:33 pm
Thomas Ruyant aims for a three-peat in IMOCA Class
There will be 18 two-handed IMOCAs on the Transat Café L'OR startline The Transat Café L'OR from Le Havre to Martinique, which forms the finale of the 2025 IMOCA season, is now just 12 days away and it's a classic course that has attracted a stellar field.
Posted today at 3:10 pm
All change in the Endeavour Trophy
A dramatic twist in the results after a request for redress was reopened by the Protest Committee The 64th Endeavour Trophy has seen a dramatic twist in the results after a request for redress was reopened by the Protest Committee when they realised that a significant error may have been made at the initial hearing.
Posted today at 2:37 pm
BirdyFish Demo Weekend at Hayling Island
Test all 3 models this weekend! Foiling made simple, fun, and accessible — that's the promise from BirdyFish, and sailors will have the chance to experience it first-hand at the Hayling Island SC Demo Weekend.
Posted today at 1:54 pm
Manly 16s Club Championship Heat 3
Crazy doesn't begin to explain the finish Crazy doesn't begin to explain the finish to third heat of Manly's club championship on Saturday.
Posted today at 1:45 pm