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Volvo Ocean RaceAbu Dhabi confident, Mapfre disenchanted

Tatjana Pokorny

 · 16.11.2014

Volvo Ocean Race: Abu Dhabi confident, Mapfre disenchantedPhoto: Sanchez/VOR
Second harbour race in Cape Town: Abu Dhabi triumphs, Mapfre humiliated
The results of the harbour races hardly play a role in the outcome of the Volvo Ocean Race, but they do give an indication of the condition of the teams

The king of Cape Town is Ian Walker. After the first leg, the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team also won the harbour race at the foot of Table Mountain. To win the Volvo Ocean Race, the results in the short races during the breaks between the offshore legs only play a role if there is a tie between teams at the end of the race around the world. However, the exciting sprints still have several important functions: They provide an indication of the state of a campaign, the ability of the teams and ultimately also serve as a motivational boost for the teams - if they do well.

Abu Dhabi pulls away, Team SCA and Team Brunel duel for long stretches. In the end, a botched SCA manoeuvre allows the determined team of Brunel skipper Bekking to overtake and even attack Abu DhabiPhoto: Sanchez/VOR Abu Dhabi pulls away, Team SCA and Team Brunel duel for long stretches. In the end, a botched SCA manoeuvre allows the determined team of Brunel skipper Bekking to overtake and even attack Abu Dhabi

The Spanish team Mapfre suffered a second setback at the Cape of Good Hope at the weekend after the heavy setback in stage one, only finishing last. The team led by skipper Iker Martinez now has its back to the wall at the start of the ocean marathon and absolutely needs a good result in stage two. The starting position for the leaders of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing is completely different. After finishing second in the harbour race in Alicante and winning the first leg, the crew led by skipper Ian Walker has now also won the harbour race off Cape Town in fresh winds of twelve to 20 knots and some heavy rain showers.

Kings of Cape Town: Ian Walker's Team Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing wins the In-Port Race off Cape TownPhoto: Sanchez/VOR Kings of Cape Town: Ian Walker's Team Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing wins the In-Port Race off Cape Town

Bouwe Bekking's Team Brunel also showed hardly any weaknesses, securing another good result after third place in Alicante and third place on the first stage with second place in the harbour race in Cape Town. In the final duel with Abu Dhabi, Bekking's team was only 100 metres off the pace. The women's team SCA also used the motivational boost from winning the duel against Mapfre in the final sprint of leg one to achieve a good result in the Cape Town harbour race, securing third place behind Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Brunel. In the separate classification for the harbour races for the In-Port Trophy, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing leads ahead of Team Brunel and the US team Alvimedica, which was victorious in Alicante but suffered a tear in its headsail in the race off Cape Town.

Joy on board Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's "Azzam": victory in the Cape Town harbour racePhoto: Shoemaker/VOR Joy on board Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's "Azzam": victory in the Cape Town harbour race

Leg two starts on Wednesday and takes the teams over 6125 nautical miles from Cape Town to the home port of the front runners in Abu Dhabi.

Watch the replay of the Cape Town harbour race here

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Tatjana Pokorny

Tatjana Pokorny

Sports reporter

Tatjana “tati” Pokorny is the author of nine books. As a reporter for Europe's leading sailing magazine YACHT, she also works as a correspondent for the German Press Agency (DPA), the Hamburger Abendblatt and other national and international media. In summer 2024, Tatjana will be reporting from Marseille on her ninth consecutive Olympic Games. Other core topics have been the America's Cup since 1992, the Ocean Race since 1993, the Vendée Globe and other national and international regattas and their protagonists. Favorite discipline: Portraits of and interviews with sailing personalities. When she started out in sports journalism, she was still intensively involved with basketball and other sports, but sailing quickly became her main focus. The reason? The declared optimist says: “There is no other sport like it, no other sport with such interesting and intelligent personalities, no other sport so diverse, no other sport so full of energy, strength and ideas. Sailing is like a constantly refreshing declaration of love for life."

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