The double victory for the first Arab team in the Volvo Ocean Race is doubly good: it boosts the points account with twelve important points and also boosts morale for the rest of the race. The first part of the third leg, a 106-mile sprint from Abu Dhabi to Sharjah, was won by the team under the command of British ex-Olympian Ian Walker, who fought their way forwards from last place to finish just under a minute ahead of Puma. Behind them were Groupama, Telefonica, who led until shortly before the finish, and Camper, who found themselves at the back of the table for the first time in this race. A short inshore course had to be sailed at the start of this sprint, during which there were some exciting shifts in position.
Now the boats are strapped back onto the freighter, which transports them through the Strait of Hormuz and the pirate area in the Indian Ocean. At an undisclosed location, where Team Sanya, which did not make the detour to Abu Dhabi due to a defective rig but still scored points, is already waiting, the five boats are then put back in the water to continue the leg under sail towards China.
Intermediate standings in the overall standings:
1st Team Telefonica 71
2nd Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand 64
3. Groupama sailing team 51
4. Puma Ocean Racing powered by Berg 36
5. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 31
6. team Sanya 4 (not at the start of the third leg)
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