Volvo Ocean Race: Home win for the Chinese team

For the first time in the 41-year history of the race, a Chinese team has won a leg. Although there have been boats sponsored by Chinese companies before, such as Green Dragon (2008) and Team Sanya (2011), skipper Charles Caudrelier was the only one to cross a stage finish line first.

"It was the most stressful leg of my life," said the Frenchman at the finish. Almost from the start, his team had been in the lead and had parried every attack from the actually more strongly rated pursuers, above all Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Brunel as winners of the first and second leg. Particularly in the Bengal Gulf, it seemed as if the team could sail the boat a little faster than the competition in almost the same conditions.

Caudrelier achieved his biggest lead in the Malacca Strait, when he pulled away by over 100 nautical miles. However, this was more thanks to the changeable conditions there. But the 40-year-old skipper and his team of experienced French offshore sailors, the young Australian Jack Bouttell and the two Chinese "trainees" maintained their lead and even extended it to a constant 45 to 50 nautical miles on the final stretch.

The last nautical miles before the finish

At 23:31 UTC, after 4670 nautical miles, Team Dongfeng crossed the line 45 nautical miles ahead of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, i.e. one per cent of the total distance. They were followed by Team Alvimedica, one hour behind, and about half an hour later by Mapfre and Brunel, who were only two minutes apart after this incredibly long and difficult leg. Team SCA is expected to start this morning.

Dongfeng Race Team has taken the overall lead with a stage win and two second places totalling five points. The table looks as follows after a third of the distance:

1st Dongfeng Race Team, 5 points
2nd Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, 6 points
3rd Team Brunel, 9 points
4th Team Alvimedica, 12 points
5th Mapfre, 15 points
6th team SCA, 18 points
7th Team Vestas Wind, 20 points

Dongfeng Race Team has thus moved into the position of favourite, especially when it comes to light wind conditions, which prevailed for almost the entire third leg. If you also take into account the two material faults on the previous legs, a damaged rudder and a faulty mast track, then the competition must be wondering how they are going to stop this skipper and his team. The only hope that remains is that the relative inexperience of the Chinese crew members could be a limiting factor on the following, rather windy legs.