Volvo Ocean Race: Mapfres Matchrace with the girls

The winners of the first leg have been determined and are recovering in Cape Town from the stress and strain of the marathon from Alicante to South Africa. Not only the physical challenges, but also the nervous strain of the sometimes brutally close battles for position have taken their toll on the sailors. Three teams are still at sea. Following the arrival of the Danish team Vestas, the US team Alvimedica is expected to be the fifth team at the Cape of Good Hope tonight. The crew laboured through torturous conditions on Thursday morning. Anbord reporter Amory Ross reported: "It's not easy moving in zero knots of wind. But we're doing it, we're only 250 nautical miles from the finish on a 7000 nautical mile leg. The surface of the water around us is as smooth as glass. Not even an albatross could fly at the moment."

After the arrival in Alvimedica, there will be a short breather before the Spanish team Mapfre and the women's team on SCA will play the final chord on this, at 6,487 nautical miles, the second longest leg of the race around the globe. And this could once again provide for maximum tension. On Thursday afternoon, the teams led by skipper Iker Martinez and skipper Sam Davies were separated by just six nautical miles. And in the final sprint, the women never tired of repeating their challenge to Mapfre and building up the pressure.

After several tactical errors - for example, "Mapfre" sailed too close to the Brazilian coast for too long - the two teams at the back of the pack had already fallen behind at the halfway point and never recovered from their "sags" during the opening leg. Anbord reporter Corinna Halloran wrote: "We are all incredibly focussed. We're still battling with Mapfre. And it's all about getting the most out of the boat. Every extra half knot could mean winning a mile on Mapfre. Our concentration makes the miles go by quickly. We try not to think too much about our need for a hot shower and fresh food, but it grows by the minute. Apart from the fact that our last 48 hours could easily be the longest of this stage, they may also be the most important. These last 48 hours will not only be about the fight for sixth place, but also about showing what it means to be part of Team SCA."

Meanwhile, the sailors on board Mapfre are already licking their wounds. The Spaniards had been counted among the co-favourites before the start of the race. Now they have stumbled right at the start of the race around the world. Francisco Vignale wrote: "The race will start all over again for us. We will not forget that this stage cost us dearly. The arrival in Cape Town is something we all long for on board." The duel between Mapfre and SCA is expected to come to an end on Friday. And with it the first leg, which Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing won ahead of the surprise team Dongfeng Race Team and Bouwe Bekking's Team Brunel.