The InPort races in the leg harbours hardly play a role in the overall standings of the Volvo Ocean Race. The results will only be important as a deciding factor if two or more teams are tied at the end of the circumnavigation. Nevertheless, the InPort races are all about prestige and self-confidence.
Three-time Olympian and SCA helmswoman Caroljin Brouwer led the women's team alongside American tactician Sally Barkow - once the training partner of Berlin's Olympic fourth-placed Ulrike Schümann - to their second victory on the short course off Auckland. During the race, the women were able to extend their lead to 20 seconds and crossed the finish line confidently ahead of Bouwe Bekking's strong Team Brunel and the Spanish Team Mapfre. Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team, who were leading the overall standings, had to settle for fourth place, while Team Alvimedica and Abu Dhabi were involved in a duel that saw them finish fifth and sixth in that order.
For the women's team, the victory was just the right motivational boost after another last place in stage four. British navigator Libby Greenhalgh said after the race: "We won because we kept the race simple and kept our manoeuvres to a minimum. That paid off for us." The women had already won their first InPort race at the beginning of January in Abu Dhabi. Since then, the sailors in pink knew that they could beat their male competitors over shorter distances. Skipper Sam Davies said: "It was really tough. We've experienced this before in the practice races. We made a lot of mistakes there. But today was a brilliant day." Davies' flash analysis sounded convincing: "We showed good teamwork, a great start and good tactics. Everything simply worked perfectly on board SCA today."
Start postponement for stage 5
Even if the victory does not move the women any further forward in the overall standings, Davies still rates it highly: "I'm really happy because this victory will boost our team's morale over the next two days as we wait for Pam (ed.: approaching category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour) to make way for us on the course to the Southern Ocean." The race organisers had previously postponed the start of the fifth leg by at least two days until Tuesday. A final decision on the final start date should be made by Sunday evening.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
