The last 500 nautical miles are underway! The top duel for the stage win on the course from Sanya to Auckland is entering its final phase. The leading Dongfeng Race Team and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are battling it out for victory. Only 3.8 nautical miles separated the two top boats on Thursday morning. Behind them, 10 nautical miles behind, lurked the Spanish team Mapfre, hoping for the first podium place. The pursuers Team Alvimedica, Team Brunel and Team SCA were able to drastically reduce their gap again overnight with two to three knots faster boat speed, but time is now running out for a serious attack to the front. Despite a furious and sleepless race to catch up, Team Brunel, in third place in the overall standings, is still 36.8 nautical miles off the lead.
The rivals at the top are preparing for the showdown in the Hauraki Gulf off Auckland. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's onboard reporter noted: "This is not a match race. It's not about tactics. It's a pure race of displacement. You simply have to sail as fast as possible on a straight course and show Farr how much you can accelerate these boats." Dongfeng skipper Charles Caudrelier had already described the battle for the stage win on Wednesday: "There are still two hurdles ahead of us that separate us from the dream win in Auckland: crossing an old weather front and a potentially very flat final. There could be a total restart before Auckland. Of course, it's always good to be in the lead and I'd much rather be where we are now than where Mapfre is. But Mapfre have nothing to lose. They are very aggressive tactically. At the same time, Abu Dhabi will be following us from now on, waiting for the chance to attack." Caudrelier also recalled the course of the stage: "We had some really tough moments on this stage, phases of total exhaustion and moments of frustration and anger. But then there is always someone in the team who is ready to motivate the others again. I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by a team as magical as mine."
Caudrelier and Walker celebrate their birthdays
So will it be a thriller between Dongfeng and Abu Dhabi? Both skippers will have wanted victory on their birthdays more than anything else. Ian Walker celebrated his 45th birthday on Wednesday, while Charles Caudrelier turns 41 today. Caudrelier sent Walker a birthday e-mail on Wednesday after he was unable to reach him on the radio. It began with the words: "Dear Ian, we are almost twins. Except for a few years..." Within five minutes, Walker wrote back: "Dear Charles, I'm sorry! We unplugged our radio weeks ago and stuffed it in a compartment..." The jokes with which the two skippers regaled each other did not appear to the reporters to be juvenile. But Dongfeng's onboard reporter Sam Greenfield wrote: "We've been staring at Abu Dhabi for three weeks now. And it's nice to be reminded that there are friends on the other side." When Charles Caudrelier returned to the sat nav table a little later, he found a second email from Walker: "Hello again! I forgot to wish you a happy birthday tomorrow. Maybe you should take the day off? Regards, Ian" Charles Caudrelier will certainly be doing a lot of things in the next two days, but not this. YACHT online wishes the shooting star of the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race a happy birthday today! And Ian Walker belatedly.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
