Has one of the most prominent reshuffles for this leg already paid off? Team Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing had to leave trimmer Phil Harmer ashore due to an injury. Instead, racing legend Neal McDonald came on board. The Briton is "one of the best sailors the race has ever seen", says Brunel navigator Andrew Cape about the long-time companion.McDonald has over 200,000 nautical miles in his wake from six participations. He supported Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing as a sporting advisor during the preparation phase and has now started his seventh participation. Perhaps a lucky number for the team; in any case, Ian Walker's crew began the third leg with a lead of more than two minutes after a pre-start characterised by very light winds.
The repeat of the pre-start race
The second prominent change took place at the Spanish team Mapfre. Skipper Iker Martinez left the boat and left his long-time sailing partner Xabi Fernandez in charge. Both had won Olympic gold in the 49er off Athens in 2004 and had already taken part in two Volvo Ocean Races. The switch was reportedly planned because Martinez was preparing for another Olympic appearance in 2016, this time in the Nacra 17. However, in view of the disappointing results to date with seventh place, many observers see this as a change motivated by sporting reasons.
Team Alvimedica received a motivational boost from a completely different side with the credit of one point as compensation. The team had stayed with the damaged rival Vestas Wind in order to provide assistance and had lost many nautical miles in the process. The jury recognised this during the stage break with the point credit.
Team SCA also went into this third leg in a stronger position, as the women's crew clearly won the In-Port Race.
The highlights of the Inportrace
4642 nautical miles lie ahead of the six crews. Firstly, they will sail back through the Strait of Hormuz, around India and through the Strait of Malacca. This promises to be one of the most exciting phases of the race, as the area is one of the busiest sea routes in the world, the nautical charts are relatively inaccurate and the weather is very changeable. The race then heads into the South China Sea, where there could be a lot of wind, especially on the final leg to Sanya.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
