The pictures are becoming more and more similar: the best team in the harbour challenge off Hong Kong this weekend was Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team with two second places. Part 2 of the combined task was dominated by the Spanish team Mapfre skippered by Xabi Fernandez in the Round the Island Race off Hong Kong on Sunday. These two teams now lead the in-port standings on equal points after a good third of the Volvo Ocean Race: Both red boats have managed to sail to 25 points in four harbour races so far. Bow to bow, they are vying for the "coastal crown" in the ocean marathon. Bouwe Bekking's Team Brunel is the closest pursuer, having only managed 17 points in the harbour races. In fourth place is Bekking's compatriot Simeon Tienpont and his team AkzoNobel with 16 points.
Part 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet's Inport Challenge this weekend off Hong Kong: this time the Spanish frontrunners from Team Mapfre left no team behind and secured victory in the Round the Island Race after finishing fourth in the first part
Mapfre (33 points) leads the overall standings for the stages in which the overall victory in the Volvo Ocean Race is decided, ahead of Dongfeng (29 points). The next closest rivals are the Danish-American team Vestas 11th Hour Racing (23 points), which is currently taking a break for repairs, ahead of David Witt's Hong Kong team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag (19 points), Team Brunel (17 points), AkzoNobel (14 points) and Dee Caffari's Team Turn the Tide on Plastic.
"I'm already starting to hate the Reds, this boat of our friends on Mapfre," Dongfeng skipper Caudrelier had already written amusedly in a blog from on board during the third leg. Most experts have long since agreed that the winners of the 13th edition of the race around the globe will probably cross the finish line in a red boat. The thesis is linked to two questions: Can a third team still stop the two co-favourites? And if not, which of the two red boats will prevail? Dongfeng and Mapfre had already established their quality and a good head start in terms of know-how and speed during intensive joint two-boat test series over two weeks off Sanxenxo on the Atlantic before the race, while other teams started their preparations later and on their own.
"This has now resulted in the battle of the red boats," explains Dongfeng trimmer and helmswoman Carolijn Brouwer, "we are operating at eye level. They (ed.: Mapfre) showed a little vulnerability on the last leg. That's good for us to know. In the end, the winner will be the one who makes the fewest mistakes. And: The race will be won in the second half, when the strains leave their mark more and more clearly. We're only a third of the way through the race. Victory will be decided when signs of fatigue become apparent. That's why good preparation and recovery phases are very important."
The two red boats are the benchmark in this edition of the classic. Skipper Dee Caffari also explained this during the fourth leg: "If you're sailing alongside one of the red boats, it means you're good. So it was great to gybe alongside one of the red boats for the third night in a row." Charlie Enright and Mark Towill's American-Danish team Vestas 11th Hour Racing seemed to have what it takes to break into the phalanx of the "reds". But then a dramatic collision with a Chinese fishing boat occurred shortly before the finish line in Hong Kong, resulting in the death of one of the fishermen. The investigation into the exact course of the accident is ongoing, the boat is out of action and is being repaired. The team management has informed the race organisers that their team will also not be taking part in the fifth leg - a sprint from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. However, their results will not be included in the overall standings.
With the current leading team Mapfre, 28-year-old Blair Tuke is sailing towards a dream goal: The 49er Olympic champion and America's Cup winner could become the first sailor in sporting history to have conquered all three major sailing summits if the Spaniards win. The professional from Kerikeri in New Zealand initially trained as an electrician after leaving school, but then decided in favour of a professional career as his success in Olympic sailing increased. So far, he has gone from victory to victory. Blair Tuke has won Olympic gold and the America's Cup alongside his helmsman Peter Burling. In the current Volvo Ocean Race, however, the two "best buddies" are going their separate ways. Tuke signed with Mapfre, "Golden Boy" Burling with Brunel. The better chance of the historic first triple is currently held by 49er foresailor Blair Tuke.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
