In the end, it was all adrenalin and caffeine on board "Azzam". That's how Anbord reporter Matt Knighton described it. A race that comes to an end after 6,487 nautical miles with a near-bug-to-bug duel can only be described as a phenomenon. The first congratulations in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014/2015 go to the winners of Ian Walker's Team Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. The second goes to the tenacious chasers from Dongfeng Race Team, who set the 24-hour record for this leg with 541 nautical miles. The third congratulations go to the Dutch team Brunel for their third podium place in stage 1. The fourth congratulations go directly to the organisers for their spot-on decision to introduce the new VO 65 class. If the second longest stage of the twelfth edition of the race produces such a sporting thriller, what will happen on the real sprint stages?
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's "Azzam" was the first to cross the finish line off Cape Town on Wednesday at 4.10 pm German time after 25 days, three hours and ten minutes. "The last thing on board is adrenaline and caffeine," noted Matt Knighton in the blog shortly before the finish. The final miles in front of Cape Town's backdrop of Table Mountain and beaches turned into another nail-biter, as the wind repeatedly failed to materialise in the cover of the mountain range. The emerging Dongfeng Race Team drew ever closer to Ian Walker's crew on "Azzam" with better breeze in the nerve-wracking final doldrums. The difference in wind direction between the two boats over the last three nautical miles to the line was up to 180 degrees at times, presenting Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing with one last extremely challenging task on the long course from Alicante to the Cape of Good Hope. In the end, however, Ian Walker, successful navigator Simon "Sifi" Fisher and the men on "Azzam" sailed towards a narrow 12-minute victory at a gentle speed of ten knots. It was only just before the line that the strained faces of the eight sailors and their onboard reporter began to relax. With smiling faces, they hoisted the national flag of Abu Dhabi and hugged each other.
Walker said after crossing the finish line: "It's all pretty emotional. I wouldn't have thought that at all. But they attacked us with everything they had in the last few hours. We've had them on our backs for the last ten days or so. Congratulations to these guys from Dongfeng, they sailed a great leg. We knew beforehand how tough it could be to sail the last few miles in the shadow of Table Mountain. Even a ten-mile lead can sometimes be too little. We are very happy about this stage win."
The finish of the French-Chinese team on "Dongfeng", which followed a few minutes later, was almost even more exuberant. Skipper Charles Caudrelier said: "Abu Dhabi sailed a great leg. But it's also a fantastic result for us. We were not among the favourites. The result is the best way to get the Chinese fans excited about this race too. The race itself is tough, you can easily mess up a leg. This is a good first step for us." At the dock in Cape Town, the sailors were greeted frenetically by their families, teams, journalists and fans. This first leg of the twelfth edition of the most famous team race around the world was a sporting success.
And here we go inside the winner:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
