Team Alvimedica Wins Lorient In-Port Race
Though Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing extended their lead in the Volvo Ocean Race in-port series French town Lorient on the coast of Brittany, it was Team Alvimedica who took the victory, serving up a perfectly constructed race as they selected the best wind.
Team Alvimedica sailed into first in Sunday's In-Port race with Italian sailor Alberto Bolzan on the helm and skipper Charlie Enright calling tactics.
Team Alvimedica can claim their second In-Port Race victory of the Volvo Ocean Race, moving the young team up the overall In-Port standings to third place.
It was a beautiful win for the team and especially memorable for Seb Marsset who calls Lorient home.
With helmsman Alberto Bolzan of Italy driving, Team Alvimedica went for the right at the start and sailed a textbook inshore race, leading the fleet around the six-leg course.
“It was a good game plan with good execution and we kept it clean,” said American skipper Charlie Enright of Bristol, RI, who called tactics today. “We are looking forward to the leg to Gothenburg and will try to build off this result.”
For the Italian helmsman, the perfect result gives the team a shot of momentum going into the final stretch of the around-the-world marathon. “Better than this is impossible.”
This is the team’s second In-Port Race win following their victory in Alicante, Spain at the opening In-Port event of the Volvo Ocean Race in October.
The concluding leg of the around-the-world race starts Tuesday June 16 from Lorient with a pit-stop in The Hague before the grand finale in Gothenburg, Sweden.