Abu Dhabi Wins Volvo Ocean Race
After 19 days of sailing, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has won leg five of the Volvo Ocean yacht Race, between New Zealand and Brazil.
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing emerged victorious on Sunday after 6,776 nautical miles (nm) of immensely challenging racing in leg five to take a big advantage at the top of the Volvo Ocean Race standings.
Ian Walker’s crew fought off three competitors during a “drag race” of nearly 2,000 nautical miles up the east coast of South America to be the first to arrive at Itajai, Brazil, about 400 kilometres north-east of Sao Paulo.
To add the icing to their cake, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing set the new best mark for the most nautical miles sailed in 24 hours with 551 leading up to Cape Horn.
"Awesome. It's been such a monster of a leg, we were so, so stoked with the 24-hour record," said a jubilant Walker after crossing the line in front of a waterfront packed by thousands of spectators.
The British double-Olympic medallist is on his third campaign since first skippering an entry in this race when he led Ireland’s Green Dragon team in 2008.
The stage victory leaves Walker's team seven points clear at the top of the standings with five of the nine legs now completed.
Spanish boat MAPFRE came 32 minutes back in second place, with Turkish-American outfit Team Alvimedica in third.
The Chinese team was charged six points for finishing behind the rest of the fleet and another two for not completing the leg.
The Chinese boat, Dongfeng, suffered a broken mast in the Southern Ocean last Monday and was later forced to pull out of the leg, having started the stage level at the top of the standings with Abu Dhabi.
Additionally, several of the boats suffered damage to their sails along the way.
The sixth leg to Newport, Rhode Island, begins on April 19. The race ends in Gothenburg, Sweden, on June 27.