All Teams Started With Black Ribbon: "Forever Fish!"

All Teams Started With Black Ribbon: "Forever Fish!"
All Teams Started With Black Ribbon: "Forever Fish!"
Anonim

Even at the dock-out parade there was goose bumps in Itajaí, where a total of almost 400,000 people had visited the regatta city during the break from racing. All 63 sailors of the seven teams wore a mourning bandage at the start on Sunday to commemorate John Fisher, who died on March 26th in the Southern Ocean in the Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag team. The mourning bandages and crew shirts of the Scallywags read: "Forever Fish".

Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018
Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018

Touching scene: Carolijn Brouwer's son Kyle wears the black ribbon to commemorate John Fisher as a print on his arm. Carolijn Brouwer trims and steers for Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team

Before setting off on the 5700 nautical mile course from Itajaí to the American sailing capital Newport, the sailors said "Adeus" to Itajaí in moving scenes. The spectators celebrated the teams, especially their Brazilian sailing superstar Martine Grael. "She's a rock star," said her skipper and AkzoNobel driver Simeon Tienpont about the 49erFX Olympic champion. With a wink he added: "Martine will probably sleep through the first three days of the stage because she was so busy in Brazil. But it is she who makes our sport popular here." Tienpont's team started unchanged in the eighth of a total of eleven stages.

Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018
Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018

A "rock star" in Brazil: 49erFX Olympic champion and AkzoNobel sailor Martine Grael, daughter of the former Volvo Ocean Race winner and double Olympic champion Torben Grael

All other teams made changes. In the front runners in the Dongfeng Race Team, Stu Bannatyne came back for Jérémie Beyou. Mapfre skipper Xabí Fernandez has to do without his power woman Sophie Ciszek on this eighth stage, who finally cured an elbow injury from the second stage. The team that came second in the overall standings was one point behind Dongfeng and started as the only team with only eight crew members.

Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018
Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018

Preferably in a duel: Mapfre and the Dongfeng Race Team also opened the eighth stage with interesting arguments

The Olympic 49erFX bronze medal winner JenMai Hansen from Denmark replaced her British crewmate Hannah Diamond on the set-back Vestas 11th Hour Racing team. Tom Braidwood disembarked at the "Scallywags". Back in the game is Luke Parkinson. And brand new in the difficult role of the late John Fisher's successor is the likeable Briton Peter Cumming. Turn-the-Tide-on-Plastic skipper Dee Caffari has swapped three crew members for the tactical stage from South to North America: Elodie-Jane Mattraux (Switzerland), Sir Ben Ainslies America's Cup competitor Bleddyn Moon and Navigator Brian Thompson on pause, Olympic laser radial bronze medalist Annaliese Murphy (Ireland), guard Martin Strömberg (Sweden) and navigator Nicolas Lunven (France) return. In the Brunel team, Louis Balcaen replaces Thomas Rouxel, who has been suspended.

Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018
Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018

Is Bouwe Bekkings' successful team Brunel still on the upswing? The start was promising with a strong tactical performance

The start of the stage itself was quite exciting in winds of 12 knots off Itajaí. Once again, Mapfre dominated the action, but behind that, the competition did not give up. Even three hours after the start, Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team, Bouwe Bekking's Team Brunel and Turn the Tide on Plastic Mapfre were hot on the heels. Charles Caudrelier had said shortly before the start: "We are certainly in a good position as the overall leader. However, it is not comfortable." Only one point separated the two endurance rivals in the battle for victory in this 13th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race after the first seven of the eleven stages. Bouwe Bekking's team Brunel has also gained immensely in self-confidence with the victory on the royal stage around Cape Horn: "Our performance curve is increasing, we are orienting ourselves upwards." Just like co-favorite Mapfre, whose spipper Xabi Fernandez said: "The morale in the team is excellent. We are in the best fighting mood. And we will fight hard." Like the competition, Fernandez also knows about the challenges on this stage along the east coast of South and North America, which leads its participants back over the equator to the north: "You have to be very careful not to get stuck in the doldrums."

What the skippers expect from the 5700 nautical mile section from Itajaí over the equator to Newport

Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018
Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018

Good mood in the Mapfre team: the Spaniards led the fleet after the start from Itajaí. Olympic champion TamarEchegoyen is happy

Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018
Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018

Exciting opening scenes in front of Itajaí, captured so impressively by photographer Pedro Martinez

Turn-the-Tide-on-Plastic-Skipper Dee Caffari, whose young mixed team presented itself strongly in the starting phase of the eighth stage, reminded before casting off that the starting day (April 22nd) is also the "Earth Day" is and is pleased that the environmental message of her team is bearing fruit: "If each of us limits our personal consumption of plastic objects, it would be a great gift for the earth!"

Here is the tracker for the eighth stage.

Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018
Volvo Ocean Race 2017/2018

Ready to go within three days and thanks to the help of all teams: David Witt's Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag

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