To Start With, A Home Win For Top Favorite Mapfre

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To Start With, A Home Win For Top Favorite Mapfre
To Start With, A Home Win For Top Favorite Mapfre

Video: To Start With, A Home Win For Top Favorite Mapfre

Video: To Start With, A Home Win For Top Favorite Mapfre
Video: Mapfre te Estafa 2024, March
Anonim

If someone had written a script for the first port race of the 13th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, Mapfre's victory would probably have marked the happy ending. The Spaniards won the first in-port race in an impressive manner, even without directing instructions, and delighted tens of thousands of visitors on the banks and along the course in front of the starting port of Alicante. With a risk at the start, Xabi Fernández's team started against the trend in the one-hour race. While the majority of the fleet had opted for the left side of the course, the Spaniards let them pull and headed for the right side of the course in the stern water of the competition. Mapfres helmsman Pablo Arrarte spontaneously used a gap to break through to the desired side, which the Dutch team Brunel created, which could not accelerate quickly enough after a failed turn and thus also paid tribute to the fact that the team in their Saturday line-up sailed together for the second time. "I had a really bad start today," said Bekking. "As a result, we were a little behind, but then we sailed the boat very well."

Mapfres winning crew in Alicante
Mapfres winning crew in Alicante

Xabi Fernández ’Mapfre crew: convincing performance of the Spanish audience favorites in front of Alicante

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

Quickly took the lead in the first harbor race and won confidently: the Spanish team Mapfre

Mapfres trimmer Sophie Ciszek said: "It was so exciting. You can hardly ask for more than winning the opening event of a regatta. We sailed pretty well and we won by some margin. If we still have room for improvement, that's one." good sign. The fact that we won in our team's home country makes it just great!"

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

In statistical comparison: the Spanish winners from Team Mapfre and the second-placed Dongfeng Race Team

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

The overall ranking after the first harbor race in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017/18. The results of the harbor races only play a role in the race around the world if two or more teams are tied on points after a total of twelve stages. Then the better placement in the final ranking of all harbor races is decisive. In this way, Mapfre got fourth place in the last edition

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

By halfway through the race, Mapfre was already clearly in the lead. Team Brunel fought their way back to a strong second place after a botched start

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

1. In-Port Race in Alicante

The Spanish team acted confidently, efficiently and flawlessly throughout the race, while behind them exciting battles for positions for the other two podium places were fought. Charles Caudrelier's Dongfeng Race Team was only able to push ahead of Bouwe Bekking's Dutch team Brunel in the last third. The Dutch looked like safe thirds for a long time, before the Vestas 11th Hour Racing team pushed past in the final spurt and reached the finish line a minute before the Dutch who were no longer flying fast enough, who were already within reach just before the end of the race Podium fell. David Witt's team Sun Hung Kay | Place the Scallywag. Sixth place went to the second Dutch team AkzoNobel, under the interim leadership of four-time circumnavigator Jules Salter, who had been burdened by the dismissal of his skipper Simeon Tienpont the day before. Dee Caffari's mixed team, Clean Seas - Turn the Tide on Plastic, reached the finish line more than five minutes behind.

The first findings are similar to those after "Leg Zero" and the prologue from Lisbon to Alicante: The Spaniards have given their favorite role with another exclamation mark. The Dongfeng Race Team, sailing under the Chinese flag for the second time in a row and again with a strong French accent, finally lived up to its role as co-favorite with second place after not only glamor results recently. Team Brunel with skipper and record participant Bouwe Bekking (8th start) gave a significantly better result with good speed even at the stumbled start. After a successful race to catch up, the Dutch finally had to let the Scandinavian competition from Vestas 11th Hour Racing pass by and thus take a small damper at the beginning after very good performances in the meantime. For Dee Caffari's young mixed team (50:50 men / women) it remains to be hoped that the talents, some of whom have gathered very late on board, will complete a steep learning curve and will soon be able to join the fleet.

Mark Turner with a leg in plaster in the hospital

One of them missed the spectacle on site: Of all people, the outgoing regatta manager Mark Turner injured himself shortly before the start and was only able to watch the first meeting in the battle for important points with his right foot and lower leg in a cast in the hospital. His self-deprecating comment: "Well, there is a first time for everything. However, this week was not exactly the one in which I needed it …"

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

Here Mapfre is already at the finish line, Dongfeng and Brunel look like the safe second and third. But then Vestas 11th Hour Racing passed the Dutch out of nowhere

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