‘We can do something special’: Hong Kong’s Scallywag takes second in thrilling Volvo Ocean Race battle with AkzoNobel
David Witt and his crew are now serious contenders for overall honours after their win in Hong Kong and a runner-up place in the sixth leg to Auckland
Hong Kong’s Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag earned second place in the sixth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race after one of the most exciting finishes in the competition’s history, sailing into Auckland, New Zealand last night just two minutes behind winner Team AkzoNobel.
In what was effectively a match race between the two leaders, the lead changed hands multiple times over the last 50 nautical miles with the Dutch boat narrowly managing to hold off a determined David Witt and his crew.
️Me and my shadow
️Stuck on you
️Stand by me ♂️Could we be in for one of the closest finishes in #volvooceanrace history? Quote this tweet & comment with a song to best describe this INSANE racing situation! pic.twitter.com/KOjwEiIknL— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) February 27, 2018
It was another brilliant performance from Scallywag, who had an emotional victory in the fourth leg from Melbourne to Hong Kong in January after coming back from almost 100 nautical miles behind.
Witt and his team performed a similar turnaround after leaving Hong Kong on February 7 on their 6,000-nm journey and nearly pulled off another miracle.
“Our guys never give up. We had our chances but AkzoNobel were just a bit too good,” said Witt soon after crossing the finish line. “They had their chances and took them and that’s how it goes.
“We put a lot of pressure on them as we could but they stood strong and deserved the win. And it’s good that they have won.
“We have come a long way since leg one. The decision-making process between myself and [navigator] Libby [Greenhalgh] is working quite well and we have a chance of doing something special in this race.”