China’s Dongfeng heads fleet out of Sanya after third stage win in Volvo Ocean Race
China’s Team Dongfeng led the fleet out of its home port of Sanya on Sunday for leg four of the Volvo Ocean Race, a 5,264-nautical mile trip to Auckland that promises particularly treacherous conditions in the first two days.
China’s Team Dongfeng led the fleet out of its home port of Sanya on Sunday for leg four of the Volvo Ocean Race, a 5,264-nautical mile trip to Auckland that promises particularly treacherous conditions in the first two days.
Once the six-strong fleet has emerged from the protection of Sanya Bay, it is likely to be hit by strong winds of up to 30 knots and a strong current running in the opposite direction.
That is likely to result in waves that in the last edition in 2011-12 measured up to 15 metres in height.
I know Adil is devastated to have to miss the fourth leg and I have wished him a speedy recovery
Very little, however, appears to be bothering Dongfeng and their French skipper Charles Caudrelier.
The boat made history in the 41-year-old race, formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race, last month when it became the first from China to win a leg.
It edged out Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the third stage from Abu Dhabi to Sanya and took the overall race lead from the Emirati boat by just one point.
The crew then followed up on Saturday (Feb. 7) by winning the Sanya in-port race, again a first for China in an event that is being staged for the 12th time.