The 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race Was Decided Just Seven Miles From the Finish. Helen Fretter Finds Out How Dongfeng Took a Cliffhanger Victory
As one, they roared. And then, amid the chaos of the finish line, there was a moment of pause. Skipper Charles Caudrelier briefly let go of the wheel and threw his hands to his head incredulously. All around him the Dongfeng crew were hugging, wordless in disbelief. Dongfeng Race
Team had won the Volvo Ocean Race. Tears flowed freely. Caudrelier said afterwards that it was the first time he had ever cried over a race. Navigator Pascal Bidégorry’s eyes were red raw with emotion and exhaustion. Because this was no straightforward round the world race win. In an unprecedented scenario, the overall victory of the Volvo Ocean Race, a 10-month 45,000-mile epic, was not conclusively decided until the final cross just seven miles from the finish. It was the closest race the event has ever seen and in the end it largely came down to a single, smart, but audacious navigation call.
For Dongfeng Race Team, victory on 24 June 2018 was the culmination of a five-year, two-race campaign. The Chinese-French team was brought together ahead of the last edition (largely by former VOR and Offshore Challenges boss Mark Turner) with a complex set of aims – to race with Chinese sailors, to create national heroes in a nation with no tradition of offshore sailing, and of course, to be competitive.
It was successful on many fronts and was 3rd overall. But to create true national heroes you need to win something. Britons may love an underdog. The French may love the romance of navigateurs sailing off in search of a dream. But China loves a winner. To turn the Dongfeng sailors into stars, they needed to win the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race.
Team boss Bruno Dubois went back to the motoring company and presented Dongfeng with various options for the 2017-18 race. They opted for the set-up that would give the best chance of coming first: a single international team, with the cream of the Chinese crew aboard.
Bu hikaye Yachting World dergisinin August 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Yachting World dergisinin August 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
NIKKI HENDERSON
WHERE DO YOU FIND HANDY BILLY WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
MATTHEW SHEAHAN
IS OLYMPIC SAILING ACTUALLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS A SHOWCASE OF THE SPORT FOR BOTH COMPETITORS AND SPECTATORS?
Building fleet for Baltic Sea Race
The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, a 635-mile race out of Helsinki, Norway, saw varied conditions and a new benchmark course time set.
New cruising charter 'Odyssey'
Charter company Dream Yacht has launched a new round the world supported cruising programme for yacht owners which draws on the company's extensive network of charter bases.
Mixed fortunes at Marseille
The Paris 2024 sailing regatta saw mixed fortunes for many favourites - some confirming their dominance, others crashing out as variable winds played havoc.
The yacht Bayesian
Bayesian is one of Italian yard Perini Navi's 56m series, originally named Salute.
Seven dead in superyacht sinking
Seven people are dead following the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, a 56m/184ft British-flagged Perini Navi, off the coast of Sicily.
5 EXPERT TIPS HELENA DARVELID ON MULTIHULL CONTROL
Performance multihull racing is growing hugely in popularity. Helena Darvelid shares some key learnings with Andy Rice
PALMA'S FUN FACTOR
FUN ON AND OFF THE WATER IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION AT THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA, WRITES PHIL RILEY
SWAN 88 DREAMCATCHER
GLOBAL LEADERS AT THE SEMI-CUSTOM END OF THE PRODUCTION SCENE, NAUTOR SWAN INVITED US FOR THE FIRST SEA TRIALS OF ITS BIG NEW 88
