Abu Dhabi, China set pace in race around the world
By Afp

Published: 17:54 GMT, 6 November 2014 | Updated: 17:54 GMT, 6 November 2014















e-mail




Boats from Abu Dhabi and China - two nations with no great tradition in offshore yacht racing - have emerged as
the early front-runners for the sport's premier prize, the Volvo Ocean Race.


Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing edged Chinese rivals Dongfeng Race Team by a
mere 12 minutes after 25 days at sea on Wednesday
in one of the closest finishes of the opening stage in the
41-year-old event's history.

Although Abu Dhabi were among the pre-race favourites when the fleet set
out on the nine-month, 38,739-nautical mile (nm) marathon around the world on October 11, few expected the Chinese boat to figure among the early front-runners.








The yacht Abu Dhabi sails into Table Bay in Cape Town, to win the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, after sailing from Alicante in Spain, on November 5, 2014


However, the sport has been quietly growing in the world's most populous nation and sailing gold medals in successive Olympics, in 2008 (Yin Jian)
and 2012 (Xu Lijia), have helped boost its popularity.


Dongfeng launched a major recruitment campaign to find squad sailors capable
of taking on the world's leading offshore racers and found six after a series of personality and physical tests both on water and land.



Two rookies - Jin Hao Chen and Jiru Yang - were included in the
crew for the 6,487nm opening leg between Alicante, Spain and Cape Town and
both excelled.

They were happy to concede that they found the going tough as the boats battled through the
Mediterranean and South Atlantic to South Africa.


"It was always my dream to take part in the Volvo Ocean Race," said Chen. "At times, it felt like it was becoming my nightmare."

The crew was expertly led by a Frenchman, Charles Caudrelier,
who was a member of the victorious Groupama crew from
the previous edition in 2011-12.

He is skippering a high-profile team for the first time but his cool leadership
and navigational skills ensured that his boat came very close to upsetting
Abu Dhabi at the finish despite two major equipment breakages earlier in the leg.


The Emerati boat, skippered by Briton Ian Walker, was under no doubt of the danger that Caudrelier's crew posed during the next
eight months of an event which visits 11 ports in all before concluding in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 27
next year.

"We've had them ride on our heels for the last 10 days or so. I must congratulate Dongfeng, an absolutely fantastic performance," he said
after the finish under Cape Town's famous Table Mountain.

"Charles is a fantastic sailor and he's doing great work. We'll have our work cut out with them."

In all, seven teams, also from the Netherlands, Denmark, Turkey/USA,
Spain, Sweden, are competing in the 12th edition of the race which was launched as the Whitbread
Round the World Race in 1973.

Male

Abu Dhabi, China set pace in race around the world
By Afp

Published: 17:54 GMT, 6 November 2014 | Updated: 17:54 GMT, 6 November 2014















e-mail




Boats from Abu Dhabi and China - two nations with no great tradition in offshore yacht racing - have emerged as
the early front-runners for the sport's premier prize, the Volvo Ocean Race.


Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing edged Chinese rivals Dongfeng Race Team by a
mere 12 minutes after 25 days at sea on Wednesday
in one of the closest finishes of the opening stage in the
41-year-old event's history.

Although Abu Dhabi were among the pre-race favourites when the fleet set
out on the nine-month, 38,739-nautical mile (nm) marathon around the world on October 11, few expected the Chinese boat to figure among the early front-runners.








The yacht Abu Dhabi sails into Table Bay in Cape Town, to win the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, after sailing from Alicante in Spain, on November 5, 2014


However, the sport has been quietly growing in the world's most populous nation and sailing gold medals in successive Olympics, in 2008 (Yin Jian)
and 2012 (Xu Lijia), have helped boost its popularity.


Dongfeng launched a major recruitment campaign to find squad sailors capable
of taking on the world's leading offshore racers and found six after a series of personality and physical tests both on water and land.



Two rookies - Jin Hao Chen and Jiru Yang - were included in the
crew for the 6,487nm opening leg between Alicante, Spain and Cape Town and
both excelled.

They were happy to concede that they found the going tough as the boats battled through the
Mediterranean and South Atlantic to South Africa.


"It was always my dream to take part in the Volvo Ocean Race," said Chen. "At times, it felt like it was becoming my nightmare."

The crew was expertly led by a Frenchman, Charles Caudrelier,
who was a member of the victorious Groupama crew from
the previous edition in 2011-12.

He is skippering a high-profile team for the first time but his cool leadership
and navigational skills ensured that his boat came very close to upsetting
Abu Dhabi at the finish despite two major equipment breakages earlier in the leg.


The Emerati boat, skippered by Briton Ian Walker, was under no doubt of the danger that Caudrelier's crew posed during the next
eight months of an event which visits 11 ports in all before concluding in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 27
next year.

"We've had them ride on our heels for the last 10 days or so. I must congratulate Dongfeng, an absolutely fantastic performance," he said
after the finish under Cape Town's famous Table Mountain.

"Charles is a fantastic sailor and he's doing great work. We'll have our work cut out with them."

In all, seven teams, also from the Netherlands, Denmark, Turkey/USA,
Spain, Sweden, are competing in the 12th edition of the race which was launched as the Whitbread
Round the World Race in 1973.

Male