Blair Tuke's MAPFRE hold a share of the lead with one leg remaining on the Volvo Ocean Race. Photo: Ugo Fonolla / Volvo Ocean Race
Blair Tuke's MAPFRE hold a share of the lead with one leg remaining on the Volvo Ocean Race. Photo: Ugo Fonolla / Volvo Ocean Race
Blair Tuke is just as amazed as the rest of us that after 82,691 kilometres of racing and just one leg remaining, three crews are still in the hunt to win to Volvo Ocean Race.
Tuke's MAPFRE sit in a three-way tie for the lead alongside Peter Burling's TeamBrunel and Daryl Wislang's DongFeng Race Team on 65 points – with the shortest leg of the race becoming a 'winner takes all' situation.
The scenario has come as a bit of a surprise. Brunel got off to a mediocre start while MAPFRE and DongFeng were quick out of the blocks.
At the halfway point in Auckland in February, the two crews were comfortable leaders, while Brunel were well down on the ladder. But wins on three legs in the second half, including the final two double-points legs, have seen Brunel jump to the head of the pack.
Peter Burling's Team Brunel have made a strong comeback. Photo: Sam Greenfield / Volvo Ocean Race
"It's great for the sport of sailing. If you'd said this was going to be the case six months ago, or even four months ago when we were in Auckland I wouldn't have though it would have been the case," Tuke said.
"You would have thought it would've been between us and DongFeng but Brunel have sailed really well since then and we've had a couple of issues and haven't sail that well, so this is how it looks now. That's all behind us now and we've just got to sail well on this leg."
MAPFRE, who won the in-port race series, and Brunel have both won three legs of the race, while DongFeng were without a win. However, consistent podium positions have kept them in the hunt.
Daryl Wislang is looking for his second-straight Volvo Ocean Race title. Photo: Jen Edney / Volvo Ocean Race
The final leg is essentially a sprint finish. Only 700 nautical miles (1296km) from Gothenburg in Sweden to the Hague in the Netherlands separates one of the crews from claiming the Volvo Ocean Race title. The route was expected to take the fleet two or three days to complete, and Tuke said the goal heading into it was simple – win.
"We'll have to get a little bit of sleep in there, but there won't be much and you'll always be in your gear ready to get up on deck in 20 or 30 seconds.
"It's certainly been a big test on the body and this next leg's going to be no different. Even though it's short it's going to be pretty intense but we're all good on board and we'll be ready for it."
The fleet depart Gothenburg on Thursday night (NZ time), and were expected to arrive in the Hague by Sunday.
Standings ahead of the final leg on the Volvo Ocean Race 1. MAPFRE (Blair Tuke, Louis Sinclair) - 65 2. Team Brunel (Peter Burling) - 65 3. DongFeng Race Team (Daryl Wislang, Stu Bannatyne) - 64* 4. AkzoNobel (Brad Farrand, Justin Ferris) - 53 5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing (Tony Mutter) - 38 6. Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag (no Kiwis) - 30 7. Turn the tide on Plastic (Bianca Cook) - 29
* - DongFeng Race Team will have a point added for best elapsed time at the end of the final leg.
