New Zealand skipper Mike Sanderson said it wasn't until he was almost at Rio de Janeiro that he finally allowed himself to believe he could win the epic fourth leg of the round-the-world race.
Sanderson guided his Dutch team ABN Amro One to their third leg victory in the race,
reaching Rio de Janeiro yesterday after 20 days at sea.
"I didn't think we had won this leg until this afternoon," Sanderson said.
"That was when I allowed myself to believe that we might have pulled this off. I think the guys behind thought they might catch us up, but the boat went well and I think it surprised people how well it went in the light airs."
Sanderson said he and navigator Stan Honey talked endlessly about the jinx of Rio, and how often in the past it had accounted for massive place changes at the end.
Pirates of the Caribbean suffered that fate as a relatively comfortable lead vanished in a matter of hours, while Brasil 1 and ABN Amro Two came roaring up to their transom.
The Pirates did however manage to hold on to second place, crossing the line 30 minutes ahead of ABN Amro Two. Brasil 1 were fourth and Ericsson fifth.
Sanderson said the 6700-nautical-mile leg, which started in Wellington on February 19, was one of the legs they were most worried about.
"Down south is hard work mentally. These boats are so exhilarating and they're so fast. It's full on. I think we saw up to 37 or 38 knots boat speed. You skip over a few waves and then plough into the next one. There's nothing you can do about that; you just have to decide how hard you can get away with pushing it."
Sanderson and his crew have now won three of the four legs in the race and continue to show they are the team to beat. However, with half the points still available there is everything to play for in the remainder of the race, among a fleet that contains some of the world's best sailors.
But for Sanderson and his predominantly New Zealand crew, there is plenty of time to worry about the future. Now is the time to celebrate another leg win.
"For now, this moment right here is the high point of this leg - having scored the results, being part of a team that I'm so proud of. This is the moment for me, for sure," Sanderson said.
Following the in-port race on March 25, the fifth leg to Baltimore starts on April 2.
LEADERBOARD
* ABN Amro One (NED) 49 pts
* ABN Amro Two (NED) 34
* Pirates of the Caribbean (USA) 30.5
* Movistar (Spain) 28
* Brazil 1 (Brazil) 27.5
* Ericsson (SWE) 21
Yachting: Sweet but unexpected victory
New Zealand skipper Mike Sanderson said it wasn't until he was almost at Rio de Janeiro that he finally allowed himself to believe he could win the epic fourth leg of the round-the-world race.
Sanderson guided his Dutch team ABN Amro One to their third leg victory in the race,
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