Volvo Ocean Race - Dongfeng Race Team is second overall in Melbourne after its third consecutive podium finish

Dongfeng Race Team skippered by Charles Caudrelier of France is now in second place overall in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 after three legs, following its second place finish in Leg 3 from Cape Town to Melbourne. The Chinese entry, which is wholly sponsored by Dongfeng Motor Corporation, sailed across the finish line on Port Phillip Bay off Melbourne early on an overcast Christmas Day morning after a grueling 6,500-nautical mile stage from South Africa. As in the previous leg from Lisbon to Cape Town, Caudrelier and his international crew led almost continuously for the first 11 days or so but were then overtaken in the later stages by the Spanish team on MAPFRE which has strengthened its hold on the overall race lead. With 23 points scored after three of the 11 scheduled legs, Dongfeng Race Team and Vestas 11th Hour Racing – which finished third in Melbourne - are tied, six points behind MAPFRE, which has 29 points. However Dongfeng, which has now been on the podium in each of the first three legs, occupies second place overall by virtue of having beaten Vestas on this leg. The 14-day stage from Cape Town saw huge seas, storm force winds and long periods of heavy weather downwind sailing, with multiple gybing manoeuvres close to the Antarctic Ice Exclusion Zone, that took its toll on both the crew and the boat. In the closing stages the crew on Dongfeng discovered that the boat’s swing keel mechanism had suffered a serious component failure with the portside ram no longer working. After making running repairs they were able to get Dongfeng back up to speed, but the keel system is now requires a major overhaul during the short stopover in Melbourne before the fleet sets sail on Leg 4 to Hong Kong on January 2. Speaking moments after Dongfeng crossed the finish line, Caudrelier said this had been one of the hardest races of his life. “I think everybody shares the same feeling that we are all exhausted,” he said. “It was one of the toughest legs I ever did. We had a big fight with MAPFRE and, to finish, we had a big problem on board with the keel. There was also a crazy section of gybing at least 40 times around the ice limit which made it a very, very difficult leg.” Caudrelier did not hide his frustration at finishing runner-up to the Spanish crew for the second time in succession. “It is a bit disappointing because again we were leading for 80% of the time and we lost first place to MAPFRE, but there are more legs to come and we will be there.” With a six-point gap to make up Caudrelier, who thanked Dongfeng Race Team’s fans around the world for their support, knows he has a big battle on his hands to get back on terms with the crew led by Xabi Fernandez. “It’s a good second place but that’s two second places for us, and two first places for MAPFRE, who have taken a small lead in terms of points,” he said. “We have to take care because those guys do not make many mistakes. We know it will be difficult to put boats between us on the next legs…but now we have to do better for sure.”

Chinese sailor Xue Liu, also known as Black and who sailed as pitman, joked that the leg had been so tough that he had started to have nightmares about navigator Pascal Bidegorry calling him to go back on deck for manoeuvres. “Sweat, cold and being afraid of Pascal - that defines my leg,” he said as Dongfeng made its way to the race village in Melbourne. “Every time I tried to sleep it was ‘Black - sail change! Black - on watch! Black – wake-up!’ I actually dreamt about Pascal one night and woke up and went on standby - I had nightmares about it,” he said laughing. “We were very close to MAPFRE and so there was lots of pressure. It was 20-40 knots of wind and this was the longest time and the strongest I have had to be for so long. The conditions tried to destroy our body but we never gave up. “Compared to last race,” Black added, “this was different because the conditions were the best three years ago. This time was much harder because the maximum windspeed was up to 56 knots and it never dropped below 20 knots. You are full-on all the time. We were always under pressure but it was good and, despite it all, I liked it.”

“We were very close to MAPFRE and so there was lots of pressure. It was 20-40 knots of wind and this was the longest time and the strongest I have had to be for so long. The conditions tried to destroy our body but we never gave up. “Compared to last race,” Black added, “this was different because the conditions were the best three years ago. This time was much harder because the maximum windspeed was up to 56 knots and it never dropped below 20 knots. You are full-on all the time. We were always under pressure but it was good and, despite it all, I liked it.”

French sailor Fabien Delahaye, who sailed the leg as a last minute replacement for Daryl Wislang who injured his back just before the Cape Town re-start, also reckoned it had been a tough leg in the Southern Indian Ocean. "It was cold and difficult in the manoeuvres because of the ice limit,” he said.  “The crew worked very well on board - everyone is so motivated on-watch and this never changed. It was perfect. “Even if you were off-watch there was always work to do and it was difficult to find time to sleep or eat something. Everything on board is difficult, so life is not so easy, but I was really impressed with how the team performed.”

His fellow countrywoman, Marie Riou, found her first experience of the Southern Ocean a bigger test than even she had imagined it would be. “It was much more than I was expecting,” she said. “It was relentless. Wind, wind, wind with not a day off of light wind. The first night was really tough and then it turned out that that definitely wasn’t the worst. It was actually pretty terrifying for me with all the water on the deck pushing you to the back of the cockpit like that – I have never experienced anything like that before. “But I did it, so I am proud of that and I am proud of my team,” she added. “I spoke with the others on board and they also said, for them, it was one of the hardest, so it is good to know I did the worst of it I guess.” This is Dongfeng Race Team’s second Volvo Ocean Race campaign. In 2014-15 it finished third overall, also under Caudrelier’s leadership. Apart from challenging for overall honours in the race, Dongfeng Race Team is also committed to helping to grow the sport of offshore ocean racing in China.

Leg 3 – Provisional Results –at Sunday 24 December (Leg 3, Day 15) at 23:30 UTC 1. MAPFRE -- FINISHED -- 16:07.21 UTC – 14 days, 04h:07m:21s 2. Dongfeng Race Team -- FINISHED – 20:10:16 UTC – 14 days, 08h:10m:16s 3. Vestas 11th Hour Racing -- FINISHED – 21:52:11 UTC – 14 days, 09h:52m:11s 4. Team Brunel -- FINISHED – 23:36:27 UTC – 14 days, 11h:36m:27s 5. team AkzoNobel -- RACING 6. Turn the Tide on Plastic -- RACING 7. Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag -- RACING Volvo Ocean Race – Current Leaderboard 1. MAPFRE -- FINISHED -- 29 points (after Leg 3) 2. Dongfeng Race Team -- FINISHED -- 23 points (after Leg 3) 3. Vestas 11th Hour Racing -- FINISHED -- 23 points (after Leg 3) 4. Team Brunel -- FINISHED -- 14 points (after Leg 3) 5. team AkzoNobel -- RACING -- 7 points (after Leg 2) 6. Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag -- RACING -- 5 points (after Leg 2) 7. Turn the Tide on Plastic -- RACING -- 2 points (after Leg 2)