Dongfeng Race Team wins Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

Dongfeng Race Team won the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race on the shortest finishing route in race history. Skipper Charles Caudrelier led his team to victory in the final stage of the race, a 970 mile sprint from Gothenburg, Sweden to The Hague.

Dongfeng Race Team wins Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

At the 11th stage of the race, three teams started: MAPFRE, Team Brunel and Dongfeng Race Team... Each of these three teams was the leader at different stages and had the opportunity to win. But it is the team Dongfeng Race Team made a daring challenge on Saturday night, June 23rd, taking the coastal route to the finish line that pinned them to the coastline separating them from the other race leaders.

This decision hurt the team in the short term as they plunged down the leader track. But overnight, they closed the gap, and by Sunday morning, with less than 100 miles to go, all three teams were almost level. No one was able to come off overnight, despite significant gaps at the very beginning of the finishing stage. Just a few miles from the finish line, team Dongfeng Race Teamflying along the coast from the north, literally slipped in front of the rivals to win their first leg of the race, leading the team to victory in the race as a whole!

Dongfeng Race Team wins Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

Dongfeng Race Team wins Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

“We have always trusted each other. Nobody thought that we would win this last stage, but I had a good feeling, "said excited Charles Caudrelier after thanking his opponents and the team. “I said, 'We cannot lose, we cannot lose, we cannot lose” ... and we won! ”

Over 45 years of race history Volvo Ocean Race for the first time, the victory was won by a team under the flag of China. But that's not all. Two team members Carolijn Brouwer and Marie Riou became the first women in half a century to win a race Volvo Ocean Race!

Dongfeng Race Team wins Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

MAPFRE - Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18

Skipper Xabi fernandez and his team MAPFRE, who were in the lead throughout the race, finished third in the last stage, and dropped to second place overall, which were extremely upset.

Team brunel headed by Bouwe bekking finished in four and moved up to third on the overall leaderboard.

The Dutch skipper took the second place at the final stage in The Hague Simeon tienpont and his team AkzoNobel, which previously ranked fourth overall.

Command Vestas 11th Hour Racing ended up in fifth place in the overall table, after the promising start of the 11th stage, which ended last for them.

Both teams SHK / Scallywag and Turn the Tide on Plastic finished the race Volvo Ocean Race with an equal score. This Saturday, the results of a series of in-port races will decide the fate of these two teams, determining the sixth and seventh places in the standings. Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18... After that, the teams will celebrate their achievements and finally get a well-deserved rest!

11th final stage Volvo Ocean Race (Saturday 23 June)

1. Dongfeng Race Team - 3 days, 3 hours, 22 minutes, 32 seconds
2. team AkzoNobel - 3 days, 3 hours, 38 minutes, 31 seconds
3. MAPFRE - 3 days, 3 hours, 39 minutes, 25 seconds
4. Team brunel - 3 days, 3 hours, 45 minutes, 52 seconds
5. Turn the tide on plastic - 3 days, 3 hours, 56 minutes, 56 seconds
6. SHK / Scallywag - 3 days, 4 hours, 01 minutes, 32 seconds
7. Vestas 11th Hour Racing - 3 days, 4 hours, 05 minutes, 36 seconds

Overall Race Leaderboard Volvo Ocean Race after the 11th final stage

1. Dongfeng Race Team - 73 points
2. MAPFRE - 70 points
3. Team brunel - 69 points
4. team AkzoNobel - 59 points
5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing - 39 points
6. SHK / Scallywag - 32 points *
7. Turn the tide on plastic - 32 points *