The most recent Volvo Ocean Race has written itself into the history books, and it will go down as the most intense and exciting of all the races since the event first started back in 1973. It will also be remembered as one of the most tragic with the loss of a sailor in the Southern Ocean. John Fisher, a crewmember aboard the Hong Kong entry Team Sun Hung Kai Scallywag was swept overboard when he was hit by the mainsheet after an accidental gybe. It was the first fatality of the race since the Dutch sailor Hans Horrevoets was lost at sea back in 2006. Despite the tragedy, the event was celebrated as one of the closest and most exciting races ever with it all coming down the final few miles of the last leg of the race with three boats in contention to be the overall winner.
The final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race was a sprint from Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast, to The Hague with a photo-op turning mark off Aarhus in Denmark. Going into the leg three boats were scored equal, well technically two were even with the Chinese entry Dongfeng a point behind but all teams knowing that Dongfeng would be awarded a bonus point for the fastest overall race time. The other two boats were Team Brunel, a local favorite in Holland, and the Spanish entry Mapfre skippered by double Olympic medalist Xabi Fernández. There was everything to play for, and nothing would be left on the race course.
From the moment the gun fired for Leg 11 it was an intense battle with Dongfeng, skippered by the French sailor Charles Caudrelier dominating, but being chased every inch of the way by Mapfre. Team Brunel, with skipper Bouwe Bekking, seemed to be a little off the pace and for a while they were languishing in fourth place. Once the boats were around the top of Denmark they picked up strong tailwinds and the game was on. Mapfre took over the lead, and Team Brunel pulled yet another come-from-behind move to get within a couple of miles of the leaders. They were running out of race course when Xabi Fernández and his navigator Joan Vila blinked. The boats were approaching a large traffic separation zone that had to be honored, and Mapfre held a close cover on Dongfeng with both boats looking to sail down the east side of the separation zone. Team Brunel, rapidly approaching from behind, opted to sail down the west side and that was where the race was lost for Mapfre. The continued covering Dongfeng for a few more miles, then they blinked. They gybed over to cover Team Brunel instead leaving Dongfeng with clear air and a straight line to the finish. Race pundits say that it was those few miles that were lost when Mapfre continued to cover Dongfeng before they changed their mind that gave the overall win of the 2017/18 Volvo Ocean Race to Charles Caudrelier and his crew aboard Dongfeng Race Team. Mapfre held off a strong challenge from Team Brunel to take second place, and Bouwe Bekking and company came in third overall.