Dongfeng Race Team win the Volvo Ocean Race with late pass on final day

Dongfeng Race Team has won the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 in the closest finish in race history.

Crédit : A Sanchez

Skipper Charles Caudrelier led his team to victory on the final leg of the race, a 970-mile sprint from Gothenburg, Sweden to The Hague.

Team Brunel win Leg 10 over MAPFRE - Volvo Ocean Race

Team Brunel complete the Leg 10 comeback, to win the penultimate leg into Gothenburg, Sweden, setting up an epic final sprint to The Hague...

Crédit : A Sanchez

Skipper Bouwe Bekking led his team to a win in Leg 10 of the Volvo Ocean Race over Xabi Fernández's MAPFRE squad, who claimed second place, less than two-minutes behind.

Volvo Ocean Race / Team Brunel has won Leg 9, Bekking : "We are a happy team ! "

The Team Brunel crew held its nerve to take a hard-fought win in Leg 9 and move within striking distance of the overall Volvo Ocean Race lead...

Crédit : J Renedo

Skipper Bouwe Bekking’s Team Brunel has won Leg 9 of the Volvo Ocean Race to vault into serious contention for the overall race win.

“There is a big, big light spot ahead of us,” explained Dongfeng Race Team skipper Charles Caudrelier

The leading boats in the Volvo Ocean Race have left Friday’s record-breaking conditions in their wake as they bump into a ridge of high pressure that is beginning to slow their progress towards the finish in Cardiff.

Credit : J Lecauday

Tense times for Volvo Ocean Race fleet as advantage ebbs and flows

The fleet is beginning to converge after a big split early in Leg 9. But who will come out with the advantage is not yet clear... The Volvo Ocean Race fleet was beginning to converge again on Wednesday as the Leg 9 sprint across the Atlantic continued at pace.

Crédit : J Lecauday

A split of almost 300 miles had opened up early in the 3,300-mile leg from Newport, USA, to Cardiff, Wales, as the seven-strong fleet broke into two groups.

Volvo Ocean Race / Team Brunel leads fleet out of Newport after spectacular Sunday start

The fog burned off and the sun came out just in time for the start of Leg 9, which sees the fleet return to Europe.

Crédit : J Renedo

Team Brunel accomplished its first goal on Sunday afternoon, taking the early lead on Leg 9 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Newport, Rhode Island to Cardiff, Wales.

Focus shifts to inshore racing on Saturday at the Volvo Ocean Race in Newport

After returning to the northern hemisphere with nearly 40,000 nautical miles in their wake, the sailors in the Volvo Ocean Race will shift gears to inshore racing with a focus on Saturday’s Gurney’s Resorts In Port Race Newport.

Crédit : J Lecauday

The Volvo Ocean Race teams were preparing to gybe on Sunday and begin the final run in Newport

The final 36 hours of Leg 8 will be decisive with the teams set to choose their final approach line into the finish in Newport, Rhode Island...

Crédit : S Greenfield

Volvo Ocean Race / "We are in good spirits " Charles Caudrelier, on second-placed

The Volvo Ocean Race crews were putting the pedal to the metal on Thursday as they enjoyed fast sailing conditions in the northern hemisphere trade winds.

Crédit : B Carlin

Volvo Ocean Race / Dongfeng Race Team snuck into the lead on Tuesday

Dongfeng Race Team snuck into the lead on Tuesday as the Volvo Ocean Race fleet continued to skirt Leg 8’s first major obstacle – the St Helena High.

Credit : J Lecauday

MAPFRE leads the Volvo Ocean Race fleet out of Itajaí to Newport, Rhode Island

Large crowds were on hand to see MAPFRE lead the Volvo Ocean Race fleet off on Leg 8 from Itajaí, Brazil to Newport, Rhode Island...

Crédit : P Martinez

Volvo Ocean Race / Charles Caudrelier : "We didn’t have a good start"

MAPFRE takes a close win over team AkzoNobel and Dongfeng Race Team in Brazil In Port Race, while SHK/Scallywag race the clock to be on the start line on Sunday...

Crédit : P Martinez

Volvo Ocean Race / Six teams to take start of Itajaí In-Port Race

Six teams will be on the start line on Friday afternoon for the Itajaí In-Port Race in Brazil, with Vestas 11th Hour Racing joining the fleet following its dismasting, and subsequent repair and relaunching.

Crédit : P Martinez

Volvo Ocean Race / And they're off, “It feels good to be back on the water”

An intense start saw the seven-boat fleet – back up to full complement with the return of Vestas 11th Hour Racing – sail straight into a 30-knot easterly just hours after the leg start on Sunday.

Crédit : J Lecauday

Volvo Ocean Race / Victory in Auckland, Charles Caudrelier : "It was very tricky, very difficult"

Dongfeng Race Team showed great concentration and resilience in winning the New Zealand Herald In Port Race in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.

credit : A Sanchez

Conditions were extremely light, shifty and patchy on the Waitematā Harbour, making for plenty of lead changes over the course of the one hour race.

Volvo Ocean Race / "It was a good surpise", Team AkzoNobel has won in Auckland

There was a twist in the tale with massive change and opportunity over the final 12 hours of Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race...

Credit : A Sanchez

Volvo Ocean Race / Finish of Leg 6 tomorrow, under 200 miles to go Auckland

The finish of Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race is shaping up to be a nail-biter after team AkzoNobel emerged from stealth mode on the public tracker on Monday with the narrowest of leads with just under 200 miles to go.

Crédit : M Keruzore

Volvo Ocean Race / Charles Caudrelier : "I don’t think there is anything we can do to come back"

The race is on to slip around Cape Reinga and North Point, the northern tip of New Zealand, ahead of the dash down the east coast of the North Island and into the finish of Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race. On Sunday afternoon at 1300 UTC, it was team AkzoNobel as the pacesetters, leading a southern grouping of three boats who eased out of the doldrums ahead of the chasing trio earlier this week.

Credit : Ugo Fonolla/Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo Ocean Race / Turn the Tide on Plastic moved into pole position

British yachtswoman Dee Caffari was preparing to lead her Volvo Ocean Race team through the middle of the world’s second-largest barrier reef on Thursday in a bid to defend first place in Leg 6 as the finish line draws nearer.

Credit : Y Riou

Volvo Ocean Race / No pain, no gain, as Doldrums take their toll

The Volvo Ocean Race fleet is facing another 48 hours of excruciating sailing as the teams plugged deeper into a massive expanse of windless ocean on Tuesday.

Credit : M Keruzore/Volvo Ocean Race

Lying ahead of them is a 400-mile gulf that stretches as far south as New Caledonia, severely hampering progress towards New Zealand as Leg 6 enters its 14th day.