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.

“We are waiting to catch the new wind,” said Pascal Bidegorry, Dongfeng Race Team - Volvo Ocean Race

A brief split opened up in the Volvo Ocean Race fleet on Saturday afternoon as team AkzoNobel and Team Brunel were pushed by an unexpected windshift to pass north and west of a commercial Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) while the race leaders, Dongfeng Race Team and MAPFRE slid down the east side.

Crédit : M Keruzore

Dongfeng Race Team and MAPFRE in tense match race towards Aarhus - Volvo Ocean Race

Rivals Dongfeng Race Team and MAPFRE were locked in a bitter tussle for the Leg 11 lead – and overall Volvo Ocean Race victory – on Friday as they led the fleet towards the Danish city of Aarhus.

Crédit : A Sanchez

Early advantage to Dongfeng Race Team on critical final leg of Volvo Ocean Race

The Chinese-flagged Dongfeng Race Team grabbed the early initiative on the decisive final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, ahead of overall race victory rivals Team Brunel and MAPFRE... Three teams started the final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race on Thursday afternoon in an unprecedented dead-heat on the overall leaderboard.

Crédit : J Renedeo

“It’s amazing to see three boats on the same points,” said Charles Caudrelier - Volvo Ocean Race

The deciding leg of the Volvo Ocean Race will start at 14:00 local time on Thursday in Gothenburg. This is it. The winner of the race will emerge after this 700-mile sprint to The Hague...

Crédit : J Renedo

Three teams will start Leg 11 – the final 700 nautical mile sprint leg of the Volvo Ocean Race – in a virtual tie for the lead, setting up an epic, dramatic and unprecedented denouement.

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.

Brunel shoots into the lead as intensity builds towards photo finish - Volvo Ocean Race

The pace is relentless as the leaders close in on Gothenburg knowing every point will count for the overall Volvo Ocean Race win...

Crédit : A Sanchez

Bouwe Bekking’s Team Brunel shot past most of the fleet over the past 24 hours, eventually eking ahead of MAPFRE on Thursday morning and taking the lead in Leg 10 of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Volvo Ocean Race / MAPFRE leads fleet north of Scotland

Spanish team MAPFRE shot into the lead of the penultimate Volvo Ocean Race leg as the fleet rocketed round the coast of Scotland on Wednesday.

Crédit : S Greenfield

The painfully light and fickle winds that dogged the seven teams on Tuesday as they crossed a high pressure ridge had today been replaced by powerful south-westerlies that were blasting them north-east at breakneck speeds.

Dongfeng Race Team leads Volvo Ocean Race fleet past Fastnet Rock

The Volvo Ocean Race’s overall leaders Dongfeng Race Team were at the head of the fleet on Monday as the teams passed the iconic Fastnet Rock off Ireland’s southern tip.

Crédit : A Sanchez

Charles Caudrelier : "We just have to go race and see what happens" - Volvo Ocean Race

With just two legs remaining in the Volvo Ocean Race the battle for the overall prize is tighter than ever, with three teams fighting for first place and a fourth crew still in with a shot at the podium.

Crédit : J Renedo

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

Volvo Ocean Race / MAPFRE take a stunning win into Newport

The Spanish team MAPFRE made an incredible comeback over the final 24 hours to steal a leg win on Leg 8...

Crédit : J Renedo

The Spanish team MAPFRE stunned the Volvo Ocean Race fleet on Tuesday morning by stealing a win in Leg 8, with a shocking come-from-behind victory into Newport, Rhode Island.

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