VOR / Last battle tomorrow in Galway, Nicholson :"A win would be huge for us"

Four teams will go into the final contest of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 with a shot of winning the in-port series -- but all six teams will be looking to go out with a bang when the last battle commences on Saturday.

Credit : P.Todd/VOR

VOR / Groupama complete victory in Galway, Franck Cammas :"This is my dream" (video)

Groupama crossed the finish line in the pitch black Galway night to settle the closest contest in the 39-year history and crown themselves Volvo Ocean Race champions 2011-12. While CAMPER were celebrating victory in the ninth and final leg, Groupama skipper Franck Cammas led his team home in second place to take an unassailable 24-point lead with just one in-port race to go.

VOR / Franck Cammas :"Not taking too much risk during the night"

Telefónica were back to their commanding best on Sunday to lead the fleet out of Lorient on the final offshore leg to Galway, Ireland as Groupama made a patient start to their bid for the top four place that would guarantee overall victory.

Credit : E.Allaire

VOR / Winning the In-Port, Franck Cammas :"It’s incredible to be doing so well"

Just minutes after the finish of the Bretagne In-Port Race in Lorient, France the Volvo Ocean Race team spoke with the skippers and their crew about the penultimate inshore race and what lies ahead in Leg 9.

Credit : E.Allaire

VOR / Cammas :"Our strategy will depends on how the in-port race goes"

The international media assembled in Lorient ahead of the resumption of competitive action this weekend got a final chance to hear how the skippers were planning to approach the Bretagne In-Port Race on Saturday and Leg 9 to Galway starting the following day, at today’s press conference.

Credit : E.Allaire

VOR / Will the teams take the points deduction or find a way to effect the repairs afloat ? (video)

Rulings by the independent international jury on Monday night mean that Abu Dhabi and Team Telefónica will each have to accept a two point penalty if they chose to haul their boats out of the water for repairs.

Similarly, overall race leaders Groupama will be docked two points if they opt to lower their mast for repairs.

VOR / Iker Martinez :"We will keep fighting until this is over"

5 days, 8 hours, 40 minutes and 26 seconds after setting off from Lisbon, “Telefónica” crossed the finishing line of the eighth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race in Lorient (France) at 22:40 local time (20:40 UTC). “We had a very big problem and we're all here safely so I'm much happier now. I think we did a great leg until the damage, no doubt, our best leg; we competed at a very, very high level,” said Iker Martínez upon arrival at Lorient.

Credit : P.Todd/VOR

Video / Leg 8 Finale in Lorient

VOR / Heroic comeback victory on Leg 8 for Groupama in Lorient

France's Groupama completed a heroic comeback victory on Leg 8 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Friday, strengthening their grip on the overall standings and realising a dream homecoming to the port of Lorient.

Credit : E.Allaire

VOR / The first boats are expected in Lorient at 1000 UTC on Friday

The overall result of the closest ever Volvo Ocean Race could hinge on a risky manoeuvre the teams will try to pull off in heavy weather, fading light and close to the eye of a violent storm later on Thursday.

Credit : Y.Riou/Groupama/VOR

Volvo Ocean Race / Telefonica breaks rudder mid-storm

The team has managed to contain the damage by stabilising speeds with the hope of not dropping back too far from their rivals

Credit : D.Fructuoso/Telefonica/VOR

Volvo Ocean Race / The fleet is sprinting towards Lorient, ETA is Friday

Team Telefónica led a furious charge into the eye of a North Atlantic storm on Wednesday, with just 10 nautical miles separating the top four teams overall and the fastest 24-hour runs of the race a real possibility.

Credit : D.Fructuoso/Team Telefonica/VOR

VOR / Telefónica three minutes ahead at São Miguel

There was no let up in the three way scrap for the podium positions overnight as Telefónica, Groupama and PUMA continued to duke it out for the lead on the approach to São Miguel island in the Azores.

It was Telefónica who emerged from the fray marginally ahead to round the Leg 8 waypoint in first place at 0456 UTC -- followed just three minutes later by Groupama.


Third placed PUMA rounded at 0508 UTC with CAMPER another 20 minutes behind in fourth and Abu Dhabi in fifth, rounding at 0553 UTC UTC and sixth placed Team Sanya at 0636 UTC.

VOR / Ken Read (Puma) :"It is certainly close" (video)

The top three teams overall in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 remained locked together in a titanic struggle on Tuesday as the fleet slowed slightly on the way to the only Leg 8 turning mark -- São Miguel island in the Azores archipelago.

VOR / Telefonica and Groupama are leading the fleet

Telefónica's bid for redemption and the return of their overall lead was well underway on Monday with the Spanish team leading the Leg 8 race to Lorient, France, though the sight of current race frontrunners Groupama on their shoulder will be a sobering thought.

Credit : A.Ross/Puma/VOR

VOR / Ken Read and Puma led the fleet out towards the Atlantic

PUMA led the Volvo Ocean Race fleet out towards the Atlantic as Leg 8, the penultimate offshore stage of the race, got underway from the Portuguese capital Lisbon, bound for Lorient, France.

Credit : I.Roman/VOR

VOR / Groupama stamped their authority today, extending their overall lead

Front-running Groupama stamped their authority on the Volvo Ocean Race today with a crucial win in the Oeiras In-Port Race, extending their overall lead to eight points with just four more scoring opportunities left.

Credit : I.Roman/VOR

VOR / Ken Read :"We’ve just got to keep doing what we do"

A four-way scrap for overall honours and a three-way tie in the inshore series are set to light up Saturday’s Oeiras In-Port Race in Lisbon, starting 1300 local, 1200 UTC, 24 hours before the teams set out on the penultimate offshore leg to Lorient.

Credit : I.Roman/VOR

VOR / Gonzalo Infante :"Raw boat speed is going to be essential"

Avoiding the worst of the Azores High and making the best of a rough ride home will be the keys to Leg 8 for the four teams jostling for honours in the closest ever Volvo Ocean Race.

Credit : P.Todd/VOR

VOR / Iker Martinez :"What we all really want is to be ahead at the end in Galway"

Seven months and 45,000 miles later and the Volvo Ocean Race has made its return to Europe and has done so with a new leader. “Telefónica” has given away the lead, which the team had been holding onto since November, although the top spot is only three points away. We take an in-depth look at the seventh leg and look ahead to the two legs and three in-shores coming up with Iker Martínez-

Credit : M.Muina/Telefonica