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Displaying items by tag: Leg 0

#VOR - The last team to be confirmed for the next Volvo Ocean Race proved their 'dark horse' label all too true as they sailed to victory in Leg 0 in Alicante.

In the final significant test of the new one-design fleet's capabilities before the race proper begins next month, Team Vestas Wind surprised the more experienced contingents – besting the Dutch side Team Brunel over the line by 10 seconds.

Despite it being 'only a practice race', it's a remarkable achievement for the Danish team that was only confirmed as an entrant last month and has had just four weeks of on-the-water testing.

Meanwhile, Dongfeng Racing Team put their teamwork to the test in their dramatic scramble to retrieve their sail after it slipped into the water during stacking.

However, the primary purpose for many crews sailing on Leg 0 was getting a leg up on the competition.

As the video above demonstrates, 'learning from the enemy' was all important – especially with everyone sailing the same yacht, which means that individual team strategies will make all the difference this time out.

Published in Ocean Race

About Match Racing

A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.

In yacht racing, it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consisting of 2, 3 or 4 boats compete together in a team race, with their results being combined.

A match race consists of two identical boats racing against each other. With effective boat handling and clever use of wind and currents, a trailing boat can escape the grasp of the leader and pass. The leader uses blocking techniques to hold the other boat back. This one-on-one duel is a game of strategy and tactics.

About the World Match Racing Tour

Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous champions include Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Jesper Radich (DEN), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Ian Williams (GBR). Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors