#VOR - Vestas 11th Hour Racing have won Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race, crossing the finish line in the River Tagus in Lisbon this afternoon (Saturday 28 October) a few hours later than expected.

While the team powered to the front after the first night out of Alicante and maintained pole position throughout the week, the final approach to Portugal was not an easy one.

That’s because the wind shut down on the final approach, and what had been a lead of 34 nautical miles over second-placed MAPFRE was whittled down to just 10 miles over the course of this morning.

With the finish so close and yet so far, with the current in the river even pushing the leaders back out to sea at times, the crew on the Vestas boat — among them Ireland's own Damian Foxall — held their nerve, tacking first up and then down, zigzagging towards the line, into agonisingly light headwinds.

The effort paid off for American skipper Charlie Enright and his team, who earn seven points plus a bonus point for the leg win for a total of eight on the board.

"It's incredible," said Mark Towill, Team Director, from on board the boat moments before the finish.

"What a way to kick off the event,” said tram director Mark Towill from the boat moments before it crossed the finish line.

“It's been an incredible performance for the team … It’s been a challenging leg. We still have a lot to improve and long way to go... Today is our day, we'll enjoy it, but then we have to get back to work and focus on the next leg.”

Vestas 11th Hour Racing – which carries US and Danish flags – also becomes the first American flagged team to win Leg 1, as well as the first Danish team to win a leg, while Charlie Enright is the third American skipper to win the first leg, after John Kostecki in 2001 and Paul Cayard in 1997.

“We try not to get too high or too low,” Enright said just after crossing the line. “We want to keep coming to work every day hungry to improve... one of the things we were focusing on was our decision making and communications on board and that’s coming along well... But there’s a lot of work to be done. We won't rest on our laurels!”

Continued light conditions near the shore are forecast to slow the pace of the Spanish MAPFRE team, which is expected to finish after 5pm Irish time. The Volvo Ocean Race website will be covering their arrival into Lisbon live this evenng and tomorrow.

1. Vestas 11th Hour Racing - Finished 14:08.45 UTC
2. MAPFRE + 9.3 nm
3. Dongfeng Race Team +20.3
4. team AkzoNobel +24.1
5. Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag +44.2
6. Team Brunel +66.4
7. Turn the Tide on Plastic +67.3

#VOR - Experienced offshore sailor and Kerry’s own Damian Foxall will set sail again in the Volvo Ocean Race — this time with the former Team Vestas Wind.

The five-race VOR veteran (who won with Groupama in the 2011-12 race) and Afloat.ie’s International Sailor of the Month for June last year has been named among the 10-strong crew for Vestas 11th Hour Racing that will depart from Alicante less than 100 days from now.

The line-up, comprising six nationalities and six previous VOR winners, includes Simon Fisher — who returns for his fifth edition and first after lifting the trophy as winning navigator with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in 2015.

Also on the squad are two-time winner Phil Harmer, who’s hunting a hat-trick of successive victories, and Tony Mutter, who like Foxall is back for his sixth 45,000-nautical-mile lap of the planet.

“It’s amazing to be back in the Volvo Ocean Race with some old acquaintances as well as inspiring new talent,” said Fisher. 

“This time we’re focusing on performance, as well as a sponsorship with an important message, backed by two partners, Vestas and 11th Hour Racing, fully committed to making a positive change.

“It’s a privilege to be given the chance and the platform to share the message of sustainability and ocean health. I’ve dodged everything from telegraph poles to old fridge-freezers while at sea. We’ve got to act now, and as a group, this is what we aspire this campaign to be about.”

Others on the Vestas 11th Hour crew include Tom Johnson, fresh from the America’s Cup as part of Team Oracle USA, and two female sailors: Britain’s Hannah Diamond and Jena Mai Hansen, an Olympic medallist for Denmark, both of whom will be racing their first VOR.

“It was actually my first-ever full night at sea - an intimidating but amazing experience,” said Hansen of her recent transatlantic trial. “Helming a Volvo Ocean 65 boat in the middle of the Atlantic in pitch dark, in 40 knots, is without a doubt one of the craziest things I’ve ever done. I’m hungry for more and excited to be part of a skilled, international team. Bring it on!”

Between them, the crew have competed in the VOR over 20 times — and skipper Charlie Enright says that he’s delighted with the preparations with just a few months remaining until the start line.

“We’ve taken our time to get this right, and we couldn’t ask for a better group of sailors,” he said.

The team are currently preparing to travel to Gosport in the UK for pre-race activation and Leg Zero commitments, lining up against the other teams for the first time in the Round-the-Island race during Cowes week, followed by the Rolex Fastnet Race, and finishing up in Lisbon after sailing via St Malo in mid-August.

Last week it was announced that America’s Cup winner Blair Tuke is joining MAPFRE for the 13th Volvo Ocean Race that begins on 14 October.