#VOR - Bouwe Bekking has used his veteran nous to fight through all the challenges posed by a difficult Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race and lead Team Brunel to a narrow win over Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng Race Team by a matter of minutes.
Team Brunel crossed the line at Itajaí, Brazil at 14:45:18 UTC (15:45:18 Irish time), followed just a quarter of an hour later by Dongfeng at 15:00:08 UTC (16:00:08 Irish time).
The rest of the fleet is not expected until later this week, with Team AkzoNobel currently closest with 260 nautical miles to go, Turn the Tide on Plastic with just over 700 to make up, and MAPFRE still 786 miles away following their emergency repair pitstop last week.
Elsewhere, Vestas 11th Hour Racing, which retired from the leg after dismasting on Friday (30 March), is working through logistical options from the Falkland Islands.
And Sun Hung Kai/Scallyway have finally made landfall in Chile one week after the tragic loss of crew member John Fisher in the Southern Ocean.
The team has been fighting a relentless emotional and physical battle over the last seven days, to ensure the rest of the crew and their Volvo Ocean 65 arrived on shore safely.
For the short term, the team says it will remain in Chile as they debrief and decide on future plans. The team will release more information as it becomes available.
Separately, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Chile has confirmed the search and rescue operation for Fisher has been “deactivated”.
