No 541
Monday, 13th October, 2014
Tel: 96 673 0057
TEAM BRUNEL LEADS FLEET OUT OF ALICANTE
The seven-strong fleet of the 12th Volvo Ocean Race raced out of Alicante on Saturday for the punishing first leg to Cape Town with rains and strong winds forecast to greet them in the opening eight hours. Team Brunel took the honours after the fleet bade farewell to a memorable Alicante nineday stopover before heading out to the Mediterranean, through the Straits of Gibraltar and then into the Atlantic during the first week of a nine-month, 38,739-mile marathon. Skippered by Bouwe
Bekking, the Dutch boat headed the seven-strong fleet out of the Spanish coastal city which hosts the Race HQ and has given the 66 sailors competing in Leg 1 an incredible send-off with tens of thousands visiting the Race Village every day. They were hotly pursued by both Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and MAPFRE. Memories of the last “salida” (departure) from Alicante three years ago will still be fresh for many – Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Sanya were forced to limp back to shore with crippling damage within 24 hours after an opening night storm in the Med wrought early havoc. Continued on Page 37