Typically you only expect to see extreme sailing footage from the offshore legs of the Volvo Ocean Race, with the in-port racing providing a much more “civilized” form of competition. Not in Cape Town. This past Saturday the fleet got pasted with big winds, big seas and even driving rain as it made it’s way up and down windward-leeward course just off the city waterfront. Team Alvimedica even managed to rip one of its jibs—no small matter given the strictly limited sail wardrobes each of the campaign has in its arsenal needs to last the entire way around the planet.
In the end it was Leg 1 winner Team Abu Dhabi coming out on top, with Team Brunel in second and Team SCA in third. Abu Dhabi is also now on top of the overall inshore series, thanks to a second-place finish behind Team Alvimedica in the in-port race in Alicante, Spain.
