With Leg 1 the VolvoOceanRace 2017-2018 has started and though it is a short Leg to get the hang of it, it for sure is not easy sailing.
As the VO65 are One-Design boats, it does not pay off if you keep sailing in the same winds as your opponents. Vestas and Mapfre have understood this and diverted on their separate course from the main fleet.
Now Vestas has a nice lead on Mapfre, who has a nice lead on the rest of the fleet battling it out close together in the tail of the fleet.
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| Leg 1 Vestas leading |
A big surprise in this Leg (though announced timely) is that that has been added an extra Mark, north of the existing mark at Porto Santo. This is mainly done for commercial reasons but not for the racing events, ( there is no public at the extra Mark to see the passage of the Boats). The VOR cy. are aiming for an arrival in Lisbon at Saturday , I guess only to get more publicity. I really do not hope that commerce will influence the VOR more than this, and the other Legs will be sailed as the course is given at the Start.
Vestas go for it, you Adventurous strategy till now is paying off and leaves the settled and experienced VOR crews behind.
