The Volvo fleet are off and racing again

Team Sanya celebrated Chinese New Year’s Eve by leading a full strength Volvo Ocean Race fleet off the start line on the 3,051-nautical mile Leg 3 second stage from the Maldives to their home port in China.

In hot and humid tropical conditions the fleet got away cleanly on schedule at 0800 UTC on Sunday (1300 local time in the Maldives). Ken Read’s PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG had taken up the most northerly position, shadowed by overall race leader Team Telefónica skippered by Iker Martínez, with CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand at the opposite end of the start line.

Ken Read summed up the mood on-board PUMA’s Mar Mostro, “Well it finally feels like we are sailing around the world again at least we are not day racing anymore” and added “we have got our work cut out for us here this is a big leg for us.”

Meanwhile Mike Sanderson and the crew of Team Sanya look forward to a homecoming to remember in the Chinese city of Sanya on the island of Hainan, in the words of Mike Sanderson “Sanya here we come!” The boats will take around two weeks to complete Leg 3 second stage with an estimated arrival in Sanya on or around February 6.

Current Positions

1        PUMA    0.00    0    12.9      2881.8

2        CMPR    0.10    0    12.3      2881.9

3        GPMA    0.90    0    12.2      2882.7

4        TELE     2.40    0     12.1     2884.2

5        ADOR    2.40    1    12.3      2884.2

6        SNYA    2.90    1     12.2      2884.7

- Volvo Ocean Race Media