Team SCA wins New Zealand Herald In-Port Race Auckland

Auckland, NZL (March 14, 2015) – The Team SCA girls must love inshore racing – after winning the In-Port Race in Abu Dhabi back in January, today they won the New Zealand Herald In-Port Race Auckland.

They’re the first team to take two In-Port Race wins.

And they didn’t just win it, either. First to cross the start line in a light breeze, they gained early on in the race, sticking to the shore and rounding the first mark in first place. They kept the lead, leading the fleet under the iconic Harbour Bridge, and were first across the finish line.

“The City of Sails made a fantastic arena for us to race in today,” said an ecstatic Sam Davies (GBR) on the dock, thanking the local crowds for their support. “It was really, really hard, we learned in the practice race when we made a mistake. But everything worked perfectly onboard today.”

With Olympians Carolijn Brouwer (NED) on the helm and Sally Barkow (USA) calling tactics, Team Brunel and MAPFRE chased them all the way, but were forced to settle for second and third.

“I’m really happy because it’s going to boost our team’s morale for the next two days, waiting for (the tropical cyclone) Pam to leave us some space to go to the Southern Ocean,” added Davies.

Dongfeng Race Team, who won the previous In-Port in Sanya, took fourth. With a surprising last minute move, Team Alvimedica overtook Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing one boat length from the finish line, finishing ahead by about two feet.

But no matter how tough the fight at the back, today’s triumph in the City of Sails is a magenta one. One that put big, wide smiles on the faces of Team SCA and boosted the spirits of the all-female crew ahead of Leg 5.

The start of the 6776-mile Leg Five from Auckland, New Zealand to Itajai, Brazil has been delayed from Sunday (Mar. 15) until no earlier than Tuesday midday due to a Category Five Cyclone Pam, which is expected to hit New Zealand later tonight.

New Zealand Herald In-Port Race Auckland results
1. Team SCA 14:54:55 – 1pt
2. Team Brunel 14:55:15 – 2pts
3. MAPFRE 14:56:22 – 3pts
4. Dongfeng Race Team 14:57:01 – 4pts
5. Team Alvimedica 14:57:25 – 5pts
6. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 14:57:26 – 6pts
7. Team Vestas Wind DNS – 8pts

In-Port Race overall standings (after 5 races)
1. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing – 14pts
2. Team Brunel – 14pts
3. Team SCA – 16pts
4. Dongfeng Race Team – 18pts
5. Team Alvimedica – 20pts
6. MAPFRE – 25 pts
7. Team Vestas Wind – 36pts

Report by race media

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Background: The 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race began in Alicante, Spain on Oct. 11 with the final finish on June 27 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Racing the new one design Volvo Ocean 65, seven teams will be scoring points in 9 offshore legs to determine the overall Volvo Ocean Race winner. Additionally, the teams will compete in 10 In-Port races at each stopover for a separate competition – the Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Series. The fifth leg, from Auckland, NZL to Itajaí, Brazil (6,776 nm), begins March 17 (tentatively) with an ETA between April 2 and April 12. Race website.