Team Brunel arriving in Cape Town, © Charlie Shoemaker/Volvo Ocean Race
12,031 kilometres in 25 days and 7 hours: Team Brunel lead by skipper Bouwe Bekking secured the third place in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014/15. Gaastra as the team proud sailing gear supplier congratulates our nine men strong crew! At 20:33 local time on the evening of November 5, family, friends and fans in the Volvo Ocean Race Village of Cape Town extended a warm and breezy welcome to the Dutch Sailing Team Brunel greeted with champagne and hugs. During the last week of leg one, it was a head-to-head race for the lead with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing Team, who crossed the finish line first. Dongfeng Race Team claimed second place under the Table Mountain. “We learned a lot on this leg, which is why I’m confident about the other legs. As far as speed is concerned, I’m ready to take my chances against the other boats. We’re still in contention. If you finish every leg in the first three, you’re competing for first place”, says Team Brunel trimmer Laurent Pagès. The first leg started on October 11 in Alicante and during the first stretch of sailing across the Mediterranean Sea and even after passing Gibraltar, almost all the teams, battling it out on their one-design VO65 racing boats, were sailing within sight of each other. At Cape Verde islands, Brunel navigator Andrew Cape decided to head west. Clever move! Team Brunel reached the waypoint of Brazilian Fernando de Noronha archipelago second. How to push through to South Africa? The second long-term decision led the crew via the Southern Ocean instead of passing straight through the St. Helena High, a huge stretch of ocean with high temperatures and hardly a breath of wind.
Second leg from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi starts on November 19
As Team Brunel sailing gear supplier in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014/15, Gaastra Pro has developed an exclusive, Limited Team Brunel Sportswear Collection. Ranging from High-performance sailing jackets for men and women featuring a water column of 8.000 mm, wind- and waterproof softshells such as the Gaastra Softshell Jacket Cape Town to sportive hoodies and T-shirts – true must-haves for all fans of Team Brunel and the Volvo Ocean Race!
Copyright: Team Brunel Photos, teambrunel.photoshelter.com
Hoodie Team Brunel, Gaastra Pro, Limited Edition, www.gaastraproshop.com