Best result so far for MAPFRE

SPANISH team MAPFRE had their best finish so far in this edition of the Volvo Masters Race, finishing fourth in the third leg from Abu Dhabi to Sanya in China.

Despite some personnel changes before the leg got underway, MAPFRE put in an impressive performance and were one of the challengers to eventual winners Dongfeng Race Team, who finished three hours ahead of Abu Dhabi Racing.

The Spaniards finished just five hours behind the winners and now sit in fifth place on the leaderboard.

“It’s been a pretty tough last two days,” MAPFRE skipper Xabi Fernandez told www.volvooceanrace.com after crossing the finish line. “I think as a team we feel that we did a good leg. In the middle of the race we were in second position which was almost like being first because Dongfeng were gone from the very beginning – we had a bad day in the Malacca Strait and lost our position. In the end, we’ll take fourth.”

The fourth leg of the 2014/2015 Volvo Ocean Race will be the longest at 5,264 nautical miles from Sanya to Auckland, New Zealand.

The racing yachts will set out for Auckland on February 8.