Volvo Ocean Race 2015: Mapfre records its first victory in Auckland ahead of the Ian Walker-skippered Abu Dhabi
A tight finish on a warm summer’s night saw the Spanish yacht Mapfre notch up its first win on the fourth leg of the Volvo round the world race from Sanya, China, to Auckland. At just after 21.30, after a 5,250-mile leg fought out in first danger-strewn seas and then the trickiest of wind lotteries, the Alicante-based yacht, with Britain’s Rob Greenhalgh as one of the watch captains, was just four minutes and 25 seconds minutes ahead of the British-skippered Abu Dhabi, where double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker is still awaiting his first leg win.