ABU DHABI // Not much, but just a little of the pep seemed to have gone from Sam Davies, the skipper of the all-female Team SCA, when she addressed the media earlier this week.
SCA's introduction into the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) has been exhilarating and also dispiriting at times.
The learning curve has been steep, exemplified by what Davies called “one big mistake” on the second leg, which saw them finish in last place by some distance.
The only consolation was, Davies said, that they at least knew what they had done wrong.
On Friday, they finally reason to celebrate, though, as they won the Abu Dhabi in-port race, their first win of any kind of the competition.
Read more: Team Vestas Wind declare ‘we’ll be back’ in Volvo Ocean Race – this year
The race was delayed nearly 100 minutes and curtailed to 3.2 nautical miles because of light wind conditions, but SCA seemed to benefit from it, starting well and never relinquishing that lead.
Team Brunel followed in second, one minute and 28 seconds behind, and the home team Azzam maintained their consistency with another podium finish. They are the only team to have finished in a podium place in all legs and in-port races so far.
The triumph may yet revitalise SCA, who had Carolijn Brouwer at the helm yesterday rather than Davies. “Everyone was really awesome today,” Brouwer said. “The team just did an awesome job and it couldn’t have gone any better.”
The victory was more impressive for having come without Sophie Ciszek, their powerful bowman, whose back injury will also keep her out of the leg to Sanya, China.
“It was frustrating because I wasn’t out on the boat, but, wow, it was the best thing ever because they won the race,” Ciszek said.
Davies hoped that this win could mark a turnaround in their race fortunes.
“We said we had to do what we did in the practice race, and we did exactly that,” she said. “We’ve done only first places here in Abu Dhabi, and it’s a great way to boost crew morale before we leave tomorrow for Sanya.”
Azzam’s finish means they remain top of the in-port series rankings.
osamiuddin@thantional.ae
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
