More sailing news

The Spanish team MAPFRE won the Itajaí In-Port Race on Friday in Brazil, after battling with team AkzoNobel for the lead on the first of three laps of the race course.

Six Volvo Ocean Race teams will be competing in the Itajaí In-Port Race on Friday, as SHK/Scallywag, newly arrived in Itajai, races against time to be ready for Sunday's leg start.

The Spanish team MAPFRE crossed the finish line for Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race in Itajaí, Brazil on Sunday morning, securing a fifth place finish and collecting six points.

It was easily the most difficult stage of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18, and the sailors will almost certainly rank it as one of the hardest in the history of the race. 

Team Brunel have managed to hang on to the Leg 7 lead on Friday following an attack on the top spot by Dongfeng Race Team as the leaders get within 1,000 miles of the finish line in Itajaí, Brazil.

A fun reach in 15+ knots under sunny skies to the finish of the inaugural ABSOLUT.® Full Moon Race was welcomed by race winners, Belgian team Samantaga, especially after toughing out a night of big breeze and plenty of rain. Samantaga finished the 165 NM around the BVI race in 24 hours, 35 minutes and 4 seconds, taking the Best Overall Trophy for the race.

The following story has been i ssued on behalfof Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag: On Monday 26 March, Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag lost John Fisher overboard in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn. Despite conducting an exhaustive search in gale force conditions, he has not been recovered.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club's domestic sailing season starts this Bank Holiday weekend with the RORC Easter Challenge. This inshore event on the Solent promises a mix of windward-leeward and round the cans racing over three days, in 15-20 knots, culminating in a prizegiving at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse on Sunday afternoon where a seemingly endless supply of Easter eggs are up for grabs.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) is continuing to lead efforts to recover Volvo Ocean Race sailor John Fisher (UK), who was reported overboard off Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag early on Monday afternoon UTC.

Race Control for the Volvo Ocean Race has been informed by Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag of a man overboard incident, on Monday afternoon at approximately 13:42 UTC.