Leg 7, Day 1: Dongfeng Race Team leads the way on the first night

Back on the water and facing the ordeal of the Southern Pacific Ocean to come, Dongfeng Race Team led by Charles Caudrelier is leading the way as the boats head south along the Coromandel Peninsula on their first night at sea.

After a spectacular start from Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour, which saw a huge spectator fleet and thousands watching from shore, the seven-strong fleet is now heading towards East Cape, dodging in and out of the islands and the Coromandel coast.

After battling with its rival MAPFRE in the early stages, Dongfeng now has a few tenths of a mile advantage over Team Brunel in second place with Vestas 11th Hour Racing not far behind in third and then Team AkzoNobel in fourth. MAPFRE is currently in sixth place, 2.2 miles behind Dongfeng.

These early stages will certainly have come as a shock after 18 days on land for the crews as they pound upwind into more than 20 knots of wind. Right now the goal is to get south and hook into the first depression heading westward towards Cape Horn, roughly 10 days away.

This is going to be one hell of a ride so keep it here to find out how Charles and the team sponsored by Dongfeng Motor Corporation get on.