French team clinches first place with finish in Galway after eight months of racing...
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Photo: IAN ROMAN/Volvo Ocean Race |
This is kind of a big deal.
Late this evening in Galway, Ireland,
Groupama crossed the finish line in second place for the ninth and final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, securing an overall victory for the team with an insurmountable 24-point lead.
Camper finished first in the final leg with enough points to earn an overall second place finish in Volvo (so long as they show up for the final in-port race on Saturday.)
Puma finished third in the 9th leg, and will also likely rank third overall when all is said and done.
Groupama, skippered by 39-year-old Franck Cammas, is the first French team to win the Volvo Ocean Race since Lionel Péan skippered L’Esprit d’Equipe to victory in 1985-86. After the victory, Cammas was quoted as saying, "This is an incredible moment for me. It was always my dream just to participate in this race. The first book I ever read was about the Whitbread. It has been an incredible day for me and it hasn't sunk in yet." The race originated in 1973 as the
Whitbread round the World Race, and was re-badged
Volvo Ocean Race in 2001.
Congratulations to all the Volvo competitors on completing an exciting and competitive race.
Related article:
Volvo Ocean Race Begins with a Bang (includes video from the dramatic first 24 hours of the race.)