One leg separates Blair Tuke with sailing's triple crown. PHOTO/UGO FONOLLA
One leg separates Blair Tuke with sailing's triple crown. PHOTO/UGO FONOLLA
With just one leg left in the Volvo Ocean Race, the event has reached the peak of tension with three teams tied at the top.
Blair Tuke's MAPFRE, Peter Burling's Brunel and Dongfeng are all square heading into the last leg from Gothenburg to The Hague after Brunel pipped MAPFRE by just under two minutes in the penultimate leg.
There are plenty of Kerikeri connections within this event. While Tuke and Burling's links are well documented, two sailors have slipped under the radar.
AkzoNobel pair Brad Farrand and Justin Ferris have been important members in their crew, helping the boat to fourth overall.
Farrand is the team's bowman and sail trimmer while Ferris is the helmsman and sail trimmer and both have strong links to Kerikeri.
Farrand, like Tuke and Burling, is in his debut Volvo event while Ferris is in his fourth running.
He was in a pair of second-placed boats - Pirates of the Caribbean in 2005-06 and Puma Ocean Racing in 2008-09 - and came fifth in the 2011-12 race with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
Kerikeri's Justin Ferris has been a welcome member on the AkzoNobel boat. PHOTO/JAMES BLAKE
Tuke, along with Burling, is aiming to be the first sailor to earn the triple crown. This is the combination of Olympic gold, America's Cup victory and a Volvo Ocean Race title.
He told Yachts & Yachting Magazine the race is tough to predict.
"You can see that anyone can really win a leg. I think there are only two boats that haven't won a leg in the race and one of them is the one leading [Dongfeng], so it is interesting," he said.
"We are going to push very hard, and we are confident that we can win this race. We are in a pretty good spot, and we have just got to try to push hard.
"That's what this race is all about. It is a test of endurance, on the body, the boat, everything. I think it's been a pretty good test of your resilience, keeping on pushing when it is tough.
"Probably most difficult for me has been some of the times, not necessarily in hard conditions, but when you haven't been doing well. That toughness brings you together and when you push through it makes the good stuff even more fun."
While Burling and Tuke have proven to be great teammates, their rivalry on the water during this series has been enthralling.
Both want to be the first with the triple crown accolade but will have to hold off Dongfeng, who have remained incredibly consistent throughout the regatta.
"If you become the first person to [win the triple crown] and right now between Peter and me, either of us can do it if Dongfeng is unable to hold on. It's certainly great to be in that position but for us, we are firmly focused on trying to win the race as a team, and we are right in the mix to do
