DongFeng Race Team won the New Zealand Herald in-port race. Photo / Volvo Ocean Race
Sometimes it's not how you start a race, but how you finish that gets you the result.
DongFeng Race Team missed the start of the Auckland in-port race on Saturday, but read the conditions to blaze home ahead of AkzoNobel in second place.
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Both yachts missed the starting line, along with Turn the Tide on Plastic, after Scallywag pulled off a high-risk entry leaving the three other vessel outside of the line marker.
That gave MAPFRE, Vestas 11th hour racing, Brunel and Scallywag the early lead heading down the first turn.
The pack split soon after the start, with Vestas going right and the others heading left. It looked a good choice for Vestas early as MAPFRE and Scallywag were parked while Brunel headed wider left.
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With nothing but a slight breeze to move the yachts, those who missed the start made up some ground and AkzoNobel managed to be around the first turn ahead of the pack.
Vestas and DongFeng followed soon after but the former struggled to get the wind in their sails and DongFeng flew by down the opposite side of the course.
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They continued to fly and Suddenly it was a two horse race between to two slow starters.
Into the final turn, DongFeng managed to sneak ahead of AkzoNobel and held their lead to the finish line.
All the action as the Black Caps begin their T20 series against Sri Lanka at Bay Oval.