Sailing: Daryl Wislang makes the most of second 'home-field advantage' in Volvo Ocean Race

Kiwi Daryl Wislang celebrates with Dongfeng skipper Charles Caudrelier after winning the Auckland in-port race. Photo: Jesus Renedo/Volvo Ocean Race

For the Chinese entry into the Volvo Ocean Race, DongFeng Race Team, their performance on home turf left a lot to be desired.

The in-port race in Guangzhou went the way of Spanish entry MAPFRE, with DongFeng finishing at the back of the bunch.

But for DongFeng's Kiwi watch captain Daryl Wislang, he had a second shot on home turf and the team made the most of their opportunity in Auckland.

DongFeng took the win in Auckland on Saturday in what was a tough race in very slight winds.

"It's always nice to win your home in-port. Obviously we had a bad result in Guangzhou so it was nice to get back on the horse and win the one today," Wislang said after the race on Saturday.

THEY'VE DONE IT! 🎉 @DongfengRacing win the #volvooceanrace @NZHerald In-Port Race @Auckland_NZ, pipping @teamakzonobel to the victory with some smart sailing in tricky conditions! pic.twitter.com/kerohnzPhP

— The Ocean Race (@theoceanrace) March 10, 2018

It was a meaningful win for Wislang, with his family there to watch him get to work on the Waitemata Harbour, and in the grand scheme of things, it was an important win for the crew.

With the Auckland stop-over being the half way point of the race, Wislang said getting a win in the in-port race here was a nice thing to have on the team's resume before heading back into the Southern Ocean.

"It gives the team a big boost and it's good for morale. It's obviously very different sailing in the Auckland Harbour to the Southern Ocean but you can't put a price on winning."

"The people of Auckland always love to get out on the water and support and it was great to see everyone out there today. A fantastic come back and it was great to take the win today, it is always a great boost for the team!" - @DWyachting pic.twitter.com/PmvXkhd5aD

— Dongfeng Race Team (@DongfengRacing) March 10, 2018

When the fleet head out into the Southern Ocean of the seventh leg of the race on Sunday, travelling from Auckland to Brazil, they'll tackle one of the toughest legs of the event.

Wislang was forced to miss one of the Southern Ocean legs already in the race after injuring his back before the fleet left Cape Town for Melbourne.

However, having sailed from Hong Kong to Auckland through some demanding conditions, Wislang said he didn't have to worry about the injury anymore.

"The back's good. I'd say back to 100 per cent – as much as you can be as you're getting older."

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