France steals top spot from Spain in Volvo round the world

The French have taken over the top spot in the Volvo round the world race after Franck Cammas in Groupama was second by just five and half minutes behind Ian Walker’s Abu Dhabi team on the seventh leg from Miami to Lisbon.

The overall leader, Spain’s Telefónica, slipped to second place for the first time since the end of the first leg from Alicante, Spain, to Cape Town, just three points behind Groupama. Kenny Read’s Puma is third overall, 12 points behind the leader, after forfeiting all of its leg one points because of dismasting.

For Walker this was a great relief having struggled all the way round for competitive speed and also having to be shipped to Cape Town because of a dismasting soon after the start of the race.

Britain’s Ian Walker and his Team GAC Pindar comfortably secured a place in the quarter finals of the Korea regatta in the World Match Race Tour, lying second after the round robin to New Zealand’s Phil Robertson.