Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Azzam), skippered by Briton Ian Walker, won the 12th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race yesterday, Monday.

Walker's crew finished fifth in the final leg won by Turkish-American boat Team Alvimedica, the fleet having covered some 40,000nm (74,000km) in just under nine months of racing since it set sail from Alicante, Spain, in early October last year.

The last stage of the triennial event, 1,000nm from Lorient, France, via a pit-stop in The Hague, was won by Turkish/American challengers, Team Alvimedica.

The Alvimedica victory ensured all but one of the seven-strong fleet won at least one stage in the race.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing secured top-three podium places in all but two of the legs and won two of them.

Dutch campaign, Team Brunel, secured second place in the overall standings thanks to their runners-up spot in leg nine with Dongfeng Race Team (China) taking third place overall after claiming fourth position in the last leg.

MAPFRE (Spain) took third spot in the leg and were tied on 34 points with Alvimedica for fourth place overall.

The Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 is the 12th running of this ocean marathon.

Starting from Alicante in Spain on October 4, 2014, the route, spanning some 39,379 nautical miles, visits 11 ports in eleven countries (Spain, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, Brazil, United States, Portugal, France, The Netherlands and Sweden) over nine months.
Source: Gulf News