Team JAJO wins the VO65 In Port Race The Hague - both fleets ready for The Grand Finale in Genova
The home team won in the VO65 class, while all the sailors prepare for final race to Genova starting on Thursday...
The local heroes on the Dutch-flagged Team JAJO made a statement of intent right from the start of the VO65 In Port Race in The Hague on Wednesday afternoon by crossing ahead of the entire fleet on port tack, a high-risk, high-reward manoeuvre that allowed them to build a solid lead at the first turning gate.
Behind them, the overall race leader, WindWhisper Racing Team, rounded in second place with Viva Mexico following. But the Mexican team elected to race the downwind leg with a masthead code zero sail, which didn't pay off, and allowed Mirpuri/Trifork to make a pass.
On the second lap of the course, WindWhisper skipper Pablo Arrarte worked every shift to split away from Jelmer van Beek's Team JAJO to try and get a sniff of the lead. But the JAJO team protected well and even extended to earn a wire-to-wire win in front of a delirious home crowd.
"This is so nice," said van Beek, overcome with emotion after the finish. "The team worked so hard and we got it! We got it in our hometown!! I never expected this. I’m so happy."
Arrarte's WindWhisper crew sailed a solid race for second place, holding off Mirpuri-Trifork Racing in third.
"This kind of windward-leeward race course is intense with a lot of manoeuvres but we sailed well and second place is great," Arrarte said. "It was a good race and I’m happy with the result."
"We were fourth over the starting line and we managed to overtake the Mexican team and even got close to WindWhisper, so it was an exciting race," said 'Chuny' Bermudez from the Mirpuri-Trifork team. "But big kudos to Team JAJO, they made a great start and stayed ahead."
There was also action at the back of the fleet, as the crew on Austrian Ocean Racing powered by Team Genova engineered a late comeback, passing Team México just before the finishing line to grab fourth place.
VO65 class - In Port Race - The Hague
1. Team JAJO - 6 points
2. WindWhisper Racing Team - 5 points
3. Mirpuri-Trifork Racing - 4 points
4. Austrian Ocean Racing powered by Team Genova - 3 points
5. Viva México - 2 points
6. Ambersail 2 - DNS - 0 points
Image: The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup 2022-23 - 14 June 2023. VO65 In-Port Race in the The Hague, Netherlands.
© Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race