The Spanish ship is ahead of all its rivals and wins the eighth stage for only 61 seconds after 15 days of navigation to recover the lead in the general (Photo Jesus Renedo)

The Spanish team, which marched sixth just two days ago after having suffered an electrical damage, was moving forward one by one to all its rivals as it approached Newport, culminating in a last hash to Team Brunel when there was less than half a mile left for arrival.

The advantage of the "Mapfre" over the Dutch ship was only 61 seconds after having sailed for more than 15 days to complete the stage, a data that perfectly exemplifies the enormous equality of the fleet.

The very sluggish wind conditions in the Newport approach compress the first three in one mile. In such a complicated scenario, the "Mapfre" gave a real lesson in managing a competition so different from ocean brutality, in which the mission was to read the slightest role of wind... in these conditions, Joan Vila, Xabi and company exhibited an incomparable genius.

The "Team Brunel" and the "Vestas 11th Hour Racing" completed the podium to the detriment of a "Dongfeng Race Team" that starred in a final stage to forget and ended fourth. After them "AzkoNobel" and "Scallywag"

This result allows the "Mapfre" to recover the lead in the general with three points advantage over the Chinese team and gives it an impagable moral push to face the crucial ninth stage between Newport and Cardiff, which scores double. So is the general at the end of the eighth stage:

07 / 05 / 2018: Volvo: The fleet 70 miles from Newport... between "Dongfeng" and "Volvo" 5 miles

The eighth stage between Itajai and Newport is about to end... the Volvo will be in Newport in about four or five hours, with a "Brunel" as leader, followed by "Dongfeng" at 2 tenths of mile! and "Mapfre" at just over 5... the goal of the French-Chinese ship will be to overcome the current leader in order to get more points to "Mapfre..." that of the Spaniards to take over the command of the stage... everything is possible

07 / 05 / 2018: "Mapfre" scale to third place and has "Dongfeng" to 4 miles... Newport 120 miles

I fly in the back of the Volvo Ocean Race, when the eighth stage is only about 120 miles to finish... that is, in the early morning of Tuesday it will be finished for the first classified ones, which are now "Brunel" who continues to hold on to the bestides of "Dongfeng," which is just less than 7 miles away, the great surprise and excellent news being that the "Mapfre" has climbed three positions to become the third ship in discord, very close to the leader of Volvo, less than four miles... for a certain time there was only one more nautical mile... The wind is now from the north-east of about 15 knots, and the fleet sails between 11 and 13 knots... in a few hours the arrival in Newport... the "Mapfre" again has all the possibilities to sneak in first...

06 / 05 / 2018: "Brunel" continues as leader in the Volvo and "Mapfre" approaches 30 miles from "Dongfeng"

Only 535 miles to reach the legendary Newport in the eighth stage of the Volvo Ocean Race with the fleet sailing with sulture and speed with winds of 15 knots south component. "Brunel" follows first, and has even taken off a little more of his pursuit for days, of "Dongfeng" that keeps "Mapfre at bay..." the Spanish ship has managed to get close to 30 miles away. At this rate the fleet will arrive in Newport in the early morning of the 8th, or perhaps something earlier if the wind increases in speed.

05 / 05 / 2018: A "Mapfre" is running out of time to remount in the eighth stage of the Volvo

"Brunel" remains the leader of the eighth stage of the Volvo Ocean Race that already a couple of days from its conclusion, because when it is midnight in Spain they only stop by sailing to Newport on the east coast of the United States just 775 miles. The one in charge in the general is still "Dongfeng" which is located just over 3 miles away, being the position of the "Mapfre" the sixth to more than 56 miles from the "Brunel" and more than 50 from the French-Chinese boat... in the middle "Vestas," "Turn The Tide on Plastic" and closing the fleet the Hong Kong ship, the "Scallywag..." the south-east winds of 16 knots, while the ships are sailing between 16 and 20 knots...

04 / 05 / 2018: The Volvo fleet launched at 22 knots... Newport is already 1250 miles

It's 12: 00 at night in the Peninsular Spain of Friday... the eighth stage of the Volvo Ocean Race is already in its last colletazos, as only 1250 miles to reach Newport are missing. The winds are from the east of more than 17 knots... the fleet sails uniform, very compact at a considerable speed: 20-22 knots, with "Brunel" on the fring. followed by the leader of the general, the "Dongfeng" about 9 miles... 30 miles behind the "Mapfre," which tries to approach its greatest rival.

03 / 05 / 2018: "Dongfeng" takes two hours to the "Mapfre" in the Volvo... and Newport at 1700 miles

The fight for the eighth stage of the Volvo Ocean Race is already a speed competition in which the "Mapfre" has to manipulate the keel from inside the ship

The ships of the Volvo Ocean Race sail with the accelerator on their feet to the maximum once they have been installed in the very fast conditions that make it easier for them to find the alisian winds of the northern hemisphere. In the position part all the ships, except the Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag, were already able to navigate more than 500 miles in 24 hours, a key figure that allows them to take maximum performance from their ships.

The Dutch-flag "Team Brunel" continues to lead the stage, widening its difference with the "Dongfeng Race Team," second to 16 miles, while the "Turn the Tide on Plastic," third, marches 31 miles from the first. The fourth place for the American "Vestas" 36 miles.

In the "Mapfre," which marches fifth more than 61 miles from the "Brunel," they are fighting against their rivals and the difficulties they have in handling the pivoting keel after the electrical damage they suffered a few days ago... and "AzkoNobel" a little later, 79 miles... Newport is only 1700 nautical miles away, and the fleet is sailing at a considerable speed of 19 to 23 knots, helped by the east winds of 17 knots... the Caribbean is already very close.

02 / 05 / 2018: "Brunel" sails through the Guiana in the Volvo 2150 miles from Newport

More of the same in the eighth delivery of the Volvo Ocean Race that is being held between Itajai and Newport... "Brunel" continues to command and to sail more than 22 knots of speed helped by north-east winds of 18 knots, making it possible to travel about 500 nautical miles in the last 24 hours. After "Brunel" is the leader of the Volvo, the "Dongfeng" 20 miles away... and later about 36 is the "Turn The Tide on Plastic." The American "Vestas" is still in the fourth square and 74 miles from the head (and 50 miles from its rival, the French-Chinese ship) the "Mapfre..." closing "AkzoNobel" to almost a hundred miles and "Scallywag" to over 200.

01 / 05 / 2018: Through the delta of the Amazon, he will master in the Volvo "Brunel"

When it is about nine o'clock in the night in Spain, the fleet is sailing through the Amazon delta with a north-east wind of 15 / 18 knots, which causes the speed of the ships to be important, even above 22 knots as is the case of "Mapfre" and "Brunel." The ships are now about 2675 miles from the line of arrival, and in the particular race between the first two of the general, the "Dongfeng" francochino and the "Mapfre," is about 55 miles, which is equivalent to the current speed to two and a half hours... or even three... of navigation. The Spanish ship now marches from the fifth, as it has relegated the "AkzoNobel" to the sixth square, being the pharolilylejo, "Scallywag" that already sails about 180 miles from the leader, "Brunel."

30 / 04 / 2018: The Volvo fleet at midnight sails very slowly in the middle of loose winds

When it is about midnight in Spain, there are only 3000 miles left to Newport

The current situation at midnight on Monday in the eighth stage of the Volvo Ocean Race could be defined in Galician: "Barullo na area..." with a loose wind of the north-east of 4 to 6 knots... the situation is from almost founding of the seven participating ships... a priori the "Mapfre" in spite of continuing in sixth place, it seems that it will take advantage of this situation... the theoretical, very theoretical, current classification is merely indicative and without great value: 1 Brunel, 2 Turn The Tion from Plastic to 0.3 miles, 3º Dongfeng to 4º-4º-4º-4º-4º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5º-5h.

30 / 04 / 2018: Volvo: "Dongfeng" already leads the Itajái-Newport stage in northern Brazil

Struggle without the crew of the "Mapfre" to leave the penultimate position in this eighth stage of the Volvo Ocean Race, when the fleet head is just over 3100 miles from Newport, the end of this act. The Spanish ship is not possible to engage with the head group that occupy this order "Dongfeng," "Vestas," "Brunel" and "Turn The Tide on Plastic" in a circle of about five miles... then it is "AkzoNobel" 18 miles from the French-Chinese ship, closing "Mapfre" and "Scallywag" which remains the last one about 63 miles. The winds are now from the west of 6 to 8 knots, and the fleet is to the north of Brazil.

29 / 04 / 2018: "Vestas" takes over the Volvo and "Mapfre" cuts distances with "Dongfeng"

The wind went up a little bit in the eighth stage of the Volvo Ocean Race... south-east 15 knots, and this has caused the fleet to be more compact with leadership now in charge of the American "Vestas" which is already 3380 miles from crossing the line of arrival in Newport... the ships are sailing very quickly with an average of 18 knots, with the slowest the three heads: "Vestas," "Turn The Tide Plastic" and "Dongfeng" with just over 17 and the fastest, the colist "Scallyg" being more than 21 knots. What is most concerned is that "Mapfre" is still in the sixth square, even though it has shortened its differences over the Volvo leader, the French "Dongfeng..." between the two and only 27 miles.

28 / 04 / 2018: At noon on Saturday the Volvo is red... but red of the "Dongfeng"

Everything is maintained on this Saturday morning and early afternoon... on the Volvo Ocean Race, in its eighth stage between Itajai and Newport reigns the red... but not the Spanish... but the French-Chinese boat: the "Dongfeng." When it is two and a half in the afternoon and the fleet has winds of 11 knots from the south-east "Mapfre" sails in the sixth position about 37 miles, and only exceeds the colist, the "Scallywag." We'll have to keep fighting, but this starts painting not red, but black.

27 / 04 / 2018: "Dongfeng" escapes from "Mapfre" suffering in the tail of the eighth stage of the Volvo

After many miles the crew of "Dongfeng" and "Mapfre," in the last few hours the French-Chinese ship has joined the head group, while the Spaniards fight with the "Scallywag" to be not the last... however, it must be borne in mind that the eighth stage of the Volvo has only started and still have to take about four thousand miles to complete it. What is still surprising is the rhythm of the "Turn The Tide on Plastic" that is still in the head, ahead of the American "Vestas" which is the second to about 12 miles from the stage's head. The winds in the tonic of these days: 11 knots from the east, as it sails between a 12 knots fan of the "Scallywag" at 16 of the "Dongfeng," which at this time in the leader in the general classification of the Volvo Ocean Race.

26 / 04 / 2018: "Dongfeng" continues with its marking to "Mapfre" in a Volvo 4200 miles from Newport

Winds of the north-east of 11 knots, are those that have the seven ships of the Volvo in their navigation in search of barlovent to Newport. After the "Vestas" domain, now the one who leads the fleet about 4200 miles from the arrival line, is the "Turn The Tide on Plastic" which has a low margin, which does not reach 9 miles. In the third place, the French-Chinese of the "Dongfeng" who beat the "Mapfre" in about two miles... but the one who look at it with a bow and mark it as if it were a "boat to boat" race. The ships are currently sailing between the 8 knots of the "Scallywag" and the 11 of the provisional leader of this eighth stage.

26 / 04 / 2018: Through Salvador de Bahia takes over in the Volvo "Vestas"

West winds of 12 knots accompany the seven ships participating in the Volvo Ocean Race, when they are located across Salvador de Bahia at the edge of 10.30 hours in Spain, and have just over 4300 miles Newport. I return tonight in the platoon with "Vestas" on my head, followed by about four miles by three ships: "Scallywag," "Mapfre" and "Dongfeng"; while "AkzoNobel" is about 10 away, follow "Brunel" and close the "Turn The Tide on Plastic" to 15.

25 / 04 / 2018: Close marking of "Dongfeng" to "Mapfre" in the Volvo, with "Scallywag" of leader

As if it were a "match" race marking... "Dongfeng" does not fuse an apex of the "Mapfre" and is subjecting it to a hard marking, even if that means for the French-Chinese "red" and for the Spanish "red" to lose options face the first square in this eighth round of the Volvo Ocean Race, with the beginning in Itajai and the end in the legendary port of Newport... a northeastern of some ten knots accompanies a fleet, which has the "Scallywag" of leader and "Vestas" to its stela but 12 miles... "Turn The Tide on Plastic" very close and "Brunel" is about 17 miles away... after the match race, closing the "AkzoNobel" that is in no one's land, or no one's water as it may be, more than 21 miles away.

24 / 04 / 2018: "Dongfeng" leads the Volvo to Newport with soft winds from the north

The French ship "Dongfeng" as if of a cyclist test were treated as a spilled leader of the platoon and has caused a small break in it when the wind is very soft of a northern component... just 7 knots. They are only next to about 4 miles "Brunel" and "Mapfre," the fourth being the "AkzoNobel" and the fifth "Scallywag..." however the wind is so short that it only allows to navigate the fleet with a speed of 9 to 10 knots and everything can happen in the next few hours.

23 / 04 / 2018: Little wind and unstable after a day of navigation on the Volvo to Newport

Around midnight the winds are loose from the north-east, barely reach 10 knots at a time and the fleet is tremendously grouped. The position of the seven ships that are competing in this 8th stage of the Volvo Ocean Race, which began just over a day ago in the waters of Itajai in Brazil, is totally anecdotal, and has Newport... for the moment dominates "Dongfeng," which has 1.4 miles to "Scallywag" and 1.7 to the Spanish representative, to "Mapfre."

23 / 04 / 2018: "Scallywag" leads a very compact fleet of the Volvo Ocean Race

This is the situation of the Volvo fleet early Monday morning. "Scallywag" has taken over, but with a pyrical difference over the rest of the ships: 0.6 miles from the "Turn The Tide on Plastic," 0.8 from the "Vestas," 0.9 from the "Donfeng, one mile from the" AkzoNobel, "1.4 from the" Brunel "and 1.5 from the" Mapfre "which is the red light right now. The winds of the north-east of 12 knots.

22 / 04 / 2018: "Mapfre" and "Dongfeng" in a handkerchief after the departure of the Volvo of Itajai

The Volvo Ocean Race is already in the 8th act, heading for Newport

The Spanish team is able to start Stage 8, where it leaves with a single point of disadvantage with the leader, the "Dongfeng Race Team." Brazil fired the Volvo Ocean Race fleet with a very volatile hobby, which went in mass to give the participants the last encouragement and attended the new battle between the two red ships that command the general at the exit of Stage 8 towards Newport (Rhode Island), on the east coast of the United States.

The "Mapfre" dominated the coastal section of the stage, with the Dongfeng Race Team, following him closely in a new episode of the incarnated battle facing both ships in the present edition.

The "Team Brunel" and the "Turn the Tide on Plastic" were also in the head as they pointed to the open sea in the first steps of the 5,700 nautical miles that they have to face towards the north.

The "team AkzoNobel" sailed fifth before leaving Itajai, while the "SHK / Scallywag" and the "Vestas 11th Hour Racing" were almost 3 minutes behind the leader in the last buoy of the coastal stretch.

The forecast for the start is low wind, which makes the conditions quite complicated since the beginning of Stage 8... the fleet is likely to move east to get further off the coast before pointing north.