Sailing: Fascinating sprint finish awaits Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo round the world yacht race is heading for a grandstand finish.

Peter Burlings BRUNEL have taken line honours at the end of the second to last leg into Gothenburg Sweden, but the threat from Blair Tuke's MAPFRE and Dong Feng means this race is far from over.

As well as the usual bubbles and back-patting , there was also a lot of relief  that the gruelling leg from Cardiff was finally over.

Burling and his crew onboard BRUNEL were first shaded Tuke's Spanish crew MAPFRE's by just two minutes.

"What a leg, full on from the start," Tuke said. "Not much sleep for four or five days". 

The race now set for a sprint finish, BRUNEL, MAPFRE and Chinese boat Dong Feng are now all in equal first place.

"It seems ironic that you sail around the world and it is all going to get decided on the two days racing down to the Hague," Burling noted.

Brunel's skipper Bouw Bekking is in his eighth round the world race. He's yet to win it, and he knows this could be the year.

"We kicked the butts of the red boats," said Bekking.

Conditions were bleak during the four and a half day slog from Cardiff with wind and rain making it hard going. For a lot of the time the leaders were all within sight of each other.

Burling and Tuke are vying to be the first sailors ever to win Olympic gold, the America's Cup and the round the world title.

"I don't think either of us care about the triple crown, we just want to win this boat race," said Burling.

That last leg starts in six days. It's then just a quick sprint of 1300 kilometres  to the finish line in the Netherlands where  the celebrations will really kick off.

Newshub.