Intro:

Veteran Dutch skipper Bouwe Bekking pulled off a masterly passing manoeuvre to guide Team Brunel to a slim 16-minute victory in leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Saturday (December 13)after 23 days on the open seas.

Script:

In the first leg from Alicante to Cape Town, Team Brunel were pipped by 12 minutes by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.

Saturday - the climax to leg two - and Bouwe Bekking's crew were involved in another cliffhanger.

The Dutch campaigner, competing in a record-equalling seventh race, looked likely to have lost out in a thrilling sprint to the finish in the 5,200 nautical mile second stage with some five hours to go.

But Team Brunel found an extra surge of wind pressure to sweep past Dongfeng Race Team.

Before long, they were more than a kilometre ahead

Bouwe and his equally experienced navigator, Andrew Cape had too much know-how to let an advantage like that slip - and they crossed the line 16 minutes ahead.

Team Brunel's final elapsed time was 23 days, 16 hours, 25 minutes and 20 seconds.

There was consolation, though, for Charles Caudrelier and his crew of Dongfeng, as they crossed in 23 days, 16 hours 41 minutes and 40 seconds.

Their second runners-up spot leaves them equal on points at the top of the standings.

After the second successive tight finish, it's all to play for with seven legs to go before the race finale in Gothenburg on June the 27th.