It’s been a sleepless night for Volvo Ocean Race sailors and fans alike. The racing has never been closer and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

On Saturday evening, a split developed among the three boats competing for the overall win in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 – MAPFRE, Team Brunel and Dongfeng Race Team.

The finishing order for these three boats on this final leg of the race will determine their position on the overall race podium.

Charles Caudrelier’s Chinese-flagged Dongfeng Race Team made a bold call to hug the coast, taking the eastern option

“We've chosen the path inshore,” said watch captain Stu Bannytyne. “So there is a lot of very tricky navigation. There are a lot of sandbanks, Traffic Separation Schemes, maybe some windfarms and very changeable weather.”

This route has cost the team on the leg leaderboard in the short term. But the possible payoff could come later on Sunday.

With the wind forecast to ease significantly offshore, the dividends of the coastal route may come on the approach to the finish, where the inshore boats hold the breeze and their speed for longer.

Team Brunel, along with the current leg leader, team AkzoNobel, committed to the offshore route early.

“We just need to find some good speed and get to Holland,” said Team Brunel helmsman Peter Burling. His team had to overcome a small breakage on an outrigger last night, which cost them a bit of distance.

MAPFRE appeared to make a late call to join them and it cost the Spanish crew. Needing to sail a slower angle to get further west, last night’s race leader slid back in the rankings behind the Dutch boats.

“We were lining up to go on the inside, down Germany and the top of Holland, and made a late call to go west – and as a result we lost quite a lot on Brunel and team AkzoNobel who decided to go this way earlier,” said MAPFRE’s Blair Tuke.

“It's a tricky one but we have to do what we think is right to get us there the fastest. Both boats we have to beat are going different ways. We're going to have to fight to the end. There's going to be a compression as we come into the finish, so plenty still to play for. Glad we're still here and in the fight.”

As at 0800 UTC on Sunday morning, the positions are clear, but far from decisive.

Simeon Tienpont’s team AkzoNobel is gunning for the leg win, but just 0.1 miles ahead of Bouwe Bekking’s Team Brunel. And Xabi Fernández’s MAPFRE is just half a mile further back. Vestas 11th Hour Racing is with the offshore group as well, just four miles back.

Looking at the Live Tracker, the boats in the east appear to be in trouble, nearly 50 miles back. But in reality, the gap in terms of sailing distance is more like 18 miles. And weather routing software suggests the difference at the finish might be as little as 15 minutes. The fact is, the race is far from over.

Dee Caffari’s Turn the Tide on Plastic and David Witt’s SHK/Scallywag took the coastal option approximately 10 miles behind Dongfeng. Caffari’s team currently has a two mile margin over the Scallywags, which could draw them level on the leaderboard. If that happens, the In Port Race Series will be the tie-break, with the final race on June 30

The current ETA predicts the leaders will arrive on Sunday afternoon between 1500 and 1700 UTC – late afternoon local time in The Hague.

Follow every moment of the final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race - Go to www.volvooceanrace.com for live coverage on the Race Tracker as well as the latest content from the race boats.

There will also be live aerial footage of the fleet as they fight it out in the final battle of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race.

Volvo Ocean Race Leg 11 Leaderboard – 0800 UTC Sunday 24 June
1. team AkzoNobel – 62.7 nautical miles to finish
2. Team Brunel – 0.1 nautical miles to leader
3. MAPFRE – 0.6 nautical miles to leader
4. Vestas 11th Hour Racing – 4.7 nautical miles to leader
5. Dongfeng Race Team – 49.6 nautical miles to finish
6. Turn the Tide on Plastic – 56.6 nautical miles to leader
7. SHK / Scallywag – 58.6 nautical miles to leader

Volvo Ocean Race Overall Points Leaderboard after Leg 10
1. MAPFRE – 65 points
2. Team Brunel – 65 points
3. Dongfeng Race Team – 64 points *
4. team AkzoNobel – 53 points
5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing – 38 points
6. SHK / Scallywag – 30 points
7. Turn the Tide on Plastic – 29 points

* One additional point will be awarded to the team with the best elapsed time at the conclusion of the race in The Hague. Currently, Dongfeng would win this point.
** Should there be a tie on the overall race leaderboard at the end of the offshore legs, the In-Port Race Series standings will be used to break the tie.

A late call from MAPFRE has seen them slip behind Team Brunel in the rankings on the final night of Leg 11 – and the 2017-18 edition.

The Spanish boat opted to head west around the Traffic Separation Scheme Exclusion Zones, joining team AkzoNobel, Brunel and Vestas 11th Hour Racing – whilst Dongfeng took the easterly option, followed by Turn the Tide on Plastic and Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag.

But as their path converged with leaders team AkzoNobel and Team Brunel, they had dropped a mile behind the Dutch boats, and MAPFRE's Blair Tuke admits that a last minute change of heart has left his team feeling the pain.

"It's a real interesting one on the final approach to The Hague," he said. "We were lining up to go on the inside, down Germany and the top of Holland, and made a late call to go west – and as a result we lost quite a lot on Brunel and team AkzoNobel who decided to go this way earlier.

"It's a tricky one but we have to do what we think is right to get us there the fastest. Both boats we have to beat are going different ways. We're going to have to fight to the end."

"There's going to be a compression as we come into the finish, so plenty still to play for. Glad we're still here and in the fight."

The routing for both east and west options is currently not showing much difference and it's becoming apparent that the winner of this leg – and the race overall – could be decided in the last 20 miles of Leg 11.

It is very likely that the decision that will win or lose this Volvo Ocean Race has already been made. 

The three teams who still have an opportiunity to win the race - MAPFRE, Team Brunel and Dongfeng Race Team - have set themselves up in different lanes for the charge south towards the finish line. 

Dongfeng Race Team has opted to hug the coastline - a longer route, with potentially stronger winds all the way through the finish.

"We've chosen a path inshore," said watch captain Stu Bannytyne. "So there is a lot of very tricky navigation. There are a lot of sandbanks, Traffic Separation Schemes, maybe some windfarms and very changeable weather. I suspect no one is going to get any rest tonight, changing sails and navigating through it all. I don't know if anyone else has come this way, but it's going to be an interesting night."

In fact, Turn the Tide on Plastic and SHK/Scallywag have followed Dongfeng along the coast as they battle for sixth place on the overall leaderboard.

But their rivals for the overall title have stayed further offshore, a more direct route, but at the risk of losing the wind earlier than those near the land. 

"We're not quite sure whether Dongfeng and MAPFRE will go inside or outside," said Team Brunel helmsman Peter Burling earlier in the night. 

"We're definitely going outside, trying to find some good speed with the J0 headsail and get to Holland."

Brunel is furthest to the west, Dongfeng inshore to the east, and MAPFRE is in the middle. 

As of midnight UTC, the middle option was working well for MAPFRE, with the Live Tracker showing a three mile lead to skipper Xabi Fernández's boat over Bouwe Bekking's Team Brunel.

Dongfeng Race Team by virtue of their easterly position, was showing as 19 miles behind, a big sacrifice in distance from a team that was leading the leg 12 hours previously. 

But the payoff for the coastal option - if there is one - will come late in the leg, on the approach to The Hague, where the wind is forecast to ease significantly for those offshore. But with less than 200 miles to go to the finish, time is definitely a factor. 

At midnight UTC it was team AkzoNobel at the head of the leg leaderboard, as Simeon Tienpont's crew opted for the same line as Brunel in the west. Vestas 11th Hour Racing, in fourth place, was with the offshore group as well. 

Windspeeds that had been as high as 30 knots are now down in the 18-22 knot range and are forecast to continue moderating until the finish on Sunday afternoon. 

It's game on for the final 24 hours of Leg 11, check out how tight the racing is at the front of the fleet with this picture from Martin Keruzore's drone. 

Since this picture was taken MAPFRE have in fact overtaken Dongfeng Race Team... check out the lastest position on our Live Tracker. 

With just 400 miles left to the finish line in The Hague, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The teams will need to navigate between more TSS exclusion zones before reaching The Hague and choices must be made shortly that will play out over the coming hours. Tension is running high on board. As is the exhaustion level. Read the latest nail-biting update from our editorial team here. 

Keeping themselves off the bottom of the leaderboard and beating team SHK/Scallywag is the priority for Turn the Tide on Plastic. Check out the video below as the team battle to stay sane and make no mistakes. 

Talking about lack of sleep, we're loving this tweet from Abby Ehler as she captures Onboard Reporter Sam Greenfield accidentally falling asleep whilst sending some content back to Race HQ. 

Everyone is exhausted onboard, even our OBR is falling asleep at his desk! ;-) @brunelsailing @volvooceanrace pic.twitter.com/AWZeD18RR8

— Abby Ehler (@Trimore) June 23, 2018

 And finally, even if you're not a sailor, it's fascinating to watch the explainations our @RaceExperts push out on their Twitter feed. These guys watch the racing more closely than anyone, check out their lastest video below. 

Streategy change! Head west. Watch the explanation from @volvooceanrace meteorologist Gonzalo @Gonzalo_Infante. #WatchLog pic.twitter.com/7ZWD2CgxCw

— Race Experts (@RaceExperts) June 23, 2018

Don't forget to send us your comments and predictions using #VolvoOceanRace! 

A brief split opened up in the Volvo Ocean Race fleet on Saturday afternoon as team AkzoNobel and Team Brunel were pushed by an unexpected windshift to pass north and west of a commercial Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) while the race leaders, Dongfeng Race Team and MAPFRE slid down the east side.

The early advantage went to the race leaders, who increased their lead from eight to 12 miles.

“The breeze just shifted so much that we were on the wrong side of the TSS so we opted to reach down alongside of it. But that’s expensive as it means we’re sailing 90-degrees to the finish,” explained Team Brunel skipper Bouwe Bekking.

“It’s just one of those things that happens during the race. We’ll lose Akzo as well (Ed: they did) as they tacked well before us and are just going to sail around us… Can’t change it.”

But the split hasn’t fully played out yet. The two Dutch boats may be the first to pick up the stronger winds forecast for later this afternoon. But in a covering move, the race leaders quickly pointed their bows west in a protective manoeuvre to minimise their exposure.

“We are waiting to catch the new wind,” said Dongfeng Race Team navigator Pascal Bidégorry. “The wind will come from the northwest, very strong. So it will be a left shift. We are on port tack now, waiting for more left shift to be able to tack and take the strong northwest wind directly south to the finish.”

Following a Friday night that saw the fleet compress through several light wind transitions, Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng Race Team emerged to round the Norway turning mark in first place at 0700 UTC on Saturday morning.

Xabi Fernández’s MAPFRE crew was less than a mile behind, while Charlie Enright’s Vestas 11th Hour Racing was just three miles back.

"We are pretty tight with Dongfeng and we have to keep pushing,” said Antonio Cuervos-Mons.

“We still want to win this leg,” said Vestas 11th Hour Racing’s Jena Mai-Hansen, who sailed past her home port when the team took the turn at the Aarhus race mark on Friday afternoon. “The guys here are not too far in front of us and everything is full on for the three boats trying to win the race…”

Saturday is the penultimate day for the final leg of this Volvo Ocean Race. Three teams still have a chance to win the overall race and the finishing order between MAPFRE, Dongfeng Race Team and Team Brunel will determine the podium order for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18.

With just 400 miles left to the finish line in The Hague, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The teams will need to navigate between more TSS exclusion zones before reaching The Hague and choices must be made shortly that will play out over the coming hours. Tension is running high on board. As is the exhaustion level.

“I think we are going to sleep well when we arrive in The Hague,” Bidégorry said wryly. “We have only a bit more than one day to go and then the Volvo Ocean Race is finished. We have to keep on pushing to the maximum.”

The race looks set to become even closer before that. Everyone is pushing to the maximum and with only eight miles separating the first five boats, mistakes will be punished.

There is a battle at the back of the fleet as well where Turn the Tide on Plastic has turned the tables on SHK/Scallywag in the battle for sixth place. David Witt’s Scallywag has a tenuous one-point advantage on the leaderboard, but Dee Caffari’s Turn the Tide on Plastic could draw level by beating them this leg. Then, the In-Port Race on June 30 could determine the tie-break.

The current ETA predicts the leaders will arrive on Sunday afternoon between 1300 and 1600 UTC -- mid-afternoon local time in The Hague.

Follow every moment of the final leg of the Volvo Ocean Race - Go to www.volvooceanrace.com for live coverage on the Race Tracker as well as the latest content from the race boats.

There will also be live aerial footage of the fleet as they fight it out in the final battle of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race.

Volvo Ocean Race Leg 11 Leaderboard – 1200 UTC Saturday 23 June
1. Dongfeng Race Team – 409.2 nautical miles to finish
2. MAPFRE – 0.2 nautical miles to leader
3. Vestas 11th Hour Racing – 2.6 nautical miles to leader
4. team AkzoNobel – 8.2 distance to the leader
5. Team Brunel – 8.8 nautical miles to leader
6. Turn the Tide on Plastic – 14.5 nautical miles to leader
7. SHK / Scallywag – 15.1 nautical miles to leader

Volvo Ocean Race Overall Points Leaderboard after Leg 10
1. MAPFRE – 65 points
2. Team Brunel – 65 points
3. Dongfeng Race Team – 64 points *
4. team AkzoNobel – 53 points
5. Vestas 11th Hour Racing – 38 points
6. SHK / Scallywag – 30 points
7. Turn the Tide on Plastic – 29 points

* One additional point will be awarded to the team with the best elapsed time at the conclusion of the race in The Hague. Currently, Dongfeng would win this point.
** Should there be a tie on the overall race leaderboard at the end of the offshore legs, the In-Port Race Series standings will be used to break the tie.

The Legends Race
Also starting on Thursday 21 June was The Legends Race.

To celebrate the history of the race, 12 legendary boats from seven of the past editions have gathered for another chance at victory, putting their lineage on the line for a competition from Gothenburg, the Swedish stopover port of the Volvo Ocean Race, to the Dutch port of The Hague, the finish destination for the current round-the-world race.

Full coverage is here - https://www.facebook.com/legendsrace2018/