Twenty-four hours into the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Atlantic, the six IMOCA crews remain closely packed after a tense and tactical first night at sea. At 1200 UTC / 1400 CEST today, the fleet headed eastward in around 15 knots of south-easterly breeze, with just 54 miles separating the race leader Team Malizia (GER) from the non-foiling MSIG Europe in sixth place.
Team Malizia powered off the start line yesterday to leeward of their competitors, showing impressive speed to lead the pack into the hours of darkness. Skipper Boris Herrmann expressed satisfaction with their performance, stating, “We are averaging faster than the fleet. This new boat is really powerful upwind.”
Conditions inside the yachts during the night were sweltering, largely due to the warm-water Gulf Stream. 11th Hour Racing skipper Francesca Clapcich noted, “It’s 29-degrees Celsius on board right now, a bit of a sauna.”
As the night progressed, the teams made a critical manoeuvre, tacking from port to starboard, which could potentially be their last shift until they approach the French coast over 2,500 nautical miles away.
Currently, Team Malizia leads United by the Ocean by around three nautical miles, with 11th Hour Racing closely behind. The top five foilers have accelerated to speeds of up to 20 knots, racing towards stronger southerly winds on the outer edges of a forming low-pressure system.
For now, the crews are in a drag race to harness the new breeze, with the prospect of riding the low-pressure system across the North Atlantic. The pressure is on as the teams fine-tune their boats for the thrilling ride ahead.
For more on The Ocean Race, visit their website: www.theoceanrace.com
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