The leading pack of Team Malizia, Team Holcim and 11th Hour Racing are battling for leader bragging rights.
Although the 11th Hour Racing Team pushed into the lead on leg 2 of The Ocean Race over the weekend, as of 10:27 Monday morning it is Team Holcim-PRB claiming a 7nm lead from 11th Hour Racing, with Team Malizia just 2nm back in third place.
These three crossed ahead of Biotherm, who are now 57nm off the lead, with GUYOT dropping back some 263nm off the leading pack after they suffered a blown out spinnaker.
There position further to the east has left them struggling in light winds.
Amory Ross reports from 11th Hour Racing Team . . . “From here it’s a bit of a zig zag course trying to gybe in the shifts and continue to use the windy features rolling west to east across the South Atlantic to get down, and to get east, quickly.”
Rosalin Kuiper from on board Team Malizia commented . . . “It’s so cool… We were 200 miles behind and now we’ve just gybed and crossed in front (of Biotherm),” “It’s magical. We’re so happy to see it like this!”
After they skirt around the southern boundary of the St Helena High the leaders will head east, and eventually back north to Cape Town, with the prospect of some fast sailing.
The ETA for Cape Town is on Sunday 12 February.
Rankings at 10:00 UTC – 6 February 2023
1. Team Holcim-PRB, DTF 2002 nm
2. 11th Hour Racing Team, DTL 7.0 nm
3. Team Malizia, DTL 9 nm
4. Biotherm, DTL 58 nm
5. GUYOT environnement – Team Europe, DTL 263 nm
