On the race course on Wednesday, the top three teams are clustered together within 50 miles on the leaderboard.
11th Hour Racing Team is now leading Team Malizia and Biotherm. GUYOT environnement – Team Europe is further behind.
Boat speeds are averaging near 22-24 knots and 24-hour runs are now near 500 miles. Tradewind sailing at its best.
In the boatfeed video, the team starts preparing for a big wind increase after seeing the speed on Team Malizia, just upwind, increase dramatically.
Skipper Charlie Enright is looking out the cockpit bubble at the darkening sky, calling out the distance to the new breeze while Francesca Clapcich works the lines to prepare the sails.
As the wind comes on the team makes adjustments and the boatspeed rockets up over 30 knots.
By the beginning of next week teams will be thinking about the final approach to the finish in Newport (ETA May 10), but long-range the weather forecast looks unsettled and complex.
There are still several transitions to navigate that will give tactical opportunities.
Meanwhile, back in Brazil, the Team Holcim-PRB IMOCA was lifted onto a cargo ship on Tuesday night, which then departed Rio for the United States on Wednesday morning.
