11th Hour Racing Team won Leg 4 of The Ocean Race, leading the fleet into their hometown of Newport, Rhode Island in New England.
Skipper Charlie Enright was beaming as he stepped ashore, moments after his team held off Team Malizia to cross the finishing line for their first leg win of the event.
It wasn’t an easy leg. Over the 17 days of racing north from Itajaí Brazil, the teams had to manage numerous transitions between weather systems, from the southern hemisphere tradewinds, through the doldrums and into the north Atlantic trades.
A storm just two days out from the finish brought wind gusts over 50 knots and a brutal sea state, conditions that veteran on board reporter Amory Ross described as ‘terrifying’.
And through it all, 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia exchanged the lead over a dozen times, before Enright and his squad emerged with the win Wednesday afternoon.
The Biotherm team has now finished in third and will focus on getting the boat ready ahead of the Newport In Port Race, scheduled for Saturday 20 May ahead of the leg start on Sunday 21 May.
The Ocean Race Leg 4 positions (as at 16:00 UTC on Thursday 11 May 2023)
Leg 4 positions / points
1. 11th Hour Racing Team – 5 points
2. Team Malizia – 4 points
3. Biotherm – 3 points
4. GUYOT environnement – Team Europe – suspended racing
5. Team Holcim-PRB – retired from leg – 0 points
The Ocean Race Leaderboard (through leg 4)
1. Team Holcim-PRB — 19 points
2. 11th Hour Racing Team — 18 points
3. Team Malizia — 18 points (tie is broken by In Port series standings)
4. Biotherm — 13 points
5. GUYOT envrionnement – Team Europe — 2 points
