Two days into Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe and the Bay of Biscay has delivered exactly what was promised: tension, exhaustion, and a fleet locked together in a dead heat.
Less than five miles cover the top five boats as they approach Cape Finisterre, with no one able to break free.
The battle at the front remains knife-edge. Team Holcim PRB and Biotherm have exchanged the lead repeatedly since yesterday afternoon, while Team Malizia, Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, and Paprec Arkéa are right there in striking distance.
Team Holcim PRB are bringing the fight to Biotherm, who so far have collected the maximum points.
If the leaders have been glued together, one team has been willing to show something different. Allagrande Mapei split from the fleet Tuesday morning, tacking earlier than the rest in a bid to line up for Cape Finisterre in stronger wind.
Co-skipper Thomas Ruyant summed it up: “There’s wind everywhere except exactly at Cape Finisterre.”
For now, their move leaves them out of sync with the front group – a gamble that may only pay if the wind hole at Cape Finisterre traps the others.
ETA at Porto-Matosinhos is mid-morning local time on Wedensday morning.
The Porto-Matosinhos stop is unusual: the boats will cross the points gate, earning seven points for first place, six for second place, etc. which is equal to the Leg 1 scoring.
Then they are held for exactly three hours to come ashore before restarting from the same line toward Cartagena.
