11TH HOUR RACING TEAM CLAIMS SECOND PLACE FOR LEG 1 OF THE OCEAN RACE

21/01/2023

The team did an incredible job fending off Team Malizia and crossed the finish line in Cabo Verde at 03:50:45 local (04:50:45 UTC) in second place.

The elapsed finish time for the team was 5d 13h 50m 45s, having sailed 2,401 nautical miles [2,763 miles or 4,447 kilometers] and just 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds behind first placed Holcim-PRB.

This opening leg was described by Charlie as a ‘baptism of fire’ when he arrived at the dock, after multiple reports of damage sustained by boats across the fleet. “That was an incredibly tough first leg,” he said. “Tough on the boats, and physically tough on the crew. Nothing we haven’t seen in training, so it didn’t come as a surprise, but it is no surprise that with a forecast like that, you end up with damage to the boats, but now we are here, we can turn our minds to the repairs.”

Cabo Verde is defined in the race rules as a ‘Short Stop’ for the team, with just four days between arrival and departure. The Ocean Race rules state that only the sailors from Leg 1 are allowed to do any repairs, and they must be completed physically on the boat. The sailors can only use tools and equipment that were on the boat for the opening leg, and extra fuel, water, food, and provisions are not allowed to be taken onboard during the Short Stop.

Charlie continues: “Every team is going to have its hands full with repairs, and knowing that this was a Short Stop, we went heavy on spares when loading in Alicante. We have a handy group of sailors onboard and are also surrounded by an excellent technical support team here in Cabo Verde, to guide us when they can. There were a lot of bright spots to the leg, the boat is fast, and we are here in second so overall, a cool start to the race.”

The Ocean Race IMOCA fleet will set sail for Cape Town, South Africa from Mindelo, Cabo Verde on January 25, 2023.

Rankings at 08:00 UTC – 21 January 2023:

1st – Team Holcim-PRB, 5d 11h, 01min 59s 5 points

2nd – 11th Hour Racing Team, 5d 13h 50m 45s 4 points

3rd – Team Malizia 3 points, 5d, 16h, 35m, 21s 3 points

4th – Biotherm +208.8nm

5th – Guyot environment – Team Europe +202.2nm

11th Hour Racing Team Crew for Leg 1 of The Ocean Race 2022-23:

Charlie Enright (USA) – Skipper

Simon Fisher (GBR) – Navigator

Jack Bouttell (AUS/GBR) – Trimmer

Francesca Clapcich (ITA) – Trimmer