The Ocean Race Atlantic
A big push at the front; damage for Oli Heer and team
After five days at sea, could the last 24 hours of racing be seen as a major turning point?
Long-time leaders Team Malizia have dropped to fourth after suffering an impact to their port foil overnight Friday night. Nearly 100 miles further east, Team Francesca Clapcich powered by 11th Hour Racing, now in first place, has managed to open up a small gap on United by the Ocean, sitting second and 25 miles behind.
But they can’t relax: DMG MORI Sailing Team, in third, is closing in fast and is now just 10 miles back. And with a high-pressure bubble threatening to compress the fleet, all eyes are firmly on what comes next.
It has been an extraordinary balancing act. Countless hours spent bracing themselves in the cockpit, enduring relentless slamming and violent impacts. Pure resilience and determination.
After covering nearly 1,500 miles since the start, the fleet competing in The Ocean Race Atlantic has been through a serious test from strong winds, heavy seas, and the constant feeling of being pushed right to the limit.
“We’re all exhausted, tired and stressed” — Oliver Heer
Yesterday’s Onboard Live broadcast, aired daily from 5:00 to 5:30 pm, offered a stark glimpse of just how tough conditions have been. The onboard reporters struggled to interview skippers who were visibly worn down by the constant pounding and sheer lack of rest.
“We try to sleep whenever we can, but it’s impossible,” admitted Sara Stone of United by the Ocean.
“It’s constantly slamming and it’s so noisy,” added the experienced Samantha Davies on board DMG MORI Global One.
“We’re all exhausted, tired and stressed,” summed up Oliver Heer of Embrace the Challenge. “These boats are incredibly difficult to sail — and to live on.”
Moreso on Embrace the Challenge this morning as the team suffered a serious tear in its mainsail last night, while attempting to reef the sail in 30 knots of wind. The boat and team are stable, albeit in a slower mode… waiting for first first light to assess and make repairs.
Despite the exhaustion, every crew continues to dig deep and refuse to give an inch.
That fighting spirit has been particularly evident aboard Malizia 4. Despite damaging their port foil and suffereing a technical issue with the keel ram, Boris Herrmann’s crew have refused to give up. After managing to secure both the ram and the foil, they are back underway and are now around 100 miles off the race lead and still sailing fast.
DMG MORI Sailing Team closes in as the 11th Hour Racing boat pulls away
DMG Mori Sailing Team, currently third, is showing the same determination. Sailing in the wake of the two frontrunners – 11th Hour Racing and United by the Ocean – Kojiro Shiraishi’s crew claimed yesterday’s “Super Sprint”, earning their first win in this race-within-the-race, which rewards the fastest team over a 20-minute period each day.
The new boat is clearly showing its potential in tough conditions, and the past few hours have provided plenty of valuable lessons for the future. More immediately, however, DMG MORI Sailing Team is turning up the pressure on United by the Ocean, with the gap now down to less than 10 miles.
But on this fifth day at sea, it is the 11th Hour Racing boat that has really caught the eye.
Francesca Clapcich and her team took control of the race yesterday and have done nothing but extend their advantage since. This morning, they held a 25-mile lead over United by the Ocean and, crucially, they are also sailing faster.
Over the past four hours, 11th Hour Racing has averaged 24 knots, compared with 21.5 knots for Paul Meilhat’s crew.
Despite the punishing conditions, the mood on board remained remarkably positive yesterday.
“We’ve been through every emotion, but we’re going to keep fighting,” said Francesca Clapcich. “We believe in the boat.”
A race against time begins
Now, however, the clock is ticking for the leaders.
In around ten hours, the wind is expected to ease as a high-pressure bubble develops off the Azores. Yesterday, DMG MORI Sailing Team’s Nicolas Lunven raised the possibility of the fleet “bunching back together”.
Could the cards be reshuffled once again?
One thing is certain: in The Ocean Race Atlantic, nothing is decided yet and everything is still to play for.