The Ocean Race Atlantic
With just under 600 miles to go to Lorient, four boats are still in contention for the overall victory. DMG MORI Global One (1st), 11th Hour Racing (2nd), United by the Ocean (3rd) and Team Malizia (4th) are separated by just 25 miles on the leaderboard and 50 miles laterally. All four are expected to reach the finish line on Thursday. But who will come out on top? The suspense is still very much alive.
At some point on Thursday, if the forecast holds, we will find out the winner of the very first edition of The Ocean Race Atlantic. But for now, it is impossible to make any meaningful prediction. The battle for position that began at the start of the week, triggered by a high-pressure system blocking the leaders’ route, is more intense than ever.
“I think everything will be decided in the final 100 miles of the race,” Will Harris (11th Hour Racing) said. “It’s going to be a very tight finish, and we’ll have to keep pushing all the way to the end.”
“The die has already been cast”
Over the past few hours, Nicolas Lunven (DMG MORI Global One) has taken the time to analyse the situation in detail. One of the main challenges is getting around the high-pressure system that has slowed them down and is gradually moving south.
“It actually moved in front of us, so it slowed us down a little, but it didn’t bring us to a complete stop,” he explained. “You have to find the right balance between taking a longer route to the north to get away from the centre of the high-pressure system, and taking the shortest possible route to cover less distance.”
However, the winner of the most recent Solitaire du Figaro points out that “the die have been cast yesterday, or even two days ago.” The reason is the positioning of the four leading boats out on the water.
Team Malizia is the furthest north, although Boris Herrmann and his crew have reduced the lateral gap. 11th Hour Racing and United by the Ocean are positioned more centrally, with 11th Hour Racing gaining a slight advantage over Francesca Clapcich’s boat in recent hours. DMG MORI Global One, meanwhile, is the furthest south.
“We made that choice a little earlier and we had more wind than expected, but perhaps we would have preferred to be a little further north,” Nicolas Lunven admitted.
Even so, that option has so far allowed Kojiro Shiraishi’s crew to take control of the race, although their lead remains extremely fragile.
“If the high-pressure system shifts a little faster than expected, we might have made the right call. But if it moves slowly, we won’t have. It’s difficult to know. We don’t have a crystal ball!”
The two trailing boats are not so far behind
It is also fascinating to follow the progress of the two boats at the back of the fleet, Embrace The Challenge (5th) and MSIG Europe (6th). While they are currently 266 and 350 miles respectively behind the race leader, neither crew has been held up by the high-pressure system, meaning they can continue sailing at a strong pace.
“Even though we’re a long way behind, paradoxically it gives us a much more direct route to Lorient,” Swiss sailor Oliver Heer explained.
The boats’ performance reflects that advantage: Embrace The Challenge recorded its second win in the Super Sprint on Tuesday, while MSIG Europe moved into second place.
Whatever happens, all eyes are now on the front of the fleet as the race enters its final sprint. On board the four leading boats, the excitement is understandably palpable, with the outcome more uncertain than ever.
“You could hardly dream of a better situation,” Nicolas Lunven smiled, particularly given that the current conditions are “idyllic”: “It’s comfortable, and at the same time, we’re going fast!”
Francesca Clapcich (11th Hour Racing) feels the same way: “I don’t think any of the four leading boats is out of the race. It’s going to be a fight right to the end. The finish is going to be incredibly close.”
The Italian-American sailor is clearly enjoying the situation: “With just these boats, it’s really a great race to watch. And, to be honest, it’s also a lot of fun to be part of it!”