The Ocean Race Leg 2: Team Malizia in first place; three teams playing cat and mouse
by Team Malizia 8 Feb 2023 08:05 AEDT
Skipper Will Harris onboard Malizia - Seaexporer during Leg 2 of The Ocean Race © Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
During the evening of 6th February 2023, Team Malizia moved up into first place for the first time in this long second leg. The team had been in fifth place for the majority of the race and had fought hard to catch up to the front pack.
With their westerly option finally paying off, they managed to find their mode and the wind, allowing them to push ahead to slowly regain miles and ultimately find themselves in first place.
The elated crew couldn't hide their excitement at this well deserved turn of events, proving not only their own capabilities without German skipper Boris Herrmann but also showing the strengths of the race yacht, Malizia - Seaexplorer. As the night wore on the team managed to hold on to the lead. During the latter half of 7th February 2023, there was some vying for positions between 11th Hour Racing, Holcim PRB and Team Malizia. With the three competitors rapidly switching between first, second and third at each hourly tracker update. The team's own website has also blown up in the last three days with the number of fans accessing the site increasing dramatically since competition has heated up.
British skipper Will Harris (28), commented: "We are so happy that the hard work has paid off and we are up in first place and back in the leading pack. It has been challenging to get here but we never gave up and together as a team with Rosie, Nico, Yann and Antoine we have fought back to regain a few hundred nautical miles. We will keep pushing but also protecting the boat and our foils until Cape Town. It is always a balance to maintain the boat but also win the race and currently, I feel that we have found a good mode in order to achieve both these goals."
Team Malizia is strongly supported by its seven main partners: EFG International, Zurich Group Germany, Kuehne+Nagel, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Hapag-Lloyd, Schütz, and the Yacht Club de Monaco. These partners band behind Team Malizia to support its A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now! mission, each of them working towards projects in their own field to innovate around climate solutions.