The Ocean Race Leg 2: A high tension finish line for Holcim-PRB and its rivals

Will this second leg be won by daring? This is perhaps the scenario that is shaping up as the battle rages on among the IMOCA boats taking part in The Ocean Race. The fleet is racing in (very) close ranks less than 600 miles from the finish line and should offer us an anthology finale in Cape Town. A ridge of high pressure, the ultimate ingredient of this second leg, makes the suspense unbearable!

Team Malizia is still leading the group of three leaders (with Holcim-PRB and 11h Hour Racing Team). The German crew agreed to leave the head of the fleet for a while yesterday to head south again before gybing again to reposition themselves on the Cape Town route. A risky tactical choice that led Will Harris to cross three miles behind Holcim-PRB. This gave Yann Eliès, a crew member on Team Malizia, the opportunity to talk to Holcim-PRB's crew by VHF. But at around 3:00 am (French time), the black boat regained the lead of the fleet, slipping downwind of its two closest competitors, Holcim-PRB and 11th Hour Racing Team.

This morning, his lead is tiny and the boats are sailing within sight of each other... Only 1 mile gained on Kevin Escoffier and his crew, 1.5 miles on Charlie Enright's team in the 10:00 am HF ranking. Further back, at 68.8 miles, Biotherm is counting on the ridge of high pressure to melt away at the leading group... The leading IMOCA boats are already feeling the effects of this band of high pressure stretching from the north west to the south and which will act as a spectacular handbrake on the fleet! 2 knots, 4 knots, 1.5 knots... The wind forecasts for crossing this zone are chilling. The hours are going to stretch out while the teams only want to arrive at last!

This ridge of high pressure could once again reshuffle the deck. According to Kevin Escoffier, victory on this second leg should be decided at the finish line, at the foot of Table Mountain! "We are stuck between a ridge of high pressure and a low pressure system coming from behind. We are all going to set off again in the same direction towards Cape Town. The routing gives the arrival of all the boats in 10 minutes! We have sailed well so far. We have come back well. We're not going to complain! The most important thing is to work on the speed. We have to keep up the pace of the watches. We did a lot of maneuvers last night. We'll have to be able to stay in shape until the end to get the boat right. The difference can be made at the finish line".

On board Holcim-PRB, the crew is trying to make the most of the weakening wind conditions while playing the game of positioning in relation to the opponents. Over the last four hours, the Swiss monohull was the second fastest after 11th Hour Racing Team. Before finally smelling the sweet smells of South African soil, it is certain that Kevin Escoffier, Sam Goodchild, Tom Laperche, Susann Beucke and Georgia Schofield (OBR) will have given it their all in the hopes of celebrating this top step of the podium. The outcome is still scheduled for Sunday morning.