Holcim-PRB finishes second in Itajaí and remains the overall leader of The Ocean Race
by Team HOLCIM - PRB 2 Apr 2023 15:21 PDT
2 April 2023, The Ocean Race 2022-2023, Team Holcim-PRB second in leg 3, 10:56:20 UTC, 34 days, 22 hours, 46 mins, 20 seconds, 15,042 nautical miles © Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race
This third leg of 15,042 miles looked just like The Ocean Race: a demanding race, unswerving for Kevin Escoffier, Abby Ehler, Sam Goodchild, Tom Laperche and Julien Champolion (OBR). Until the very last mile, the crew of the Swiss monohull will have done its best to fulfill the contract set by the skipper at the start of Cape Town: to arrive in Itajai with a boat in the best possible condition and a team in good shape. And even more than that! Because by crossing the line this Sunday at 10:56' 20'' UTC, only 5 hours behind the winner Team Malizia, the quartet of Holcim-PRB shows, after its two victories on the first two legs, an incredible regularity and signs in Brazil a breathtaking performance.
By arriving first at the scoring gate, at longitude 143 degrees East (west of Tasmania), Kevin and the members of the GO CIRCULAR project had already won the maximum number of points for the general classification on this first portion of the leg (5 points). This was on March 12th, almost two weeks before crossing Cape Horn in 2nd place behind Team Malizia. By finishing 2nd in Itajaí, Holcim-PRB won 4 additional points and consolidated its position at the top of the general classification of the world tour.
During a large part of the leg, Kevin Escoffier's crew had the race in their hands, and even took the lead, with nearly 600 miles ahead of the others, during the first week of sailing! However, the weather soon got more favorable to the chasing pack, which allowed the fleet to close in on the 20th day of the race, with the four IMOCA boats only 20 miles apart. From that moment on, the battle intensified and required a lot of energy. In these conditions, the crew of Holcim-PRB showed great control. They only gave in to the attacks of Team Malizia in the last two days of a breathless neck to neck sprint. The weather, with a hollow low pressure system that badly affected the duo along the South American coasts (Uruguay and Brazil) and a malfunction of the automatic pilot, reminded Kevin and his team members to be careful several times. The boat laid down at 90 degrees several times on Friday and Saturday and three mainsail battens broke. Each time, it took long minutes to right the IMOCA boat and get her back on course. The four sailors finally convinced themselves that they should not lose any joker so close to the goal. Securing this second place became central. This is what Kevin, Abby, Sam, and Tom did today.
Their tired eyes and sunken faces at the finish in Itajaí say it all about the immense challenge of this third leg, the longest in the race's history. And it will certainly take more than one night for the sailors to share with the Holcim-PRB shore team what this monster of an ocean race has been! Greeted on their arrival at the pontoon by a very warm Brazilian public, by all their team and by Boris Hermann, the five women and men on board were able to savor their first steps on dry land. Smiles and long hugs,... Finally, they finished this leg which will probably remain as a symbol of this 2023 edition.
Kevin has a lot to remember from the 35 days of sailing around Antarctica and it is with great satisfaction that he gave his first impressions and thanked his team and partners, Holcim and PRB: "I am very happy with what we have achieved. Once again I am very proud of the team and we are very happy to bring back a boat in great condition to the shore team. It's really a success with a solid project and partners, Holcim and PRB, who support us every day since the start of the race. I would obviously have preferred to keep the 600-mile lead we had during the first third, but it's a great race that will continue. We have taken nine points. We are leading in the general classification, we have a 24-hour speed record. We will be able to celebrate all this with the team. To arrive here in second place is like a victory for us. It's important for us but especially for all those who follow us. And it's a great way to highlight the message we carry with GO CIRCULAR for the planet and for a more circular life."
Abby Ehler, who made her fourth passage around Cape Horn between Cape Town and Itajaí, was happy on the pontoon to finally be in Brazil: "Living on board was quite difficult most of the time even if we were quite lucky with the conditions in the South. In some situations, the boat is quite rough. And her movements are sometimes difficult to anticipate. We really had a great race. For me, the most important moment was to arrive in the lead at the scoring gate. And then the record! And also this finish here. It's really great to be in Itajaí". Sam Goodchild will always remember his first Cape Horn. "This leg was long, very intense. I'm very happy to be here and to have brought the boat back in good shape. We pushed all the time. The last few days have been difficult. We tried to control the boat in the heavy seas and strong wind. Racing in the lead helped to enjoy this leg. We have a great team on board. It's an incredible experience. The biggest moment for me was rounding Cape Horn" said the British sailor upon arrival.
For Tom Laperche, this leg in which he played the role of navigator is obviously rich in lessons. Among the strong memories of these 35 days at sea, there is the 24-hour record. As they approached the course gate on March 11, the crew of Holcim-PRB was able to take advantage of perfect wind and sea conditions to shatter the record for the longest distance covered by an IMOCA in 24 hours: 595.26 miles. "We had a great race. There are probably a few mistakes but overall we sailed well. The highlight for me is the 24-hour record! I'm proud to have this record in IMOCA because many have tried. It was not easy to take. We made the most of the conditions. The boat was going fast without hitting too hard. It was a good moment to glide" concludes the youngest member of the team.
After its victories in Cape Verde and Cape Town and this second place in Itajaí, Holcim-PRB is still leading the general ranking with 19 points. The crew is ahead of Team Malizia, which has 14 points in the general ranking.
Words from the sailors
Interview with Kevin Escoffier:
"It was a very nice leg. The boat is in good condition except for three broken battens due to problems with the autopilot last night. It's really nothing, everything went well. I would obviously have preferred to keep the 600 mile lead we had during the first third, but there is a great race going on. We took nine points. We're leading in the general ranking, we have a 24-hour record. We will be able to celebrate all this with the team. To arrive here in second place is a taste of victory for us. I have a fantastic team, a crew that is both humanly and athletically competent, and I am satisfied with all of this. And I am proud of what we have achieved. I'm looking ahead, thinking about the next step."
Interview with Abby Ehler:
"Living aboard was pretty tough most of the time although we were pretty lucky with the conditions in the south. In some conditions, the boat is quite rough. And its movements are sometimes difficult to anticipate. Getting here in second place has been a mission at every moment. We are very happy to have everyone in good shape and a boat in good shape. We really had a great race. Congratulations also to Team Malizia. We really fought well together. For me, the most important moment was to arrive in the lead at the scoring gate. And then the record! And also this arrival here. It's really great to be in Itajaí."
Interview with Sam Goodchild:
"It's been a long, intense leg. I'm very happy to be here and to have brought the boat back in good shape. We've been pushing all the time. The last few days have been tough. We tried to control the boat in the heavy seas and strong wind. Racing in the lead helped to enjoy this leg. We have a great team on board. It's an incredible experience. The biggest moment for me was rounding Cape Horn."
Interview with Tom Laperche:
"I am very happy to be here. The main objective was to finish this leg. 2nd place is a great result for us: for the racing part and for the overall ranking. Congratulations to Malizia, they were good in difficult conditions downwind. We had a great race. There are probably some mistakes but overall we sailed well. The highlight for me is the 24-hour record! I'm proud to have this record in IMOCA because a lot of people have tried. It was not easy to take. We made the most of the conditions. The boat was going fast without hitting too hard. It was a good moment to glide along."