Holcim-PRB takes the start of Leg 5 of The Ocean Race
by Team HOLCIM - PRB 22 May 2023 16:25 AEST
Holcim-PRB left the dock for The Ocean Race Leg 5 © Julien Champolion / PolaRYSE / Team Holcim-PRB
There was a lot of emotion around the IMOCA Holcim-PRB as she left the dock in Newport at around 12.40pm local time today. The whole shore team was gathered with the sailors to applaud the return back in the race of the Swiss boat after having dismasted during the last leg.
Finally, everyone can get back into racing mode. It was a relief and a real pride not to have shuddered at the mountain to climb to recover from the damage. The American public was not mistaken. The last salute, before docking off, of Kevin Escoffier, Abby Ehler, Charles Caudrelier, Sam Goodchild and Yann Riou (onboard reporter) was answered with a long and warm applause by the thousands of people present on the quayside in Fort Adams. Holcim-PRB leaves the USA in the lead of the overall ranking and started a decisive leg this afternoon.
A coastal course to replace the In-Port race
Before sailing on this transatlantic race between Newport and Aarhus, the four monohulls disputing this leg competed on a long coastal course that replaced the In-Port race which had to be cancelled on Saturday due to the weather conditions.
Under the eyes of many Americans massed on the Newport shoreline, Kevin Escoffier and his crew sailed through splendid scenery giving way to magnificent images of Holcim-PRB passing under the Claiborne Pell Bridge. The only thing missing to enhance the show was the wind... The fleet had to progress in a very light breeze, sometimes facing a strong current.
11th Hour Racing Team, which got the best start, battled with Malizia to get the head of the fleet throughout the two long laps of the Newport River. But in the end it was the German boat that won this In-Port race. Holcim-PRB finished the race in third place. These results do not count towards the overall ranking, but rather towards the overall ranking of the In-Port races, which will be used to break the tie in Genoa, the grand finale of The Ocean Race. American sailor Dan Morris was on board as a guest and enjoyed his time on board the Swiss IMOCA boat and returned to shore with the firm intention of embarking again when the wind is stronger.
"It's pretty awesome to be sailing with this crew. There are some great sailors on this team. It's a great privilege to be able to get on board and stay with them until a few minutes before the start. These are high-tech hydrofoil boats, similar to the ones I usually sail on. There are similarities in the sails, in the foils, in the way people work together. But the big difference is that I go sailing for a few hours. They go out for several days." The two-times match racing world champion put on a show by leaving with a spectacular back flip!
A Leg 5 at high risks!
Today's In-Port marked the start of Leg 5, a 3,500 mile race counting double in the overall ranking. The five crew members attended a long briefing this morning with Jean-Yves Bernot to analyze the evolution of the weather files and to try to find together the best route to take for the next few days of racing.
As announced yesterday, the conditions aren't easy and the risk is that they will not be able to pass ahead of the low pressure front between two high pressure systems fast enough. This would mean a transatlantic race at reduced speed and upwind.
Just before boarding Holcim-PRB this morning Charles Caudrelier summed up the stakes for the first few hours of the race: "I'm happy because this is one of the most beautiful legs. And the stakes are high. We're going to try to do the best we can with this complicated weather. In two days time from now, we don't know what will happen and that will determine the rest of our transatlantic race. It's not going to be easy to manage. It won't just be a race of speed. There will be a lot of decisions to make. In 24 to 48 hours, there will be a first decision to make. There is a good window to cross quickly. If we miss this one, it can become very slow behind. So you don't want one of the boats to leave ahead, unless it's us!".
For Kevin Escoffier, the goal for this Leg 5 can be summed up in three words: strategy, speed and energy.
"We want to stay at the top of the overall ranking. Do do so, we will have to do our best and adapt continuously. We will have to go fast without breaking anything. We'll be taking decisions one after the other so that the leg goes the way we want it to" concluded the skipper before leaving Newport, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful stopover in this 2023 edition of The Ocean Race.