Holcim-PRB's crew focuses on the most difficult leg of The Ocean Race
by Team HOLCIM - PRB 22 Feb 2023 17:34 GMT
Holcim-PRB © Marin Le Roux | PolaRYSE | Holcim-PRB
The countdown is on...The leg that the sailors have been talking about for months is approaching very quickly. There are only five days left on land before the start of this monumental race between Cape Town and Itajai, and Team Holcim-PRB are getting ready to set sail to continue to spread the message of GO CIRCULAR. The longest leg ever sailed since the creation of The Ocean Race in 1973: 12,750-nautical miles, or 23,613 miles by rounding the three capes, Good Hope, Leeuwin and Cape Horn!
The boat's skipper Kevin Escoffier is preparing himself as well as possible. After some rest with his family, he is back with his technical team in Cape Town. The boat was put back in the water on Sunday after an efficient refit by Loic Féquet and all the members of Team Holcim-PRB. After the first two legs of the race, it was important to be able to examine the 60' in great detail. No major damage was found and the team has a boat at 100% of its potential to face the impressive southern seas.
While the skipper from Saint Malo admits that he is still discovering his monohull, he also knows that this third leg will be crucial if he wants to consolidate his position as leader in the general ranking. Long, extreme, disputed in the most remote places of the planet, it will again put the sailors in a state of tension at every moment. Knowing how to preserve the boat, but also the men and women, will be one of the keys to succeed in setting the cursor on performance, according to Kevin Escoffier. "It will be a very interesting Leg. It's not often that we go racing in such remote places. We know that these are not the most comfortable seas and that the race will be long. The human factor on board will be essential. It is important to have consistency and regularity. And the second factor is reliability, it is the longest leg, in difficult conditions, in difficult places. There are a lot of points to play for on this leg" said the skipper of the GO CIRCULAR project after a briefing with the whole team.
One of the particularities of this Leg 3 is its points system. It will simply count double. So they'll need to be ready! The first set of points (equivalent to a leg) will be awarded according to the order of passage at longitude 143 degrees East (south of Australia) and the second (equivalent to a second leg) according to the order of arrival in Itajai.
The choice of the crew was therefore crucial to attack this historic race. And Kevin has surrounded himself with the same core group as on the first leg. "We are constantly learning and that's what I find very interesting about this boat. There are many areas where we are very comfortable. But we also have to make up for the two or three areas where we are less comfortable. We'll have to look for the boat's performance, and I have no doubt that we'll get there. With this goal in mind, I have selected the most experienced crew possible for the difficult conditions we will face. We are lucky to have sailors with a wide range of skills, which allows me, as skipper, to have the choice and to be able to put together the crew that best suits the format of the leg" explains Kevin Escoffier.
At the start in Cape Town on Sunday, he will be surrounded by Tom Laperche, Sam Goodchild and Abby Ehler. Julien Champolion will be the reporter on board for this route to Itajai. It's a complete crew that has already learned a lot on the boat. After their victories on the first two legs, they are all keen to break out the champagne once again in Itajai. But the opponents, who are also all presenting themselves with boats in top form, will be hard to beat. "Today, we know that we have a very versatile boat, even in light airs. Opposite us, there are boats which are less versatile but which have strong points that we don't have, or at least that we haven't found yet. It's up to us to make up for this difference. And it's up to us to continue to increase the advantages we have in certain situations " says the skipper.
If the tension is likely to rise in the face of the mountain that the crew of Holcim-PRB is about to climb, the desire to sail in the heart of a hostile nature is also palpable. Abby Ehler, back on board after the first leg, is not new to the southern seas. She knows what to expect and wants to live this experience again. "I'm looking forward to Leg 3 with cautious enthusiasm! Despite this being my 4th race going into the Southern Ocean and, therefore, having some understanding of what's involved, it is such an unprotected and demanding environment yet also such a rewarding and an enriching experience. The fact that this will be the race's longest leg in history poses a challenge in many forms and competing on an IMOCA as opposed to a traditional planning boat only adds to that level of challenge" said the Briton.
As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is going circular to decarbonize building for a net-zero future. With GO CIRCULAR, Team Holcim-PRB is continuing to circumnavigate the world to preserve our oceans with a call to action to accelerate the shift to circular living. In addition to winning the first two legs of The Ocean Race, Team Holcim-PRB also launched an ambitious scientific program by the race's organizers by releasing a drifting buoy into the southern seas to deepen the scientific understanding of sea surface temperature, ocean currents and the Earth's climate. Racing for progress, the GO CIRCULAR team is advancing marine science throughout the race, hosting "GO CIRCULAR from sea to city talks" to raise awareness for more circular living and restoring marine ecosystems with Holcim's bioactive concrete reefs. This third leg will take Team Holcim-PRB through the world's roughest seas around Antarctica and off Cape Horn, where they will continue to push the limits of sailing and circular living.
The start of the leg will be given next Sunday at 2:10pm (local time) or 1:30pm (French time).