Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard feb 2025

The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 15: Back to the grind

by The Ocean Race 13 Mar 2023 15:22 GMT 12 March 2023
The Ocean Race 2022-23 Leg 3, Day 15 onboard Biotherm. Rough waves in the Southern Ocean © Ronan Gladu / Biotherm

It's back to work Monday for the IMOCA sailors in The Ocean Race

Following record breaking conditions on Saturday and the leg 3 scoring gate on Sunday, the workaday grind sets in again with Cape Horn still nearly two weeks away.

In case you missed it, on Saturday all four boats blasted past the existing 24 hour distance record for IMOCAs. Subject to ratification by the World Speed Sailing Record Council, the new mark is now held by Team Holcim-PRB, who topped out at 595.26 nautical miles, just a shade off the Race record of 602 nautical miles set by Team AkzoNobel in the last race.

The record-breaking runs were spurred on by highly motivated crews pushing each other hard towards the leg 3 scoring gate as well as near perfect winds and relatively flat sea state.

On Sunday evening UTC, Kevin Escoffier's Team Holcim-PRB would be first across the 143 degrees east longitude line, collecting another 5 points and expanding his lead on the points table.

"From the start in Cape Town to this scoring gate I think we've done very well to keep the other boats behind us," Escoffier said. "We've also had an amazing 24 hour record. So I'm very happy with the boat, very happy with the crew... and I think we deserve to enjoy, but now it's back to work."

Team Malizia was able to sail past 11th Hour Racing Team in a close quarters racing on Sunday to grab second place and earn 4 points at the gate.

"I am so happy, so relieved that we managed to come away with second place," said co-skipper Will Harris. "It has been such a fight to even still be in the race after having to fix the mast a week and a half ago and not being sure we could continue, and now we are here crossing the line in second. This has been some of the closest offshore racing I have ever done, we crossed 11th Hour Racing within only 200 metres. It is a big relief that we have crossed the line second, we have proved our potential, I can sleep well tonight and then look forward to the Pacific. I am really so happy!"

On the other side of that result in close racing, 11th Hour Racing Team skipper Charlie Enright knew on Sunday he had his hands full trying to fend off Malizia: "These conditions really suit them (Team Malizia). We've been doing a nice job, but it's hard. We've been sailing for 5000 miles and it's going to come down to these last couple hundred."

11th Hour Racing Team would collect 3 points at the gate to retain second place on the overall leaderboard, but now just a single point ahead of Malizia.

Fourth across the gate, for 2 points, was Biotherm, but nearly immediately, Paul Meilhat's team vaulted back up the leg 3 tracker rankings.

The team had been too far behind Malizia and 11th Hour Racing Team to engage in a match race for the scoring gate finish and was therefore able to take a longer tactical view, positioning themselves more favourably futher to the south. As Malizia and 11th Hour Racing Team gybed after the gate to get to a similar southerly position, Biotherm was suddenly back in the game.

"We are a bit disappointed of course, as one day before the finish they both got in front of us," Meilhat said. "But on the other side, we are learning a lot and improving our speed all the time. I always remember that we have been the last boat to launch and so we aren't at the same level of preparation, so the positive thing is we have sailed across the Indian Ocean and now we have the Pacific ahead of us and this is why we do this race."

Meilhat went on to say the favourable wind conditions are forecast to last for a couple more days before the fleet bumps up against a high pressure system with much lighter conditions - the next speed bump on the way to Cape Horn.

A special leg 3 scoring gate show is available on Discovery+ and the Eurosport app in European/Asian viewing territories.

All of the media from the boats, including videos and photos, is here.

The latest position are on the Race Tracker

Follow the racing at www.theoceanrace.com and www.eurosport.com/sailing

Related Articles

The Ocean Race Europe will race into Portsmouth
Back in the game for the IMOCA race in the summer of 2025 The Ocean Race Europe, an offshore sailing race for the foiling IMOCA class, will include Portsmouth on the south coast of England, among its six stopovers. Posted on 16 Sep 2024
Volvo Cars and The Ocean Race extend partnership
With a joint mission on ocean health Volvo Cars and The Ocean Race both share the strong commitment to a more sustainable future and to contribute and deliver actual change where it's needed, including in the restoration and preservation of natural ecosystems and biodiversity. Posted on 28 Aug 2024
Franck Cammas awarded 2024 Magnus Olsson Prize
French 'sailor of the decade' is recognised for his spirit and impact on the sport Franck Cammas, the incredible French sailing champion, has earned another important accolade as he is named the winner of the 2024 Magnus (Mange) Olsson Prize. Posted on 9 Aug 2024
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy concludes
The festival of sailing was contested by 700 sailors battling across seven classes The annual Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy, which took place in Cascais, Portugal, came to a close on Sunday evening after two days of close and intense racing. Posted on 9 Jul 2024
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy Preview
700 sailors ready to race in the 5th edition The annual Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy event is set to get under way this weekend from 5 to 7 July in Cascais, Portugal. Posted on 1 Jul 2024
Bernardo Freitas to skipper Racing for the Planet
In the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2024 The Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team announces that former team watch captain Bernardo Freitas (POR) will lead the Team in the 2024 edition of The Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy, in July. Posted on 9 May 2024
The Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy preview
A sustainable regatta that will see sailing boats take to the Atlantic coast of Portugal Organised in partnership with the Clube Naval de Cascais, the sustainable regatta will see a large number of sailing boats take to the Atlantic coast of Portugal, to raise awareness and important funds for marine conservation programs. Posted on 24 Apr 2024
The Ocean Race will return to Genova
A key stopover for The Ocean Race Europe in 2025 The Italian city of Genova and The Ocean Race will extend their close relationship with The Ocean Race Europe bringing a fleet of foiling IMOCA race boats to the Mediterranean port in the late summer of 2025. Posted on 24 Apr 2024
The Ocean Race joins world leaders in Athens
Nature's Baton and the Relay4Nature connect at Our Ocean Conference The Ocean Race joined world leaders at the Our Ocean Conference 2024 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens, Greece on Tuesday, who had gathered to advance measures to protect and restore ocean health. Posted on 17 Apr 2024
The Ocean Race sails into Athens
For the Our Ocean Conference UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean hands Nature's Baton to Greece's Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Oceans and Coordinator of the conference. Posted on 15 Apr 2024