The leading pack in The Ocean Race Atlantic has been enjoying fast reaching conditions as the top four teams began to count down the final 500 nautical miles of their 3,000 nm passage from New York to Lorient, France.
Earlier today the leaders, Kojiro Shiraishi’s DMG MORI Global One (JPN), were hitting speeds close to 30 knots in southerly winds as they made the most of flat water to the north of a high pressure zone that is moving to the south-east. The Japanese entry has continued to benefit from its positioning move many days earlier in the race to be the most southerly boat in the leading group. Now that decision looks to have given them the optimum wind angle for rapid progress directly towards Lorient.
At 1200 UTC / 1400 CEST today DMG MORI Global One held a 10-nm lead over Francesca Clapcich’s second-placed 11th Hour Racing (USA), with Paul Meilhat’s United by the Ocean (FRA) in third, a further 13 nm back. In fourth – and furthest north – was Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia (GER), who sat 35 nm off the lead.
Despite the pressure of leading this inaugural transatlantic race, the sailors aboard the leading IMOCA looked remarkably relaxed in footage sent from the boat this morning.
“All is good on board,” said a smiling Samantha Davies. “We have less than 500 miles to go and we are sending it fast with the J0. We have been doing that all night and it’s fun. It’s fun and it’s fast and what is good is that we are still in the lead. But it is really really close, so we are going to have to push really hard – and that is what we are doing right now.”
Likewise, the mood also seemed good aboard United by the Ocean, where the crew of four had been taking it in turns to steer the boat today, and clearly enjoying the fresh air on deck after several days trapped down below by the sea state.
“Now it’s windier and no more waves – so champagne conditions,” said Portuguese co-skipper Mariana Lobato. “Everyone has been helming and it was nice to be able to see all the modes. In these conditions I think we can do better than the pilot because we can find the balance, anticipate and make sure we don’t lose our apparent wind. As a sailor I am enjoying the day, the moment, the life. It’s beautiful - the sky, the horizon - I feel free, liberty, and it is amazing to be on the ocean enjoying this privilege to be here.”
Although the top four are closely grouped, the crews are focused more on coaxing the maximum performance out of their boats than strategising about boat-on-boat tactics.
“It is not a control race, right now,” summarised United by the Ocean skipper Paul Meilhat. “It’s about taking the best angle to the finish line.”
“Four boats can still win this race, with four different strategies,” agreed his teammate Benjamin Ferré.
Although the leaders are expected to continue to make fast progress towards the French coast for the rest of today, lighter winds are forecast closer to the coast, which will slow their progress and could see another compression in the top four boats before they reach the finish line. Latest predictions suggest the first boats home could arrive between 1200 UTC / 1400 CEST and 1800 UTC / 2000 CEST tomorrow – Thursday, September 10.
“It will be close,” warned Nico Lunven from on board DMG MORI Global One. “The wind is dropping ahead of us so the fleet will compress again before the finish. We might be leading now, but it could all change.”
We will have live coverage of the finish for the top four - check www.theoceanrace.com for the latest ETAs and viewing links throughout the day on Thursday
Meanwhile, Oliver Heer’s fifth-placed Embrace the Challenge (SUI) and Conrad Colman’s non-foiling MSIG Europe (NZL) still look set to be able to sail a more direct route to Lorient, without having to divert north to avoid the low pressure system. In particular, Colman is justifiably upbeat having hung on better than he expected to the five newer foiling designs.
“Over the past couple of days we have been chomping into the lead of the boats ahead,” Colman said. “We are coming in with a new vein of breeze and that allowed us to take back a lot of miles on Embrace the Challenge. That’s a 2020-generation foiler – so in theory a lot faster than us – but we have been matching them boat-for-boat."
“So on the whole things are looking good – and crucially we are looking fast for the arrival… it looks like we are going to arrive in Lorient on Friday afternoon.”
Wednesday’s Super Sprint was the last in the series and saw Team Malizia top the table for the fourth time in eight tries. That leaves Team Malizia as the overall series winner over DMG MORI Global One, the two newest boats in the fleet showing the most consistency over the eight sprint series. Team Francesca Clapcich powered by 11th Hour Racing took the third podium position.
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon Ocean Live Park opened in Lorient with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Fabrice Loher, IMOCA President Antoine Mermod and Race Chairman of The Ocean Race Richard Brisius.
The Ocean Live Park - at La Base, Lorient - is open from 10am each day through Sunday 13 September and is filled with family friendly activities, including ocean health and literacy activations, school programmes, Try-Sailing opportunities, and evening concerts. More information is here.