The tracker for leg two of the 14th The Ocean Race is updated once an hour. Almost every time, a different boat has now taken the lead in the battle of nerves on course for Cape Town. On the last 250 nautical miles to the finish harbour at the Cape of Good Hope, the crews are fighting breathlessly for every metre. The good news for fans:From today (11 February) at 5 p.m. German time, the tracker will be changed for the last 24 hours or so and updated every five minutes.
On day 17 of the second leg of the Ocean Race, the four leading boats were only four nautical miles apart. Paul Meilhat's "Biotherm", which had almost equalled the gap of more than 200 nautical miles just two days ago, was particularly striking. At midday on Saturday, the French team continued to pile on the pressure as the northernmost boat, just four nautical miles behind the leaders from the US team 11th Hour Racing. The teams 11th Hour Racing and Holcim - PRB were so close together that the tracker could only show one boat symbol.
Guyot Environnement - Team Europe is also closing in on the leading quartet, which initially made only slow progress in lighter winds with speeds of three to nine knots on Saturday. "Guyot" skipper Robert Stanjek and his team - a few days ago almost hopelessly behind with a 500 nautical mile deficit - had reduced their deficit to 67 nautical miles after fast passages one day before the Cape Town showdown.
Will Harris: "It's unbelievable how tight it is!"
At the start of the weekend, only one question dominates the thoughts of all teams: Have we chosen the right track to Cape Town? Boris Herrmann's "Malizia - Seaexplorer" was only one nautical mile behind the leading US boat in the tracking at 1 pm on Saturday.
"Malizia - Seaexplorer" skipper Will Harris told YACHT online: "It's incredible how close it is! Now all four or almost five boats are about the same distance from the finish. We all had to choose our strategy to get through the light wind. We chose ours, which is a bit different from the others. That can either mean that we have chosen the right strategy and win, or it can mean that we have chosen the wrong strategy and lose the race."
"It's very nerve-wracking at the moment!"
The 29-year-old Briton, who Boris Herrmann described as "very strong nerves", continued: "It's very nerve-wracking at the moment because we don't know where we're going to end up. We're just trying to get every bit of speed out of the boat to get through the light wind and give ourselves the best chance. We're all sitting here crossing our fingers too. There's not much we can do at the moment because we've made our decision. We just have to see how it goes. We'll be happy when we get to Cape Town and can say that we've tried everything we can."
On board "Holcim - PRB", Susann Beucke is enjoying the exciting final phase of her Ocean Race premiere: "I'm used to it in Olympic sailing that it stays exciting right up to the finish. It's only decided just before the home straight who has won or who will finish last. That makes it more exciting. Some of the team members on board would certainly like to know the results now. But I'm enjoying the fact that it's still so close."
Sanni Beucke: "I am firmly convinced that Team Holcim - PRB can win the Ocean Race"
The Olympic silver medallist from Japan also revealed with a smile: "The stupid thing is that we no longer have any chocolate on board. That makes some team members a bit nervous on board." The offshore high-flyer from Strande said: "But I've kept some liquorice from home. And I'll keep that in my bag for sure and always have it to hand for tough moments." Beucke said of her French skipper Kevin Escoffier in the final sprint: "Kevin is a very experienced sailor and simply knows what to do in every situation. That's why I trust him so much. He's a great leader because he always lends a hand and always puts his heart and soul into it. It's fun to sail with him."
Sanni Beucke also ventured a prediction about the battle for overall victory in the 14th The Ocean Race: "I am firmly convinced that Team Holcim - PRB can win the Ocean Race. For one simple reason: because we are really good. Because we have the boat for it, because we have the team for it, because we have the motivation for it. And because our song is "Unstoppable" by Sia. Anyone who has listened to the lyrics: 'I am a Porsche with no breaks ...'. That's Holcim - PRB!"
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
