A foamy Mediterranean, tens of thousands of spectators on land and on the water and a dynamic start off Alicante: the 14th Ocean Race is underway. It was the French "Biotherm" that stole the show from its four opponents with a lightning start. Skipper Paul Meilhat's blue and white racing yacht set off at speeds of up to 28 knots as if there was no tomorrow.
The all-French crew with Paralympics winner and Vendée Globe helmsman Damien Seguin, ex-Olympian and all-rounder Anthony Marchand and Mini and Class 40 helmswoman Amélie Grassi as well as on-board reporter Ming Hao had quickly built up a half-kilometre lead, while the chasers behind them fought exciting battles for position.
Boris Herrmann embarks on his fifth circumnavigation of the globe
Among them are Boris Herrmann and his team Malizia on the new "Malizia - Seaexplorer". 718 days after crossing the finish line of his last round-the-world race in the Vendée Globe, Germany's best-known sailor is now back on course around the world. But this time he is not travelling solo.
With his co-skippers Will Harris (Great Britain), Nico Lunven (France) and Rosalin Kuiper (Netherlands) as well as the German-French on-board reporter Antoine Auriol, the 41-year-old from Hamburg made a successful start to the Ocean Race on Sunday. Just under an hour after the start of the race, Team Malizia was within striking distance of third place.
"Guyot" chases the field after a handling problem
Their opponents include Guyot Environnement - Team Europe led by Frenchman Ben Dutreux with Berlin co-skipper Robert Stanjek and crew member Phillip Kasüske. A few minutes after the start, the "Guyot" crew had problems furling the J0 and initially fell behind. One hour after the start, Guyot Environnement - Team Europe had already made up four nautical miles on the leader "Biotherm", but with a speed of 18.7 knots they sailed as fast again and sometimes even faster than the leading boats.
Five international teams are competing in the 14th edition of the most important round-the-world race for crews. In the 50th anniversary year of the Ocean Race, the historically smallest fleet is challenged on seven legs following the switch to the Imoca class. The first leg takes the field from the starting port of Alicante to the Cape Verde Islands.
The teams will need around five days for the first 1,900 nautical miles of the opening leg. It leads from Alicante through the Strait of Gibraltar southwards to the Cape Verde Islands. "Whoever reaches the trade winds first has a good chance of winning the leg," predicted Boris Herrmann shortly before the start. After a short stop on the Cape Verde Islands, the race will continue on 25 January with stage two to Cape Town.
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Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
