Making a virtue out of necessity: this could have been the motto for the tactics on board the German Imoca "Einstein". Immediately after rounding the last mark after the start of the third leg of the Ocean Race Europe from Alicante to Genoa, the team led by skipper Robert Stanjek decided to take a risky move. While the four other Imocas chose a course south around the Balearic Islands, the Germans sailed between them and the coast. A risky gamble, as without close contact with their opponents, they could quickly be on and away.
But it turned out the other way round. During the night, the "Einstein" crew found the wind and gained ground on their opponents, who are currently completely parked in the doldrums off the north coast of Menorca. The lead over second-placed team "Linkedout" was already more than 70 nautical miles by midday today - a seemingly safe bet for "Einstein" with just under 260 nautical miles to sail to Genoa. Especially as the competition has recently moved more towards "Einstein" with their more northerly course, which in turn has allowed them to sail a slightly more easterly course and slowly push themselves between their opponents and the finish line.
But not all the cards have been played for this leg yet. According to the wind forecast, the entire section to the finish will be characterised by almost complete calm. These are actually conditions for "Einstein". The German Imoca does not yet have foils, the asymmetric centreboards used instead have slightly less resistance than foils and also allow higher courses to the wind. As long as the wind doesn't pick up and possibly even comes in on the beam, nothing should go wrong for the German team. However, according to the wind forecast, this scenario could actually materialise later in the day tomorrow.
In any case, a win would put the Germans at the top of the overall standings. However, they would not be certain of victory yet, as there is still a short coastal race to be sailed before Genoa. Depending on how the competition organises itself on the third leg, it could then be a matter of overall victory.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
