The five Imoca teams are slowly getting into their rhythm on leg one. Just over 24 hours after the start on Sunday, Charlie Enright's US team 11th Hour Racing led the small but mighty Ocean Race fleet on the way to the Strait of Gibraltar with a lead of 1.3 nautical miles over Kevin Escoffier's Swiss team Holcim - PRB. Staying close to the Spanish coastline, sailing in shallower water and less swell have helped the Americans to their good position.
Dutreux, Stanjek & team: Catching up again after the start slip-up
The French-German team led by co-skippers Ben Dutreux and Robert Stanjek from Berlin was able to make up ground overnight after the handling problem at the Furlen shortly after the start. Their Guyot Environnement - Team Europe worked its way up to third place and was around 18 nautical miles behind the two leaders at the start of the second day of racing at sea.
Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia, which had moved up to first place on the evening of the start day, sailed into fourth place on Monday evening, 20 nautical miles behind the top American boat. They were followed by the French lightning starters from Team Biotherm, who have dropped back to fifth and last place for the time being since their rousing rocket start.
Sail change marathon on the very first night
After the mishap shortly after the start, optimism prevailed again on board the carbon fibre black "Guyot". Robert Stanjek reported from on board on Monday: "Our bad luck on the coastal course with the J Zero cost us many metres. But then we sailed quite well in the lee of the capes of the Iberian Peninsula and were able to catch up with the others. The night was pretty exhausting. We must have switched back and forth between J 0 and J 2 ten to twelve times, which always means a rig change."
Stanjek continued: "We sailed a lot with and without foils and had speeds of between two and 28 knots - this is due to the topography of the Spanish coast. Sometimes in the lee, then again in valleys where the wind came through." What lies ahead for all the teams is exciting.
Benjamin Dutreux: "We will hardly find peace"
Not only "Guyot" skipper Ben Dutreux is anticipating "tough 160 nautical miles" and "exhausting 20 to 24 hours": "We made good decisions last night in the different conditions. Now a completely different picture awaits us. With the strong winds, we will hardly find any rest. And the Strait of Gibraltar will be waiting for us at the end of the race. We will probably reach it in the dark of night, perhaps at dawn. Then we have to be wide awake. That's no easy task after the tough battle before."
Dutreux warns: "If you're not careful in the traffic separation scheme and with the fishing nets and lines, you can quickly lose a lot. Many things can change in Gibraltar. The ranking can change completely." After the endurance test, the teams will be greeted by the vastness of the Atlantic, where more predictable winds are expected. Plus some tactical opportunities when passing the Canary Islands.
Boris Herrmann: "The team gives everything"
Boris Herrmann's Malizia team has completed the first 24 hours in good spirits. While co-skipper Rosalin Kuiper, the youngest Imoca sailor on the first leg, is still struggling with seasickness, the "Malizia - Seaexplorer" crew is forging ahead. In a recent interview with See, Boris Herrmann reported on "heute journal" on Sunday evening that he was satisfied with his team's start. The boat flying the German flag was just ahead: "Of course that feels good," explained the Hamburg skipper with a smile, "the team is giving everything. It's very exciting at the moment."
It will stay that way until the weekend. The boats are then expected to arrive in the first port of call, Mindelo on the Cape Verde Islands. Boris Herrmann also had the motto for the fight until then and for the entire six-month circumnavigation ready on ZDF: "The final judgement will be made at the finish."
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
