After just a few days for repairs and a breather in the stage harbour of Mindelo on the Cape Verde Islands, the Ocean Race fleet set off on stage two. While the French "Biotherm" shone at the start of the first leg with a furious start, this time the former star boat Olympic sailor and skipper Robert Stanjek and his Guyot Environnement - Team Europe attracted attention with the best timing, successful manoeuvres and strong positioning. "That was balm for the soul," said Team Guyot after the unfortunate first leg.
Sam Davies: "This stage will be very, very complicated"
The black and green Imoca crossed the start line first ahead of "11th Hour Racing", "Biotherm" and "Holcim - PRB". Boris Herrmann's Malizia team, which had to make do without its Hamburg skipper on this leg, followed a little further behind. Boris Herrmann is recovering from a foot scalded with hot water at the end of stage one. Briton Will Harris leads "Malizia - Seaexplorer" into this second leg of the race.
The "Guyot" team held the lead for around half an hour until the change from the smaller reaching sail to the spinnaker slowed the team down a little for a short time and allowed the competition to catch up. The lead in the fleet changed hands several times in the first hour. Imoca's Sam Davies, who will be joining Team Biotherm for the queen stage three along the three big capes, said as co-commentator: "This stage will be very, very complicated. Unlike stage one, it's a wide playing field where we'll see changing positions, all sorts of obstacles and traps that can trip up crews."
Team Malizia took the lead after just over an hour
Boris Herrmann watched the start from land and told YACHT online: "I wished the team lots of fun and success before setting off. I shook their hands vigorously after the weather briefing." Herrmann then accompanied his crew at the parade and saw them off from shore.
A good half hour after the start, Team Guyot and "Biotherm" sailed closer to shore under spinnakers than their competitors "Holcim - PRB" and "11th Hour Racing". The two top teams on the first leg travelled a little longer with reaching sails. As did Team Malizia, who tended to take the course closer to the coast. Around an hour after the start, Team Malizia had taken the lead ahead of "Biotherm" and the Guyot team. Sanni Beucke on "Holcim - PRB" sailed into the night in fifth place in her Ocean Race premiere.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
