There must have been thousands of phone calls and e-mails that Team Holcim - PRB's comeback to the Ocean Race after breaking its mast on 27 April. Skipper Kevin Escoffier gave an insight into the logistical challenges for his team at a press conference. A few hours before the act of loading the Imoca onto a cargo ship in Rio de Janeiro on 2 May without a mast but with a keel, Escoffier reported on the efforts of the past few days.
We could have lost everything." (Kevin Escoffier)
Initial thoughts of bringing the spare rig to the boat in Rio de Janeiro in order to be able to start the leg again and save a rating point were quickly abandoned, reported Kevin Escoffier. "That was not an option for financial and sustainability reasons," the Frenchman explained. Furthermore, the risk of arriving in Newport so late that the team would miss the start of the fifth stage on 21 May was too high. "The timing was close to impossible."
"For me, the risk of missing the start of stage five was too high. We could have lost everything," said Escoffier. However, the option now chosen of transporting the ship from Rio den Janeiro and the new mast from France to Newport by sea is also a "huge challenge". Kevin Escoffier knows: "It will be very tight." The Frenchman draws motivation for the "mission possible" from the fact that his team would still be "ahead" of the boat flying the German flag even if Team Malizia were to win on leg four.
With energy, ambition and a predatory smile
This is how Escoffier puts it, even if his team would then drop to second place behind Team Malizia in the overall standings according to the regulations. Escoffier's point of view: "For me, that still means the lead if we are tied on points." The world of thought of the ambitious 42-year-old from Saint-Malo: "To be level on points with Malizia in Newport would make us happy." With a predatory smile, he added: "But we wouldn't be happy if that were still the case in Genoa."
According to Escoffier, he can no longer change the mast breakage, but can put all his energy into the comeback and the fight for overall victory. This remains the declared goal of Team Holcim - PRB ahead of the double scored fifth leg across the Atlantic to Aarhus in Denmark, even if the crew can only watch, work and hope for the current Ocean Race action on leg four.
The frontrunners pull away
On day ten of the fourth leg, the American leaders were able to slightly extend their lead over Team Malizia after crossing the equator and before reaching the stronger trade winds: 11th Hour Racing defended a lead of around 18 nautical miles over Team Malizia on the morning of 3 May.
Paul Meilhat's Team Biotherm has fallen behind again and now has almost 50 nautical miles to make up. Guyot Environnement - Team Europe had to make up even more ground in the fickle winds of the Doldrums. The gap between skipper Ben Dutreux, co-skipper Robert Stanjek and their crew had swollen to a painful 300 nautical miles by Wednesday.
Charlie Enright's most fervent wish
All boats are now sailing in the northern hemisphere again. On the morning of 3 May, the leading duo still had around 2,600 nautical miles to go to the destination port of Newport. The small fleet of four boats sailed east of French Guiana through a long restricted area towards the Caribbean islands of Barbados, St Lucia and the British Virgin Islands.
Charlie Enright's Team 11th Hour Racing is obviously piling on the pressure at the top, having recently always been a tad faster than the chasers on "Malizia - Seaexplorer". The team, which was co-favourite before the start of the Ocean Race, is still waiting for its first stage win and is not satisfied with third place overall. In addition, the fourth Ocean Race leg leads to the home port of Newport. When asked how much he wanted this stage win for his team on a scale of zero to one hundred, Charlie Enright answered with just one word: "One thousand!"
Team Guyot struggles with the technology, Team Biotherm chases the front runners, and the duel between 11th Hour Racing and Team Malizia rages at the front - the pictures:
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Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
