All the members of Charlie Enright's US team 11th Hour Racing were smiling with the sun in the Arhuus sky on Whit Monday. The Americans have won the fifth leg of the Ocean Race. It is their second stage win in a row. 11th Hour Racing won the double scored transatlantic leg from Newport over 3,500 nautical miles to Aarhus with a fabulous time of 7 days, 8 hours, 41 minutes and 49 seconds.
We have set ourselves up for success in all areas of the team." (Charlie Enright)
"It's a good feeling to be at the top of the leaderboard," Enright admitted as he finally stepped ashore and enjoyed the burgers that were handed out for his team. "It's more important to be at the top in July than it is now, but it's a step in the right direction," Enright continued. The skipper from Newport also explained how his team managed the comeback after a less successful Ocean Race start during his third circumnavigation: "We have tried to gradually improve in every area of the campaign. We did that on board the boat, we did that on the technical side and the logistical side: we set ourselves up for success everywhere in the team."
With their second success in a row, the "Mālama" crew (28 points) also took the lead in the overall standings for the first time, ahead of "Holcim - PRB" (27 points) and Team Malizia. Boris Herrmann's sailing quartet was narrowly beaten by Team Holcim - PRB in the final sprint in the duel for second place. Although "Malizia - Seaexplorer" came within less than a nautical mile of the Swiss on the last few nautical miles in the Bay of Aarhus on Monday morning. But Team Holcim - PRB reached the finish line after 7 days, 13 hours, 7 minutes and 3 seconds with a lead of 4 minutes and 47 seconds over the German yacht.
Team Holcim - PRB loses the overall lead for the first time
"Holcim - PRB" skipper Kevin Escoffier said: "I think we sailed fast and as well as the others. We had a few problems - at the beginning we had to gain some confidence in our mast, and then we broke the 24-hour record, but it wasn't quite enough." Kevin Escoffier also gave an insight into the rigours of the record days: "The new Imocas are pretty extreme - fast, but not very comfortable. I can tell you that 640 miles in 24 hours is definitely not comfortable!"
Kevin Escoffier still has his sights firmly set on overall victory, even though his team dropped back to second place behind 11th Hour Racing in the overall standings for the first time after finishing second on leg five. "With second place, we still have it in our hands to win the Ocean Race," said Escoffier. The Frenchman could see and hear that he was not really satisfied with second place on this leg. Even if he is professional enough to prefer to talk about his chances ahead in interviews. The fact that the latch lock of the J3 was broken on "Holcim - PRB" the day before the stage finale almost cost the ambitious team third place.
Team Malizia with light and shade in stage five
For Team Malizia, stage five was a medal with two sides: on the one hand, the team suffered a setback in the battle for overall victory in the 14th The Ocean Race with third place. On the other hand, the return leg to Europe marked a historic success for the Malizians. The crew had set a new 24-hour record of 641.13 nautical miles. "Many people have tried to break this record. I also tried for many years, together with Giovanni Soldini. This record is really something very special," said Herrmann.
Rosie Kuiper, who was carried into the water by Herrmann after mooring in Aarhus harbour, said: "Every sailor dreams of this record." When asked whether the leg just completed was already a preliminary decision in the battle for overall victory, Boris Herrmann, who celebrated his 42nd birthday at sea the day before the finale, said: "We'll keep fighting. It will be settled at the finish."
Team Biotherm arrives in Aarhus in a few days' time
Four points behind 11th Hour Racing and three points behind Team Holcim - PRB do not sound threatening, but they weigh heavily in view of the small fleet, which leaves little room for big leaps on the two single scored legs ahead. It will be difficult for Team Malizia, but at the same time not impossible, to attack the two leading boats again on the remaining two legs via Kiel to The Hague and on to the finish harbour of Genoa.
The unlucky French team Biotherm is still in the race. By the time the other three boats had tied up, the blue and white Imoca still had more than 750 nautical miles to go. The team got stuck in a flat field right after the start of the leg in Newport and then had to struggle with technical problems. Since then, skipper Paul Meilhat and his crew have been sailing in different, far less favourable wind systems than the leading trio.
Is there enough time for Paul Meilhat and his crew?
Since the backstay shroud also broke on Whit Sunday, the French have been limping towards the finish line on Monday, which is still 740 nautical miles away, at only four or five knots. They must fear for their timely arrival and sufficient preparation time for the start of leg six on 8 June. The sixth leg will take the fleet to The Hague via fly-by in Kiel on 9 June. From there, they will sail to the Italian final port of Genoa on 15 June.
The clip of Team Malizia's 24-hour world record on day six of the transatlantic stage:
Without wind instruments, Team Holcim - PRB sailed to second place in leg five - here Sam Goodchild went into the mast for repairs:
Here the stage winners celebrate their success:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
