It was a perfect start when Boris Herrmann and his team won the first in-port race before the start in Alicante. After finishing third and fourth in the following stages, the team is now aiming to hit top form in time for the hammer stage through the Southern Ocean and, at best, prove this with another victory in the harbour race.
A southeasterly wind of 15 knots is expected - the best conditions for hoisting the Imocas onto the foils. Not only those who are on site can follow the action up close. In addition to the Discovery+ streaming platform, Eurosport will also be showing the start of the third leg on free-to-air television. The start is expected to be at 13:15, with the broadcast starting at 12:30. It is not yet clear if and when there will be a live stream on YouTube.
How is the In-Port Race scored?
In principle, the in-port races are irrelevant because the positions and points achieved here do not count towards the results in the offshore stages. However, if two or more teams are tied on points after the seven offshore stages, a special rule applies. The in-port position then serves as a "tie-breaker" - and can therefore still be decisive.
It would therefore be remiss to take an emphatically defensive stance here. However, the crews also fear the lack of visibility on the short, one-hour courses just off the coast, especially as the Imocas are operated and usually piloted from below deck. A crash would be fatal because it could jeopardise the start of the next, far more important leg.
12,750 nautical miles to Brazil
Because a record-breaking leg is on the cards - the longest race distance in the 50-year history of the event - a month-long marathon over 12,750 nautical miles to Itajaí, Brazil. On this leg, the Imoca sailors will enter the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties of the Southern Ocean. Antarctica is to starboard, and the fleet has to pass all three major southern capes - the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn - for the first time without stopping.
Because the leg is so long and important, it will also count twice in the classification. The crews will therefore be battling for double points for around a month non-stop and mostly in the Southern Ocean. The first points will be awarded in the order in which the boats pass the 143rd degree of east longitude. The second scoring is based on the positions in the Brazilian finish off Itajaí. The stage is therefore worth as much for the rankings as the two previous stages combined.
There will be another extended stopover in Itajaí before the race heads further north. More precisely to Newport, Rhode Island, on the east coast of the United States.
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Max Gasser
Editor Test & Technology
