The Ocean Race: With a spare rudder - fabulous 24-hour record for "Mālama"

The new record for Imoca crews has yet to be ratified by the World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSR). But it is already causing quite a stir, as the leap from the previous best time to the new record is an impressive 46.65 nautical miles. This heralds a new era. The next stage of 600 nautical miles over 24 hours, which now seems possible, is not far away.

The previous week, the US team 11th Hour Racing had already completed 544 nautical miles with its Imoca "Mālama". The team even managed to increase the distance on the queen's stage of the Ocean Race with a replacement rudder after discovering a crack in the starboard rudder last week and replacing it.

Charlie Enright: "Records are there to be broken"

"The record will probably be broken again by someone, maybe even by ourselves. It's an indelible mark that will go down in history forever. But records are there to be broken," said skipper Charlie Enright from Newport. Together with team boss and companion Mark Towill, Enright had already helped shape the Ocean Races in 2014/2015 (Team Alvimedica) and 2017/2018 (Vestas 11th Hour Racing).

The Imoca of the US racing team 11th Hour Racing bears the name "Mālama" in reference to the origins of team boss Mark Towill. The 34-year-old American was born in Hawaii and grew up on the east coast of Oahu. In the Hawaiian language, "Mālama" means to take care of, protect and respect something. This refers to the experienced team's commitment to the health of the oceans. In this case, the crew of Charlie Enright, the British top navigator Simon "Sifi" Fisher, the Swiss Justine Mettraux and Jack Bouttell have been extremely successful in setting a new record.

The pursuers put maximum pressure

In the race of the four boats to the first scoring gate, the teams are currently putting the pedal to the metal. At the head of the field, Kevin Escoffier's Swiss team Holcim - PRB has slightly extended its lead again after days of losing miles. On the morning of the 13th day of the Ocean Race royal stage, "Holcim - PRB" sailed towards the imaginary halfway finish line off Tasmania at around the 48th parallel south with top speeds of up to 30 knots. The ice limit in the current area has been lowered to 50 degrees south, allowing the crews to get very close to the "Furious Fifties". They make the most of this opportunity.

In the battle for maximum points at the first scoring gate off Tasmania, the pursuers of Team Holcim - PRB did not hold back. Fans experience it like this: when clicking on one of the three hunter boats in the tracker, a different one was always the fastest at the start of the weekend. Sometimes the French "Biotherm", currently in second place, sometimes the record-breaking "Mālama", but also Boris Herrmann's "Malizia - Seaexplorer" time and again. Only around 15 nautical miles separated the three stubborn pursuers of the "Holcim - PRB" on Saturday morning.

The half-time scoring goal is in sight

On the morning of 11 March, the Escoffier sailing quartet only had less than 800 nautical miles to go to the scoring gate. "Biotherm" followed a good 130 nautical miles behind, ahead of "Mālama" and "Malizia - Seaexplorer". The hope of the pursuers: there is probably another, somewhat lighter wind passage to master, which Team Holcim - PRB will reach first.

UPDATE, 11 March, 4 p.m.: Team Holcim - PRB has now raised the 24-hour record to 588.71 nautical miles. And the record conditions continue ... This record has also been recorded at the Ocean Race headquarters, but has yet to be ratified by the WSSR.

Speed, speed, speed! Insights into 11th Hour Racing's race to catch up after the rudder change:

Will Team Holcim - PRB manage to defend their lead until the half-time scoring?

Click here for the live tracker and the interim results.