The first three ships arrive in Cape Town with a separation of only three miles (Photo Sailing Energy)

Team Holcim-PRB, patronized by French Kevin Escoffier, has won the second stage of The Ocean Race, which has led to the fleet from Cape Verde to Cape Town, after a tense battle in the last miles of the race.

This Sunday, it dawned with four teams fighting for the victory of the stage, with the crews of Biotherm, 11th Hour Racing Team and Holcim-PRB sailing almost glued with light and changing conditions.

Team Malizia was about 20 miles south and spent the next three hours sailing closer and closer to the head trio.

Only three hours before crossing the goal, Escoffier and his crew were finally placed in the head of the classification, sailing at a slightly better angle at a similar speed towards Cape Town, creating the slight advantage necessary to achieve a winning position.

At 13 hours 10 minutes and 9 seconds UTC... it crossed the line of arrival in a time of 17 days 19 hours 0 minutes and 9 seconds... this is the second consecutive stage victory for Escoffier and his team, which maintain perfect performance and expand its advantage in the classification of the race... the second stage podium is completed by Biotherm and 11th Hour Racing Team; it follows the latest positions in the Race Tracker.

Second stage classifications at 1426 UTC - 12 February 2023

1. Team Holcim-PRB, winner 17d 19h 00m 09s
2. Biotherm, finished 17d 19h 16min 54s
3. 11th Hour Racing Team, finished 17d 19h 25min 40s
4. Team Malizia, distance to target 8.6 miles
5. Guyot Environnement - Team Europe, distance to the target 37.5 miles

2023-02-11: The Ocean Race... in a few hours the fleet is expected in Cape Town

The arrival is scheduled for tomorrow Sunday at noon, local time, for the first four ships, while a battle with soft wind is unleashed in the final approach

With only 250 nautical miles to complete the stage (this Saturday's UTC noon), the results of Stage 2 remain very uncertain, with the four best ships sailing separated by only five miles, as they compete with soft and very changing wind conditions. And the fifth-going ship is still the fastest in the fleet, and has been over 400 miles in the last two days.

Second stage classification at 1200 UTC - 11 February 2023

1. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to the goal, 256.9 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to the leader, 0.1 miles
3. Team Malizia, distance to the leader, 1.2 miles
4. Biotherm, distance to the leader, 4.4 miles
5. Guyot Environnement - Team Europe, distance to the leader, 65.4 miles

2023-02-08: The Ocean Race fleet in search of Cape Town

The ships have won south to 40 Rugientes with speed at record rate...

The IMOCA fleet has lived 24 hours as fast as it is productive in the second stage of The Ocean Race, as the teams are plunging south, to an ice-free zone and to the 40 Rugientes, the area south of 40 degrees of latitude where the blasts surround Antarctica without land-based obstacles.

The regatists of The Ocean Race have traditionally recognized this territory as the beginning of the South Ocean and it is where the great legends of the race have been born.

It's no different today. The conditions have been excellent to go at full speed and the first three ships of the classification have travelled over 500 nautical miles over a 24-hour period.

The 11th Hour Racing Team, patronized by Charlie Enright, got the best mark last night according to Race Control with 541.7 miles, which brings you closer to the territory of the records.

(The IMOCA Charal, patronized by Franck Cammas, has the uncertified class record with full crew with 558 nautical miles; the Hugo Boss of Alex Thomson has a certified mark of 539.71 nautical miles; and the record of The Ocean Race is the AkzoNobel of Simeon Testipont with 602 nautical miles in the last edition).

While the speed records will be threatened throughout the day, the prognosis warns that conditions will change dramatically before the goal.

The pattern Will Harris and his Team Malizia took the lead in the classification at 1100 UTC, although the fact is that the first three ships are very close in terms of tactical position towards the finish line.

But those who stand behind are not ruled out. It is expected that the leading ships will begin to reach a high pressure that brings very soft winds. The tail teams, including the GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, will come with stronger winds from the west, and there is a possible scenario in which the five ships end up very equal in the final approach to Cape Town on the night of Saturday to Sunday.

But that's all about to come. For now, it's all about pushing to the maximum, to the southeast, making miles in hard conditions as long as they stay. It goes very fast, but life on board is not easy.

Second stage classification at 1100 UTC - 8 February 2023

1. Team Malizia, distance to the goal, 1217.0 miles
2. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to the leader, 1.6 miles
3. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to the leader, 60.3 miles
4. Biotherm, distance to the leader, 216.5 miles
5. Guyot Environnement - Team Europe, distance to the leader, 490.8 miles

2023-02-06: 11th Hour Racing Team and Malizia reinforced by the meteor situation

The classifications have changed over the weekend leaving the 11th Hour Racing Team as a new leader

The 11th Hour Racing Team, of American flag, has taken the lead in stage 2 of The Ocean Race this weekend.

The patron Charlie Enright and his crew were able to stay calm and made the early decision to opt for a route to the west on the Atlantic descent, and the election paid off on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The team has dawned on the morning of this Monday in the head of the classification as the closest ship to Cape Town, almost forward with the Team Holcim-PRB and Team Malizia, which was the other great winner of the weekend.

The pattern Will Harris and his team also pointed to the theory that the west was going to be a good bet, and they went from taking fifth place in the classification, more than 220 miles from the leader, to returning to the top of the fleet with the equal group of 11th Hour Racing Team, Holcim-PRB and Biotherm.

By uninterruptedly lowering positions over the last 48 hours, the Guyot Environnement-Team Europe lost a few miles through the break of a spinnaker, but more significantly, they found themselves with weaker winds as they were positioned too much to the east.

Now they're chasing the four heads, trying to keep in touch, but even closer to the soft winds of the Santa Helena anticyclone and struggling to match the speed of the rest of the fleet.

Although the 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia have been the great winners of this weekend, there is still almost a week of competition in stage 2 and the ships are so together that there is still much at stake... the arrival of the fleet is expected on the 12th.

Second stage classification at 0800 UTC - 6 February 2023
1. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to the goal, 2027.6 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to the leader, 18.4 miles
3. Team Malizia, distance to the leader, 28.8 miles
4. Biotherm, distance to the leader, 70.1 miles
5. GUYOT Environnement - Team Europe, distance to the leader, 272.6 miles

2023-02-04: The Ocean Race... is expected to arrive in Cape Town on 11-12 days

The West option has been the winner in the last 24 hours as the fleet compresses...

Not always in the sea the shortest road is the shortest one... and this is what is going on in the second stage of The Ocean Race, where the fleet has chosen a longer course... to thus win in speed, and improve the performance of each Imoca.

This case is now being given exactly, as Team Holcim-PRB, the 11th Hour Racing Team, the Biotherm and even Team Malizia have chosen the longest option to the west to try to reach before the south than the GUYOT environment - Team Europe, which has led much of stage 2.

So far, what would traditionally be considered a risky option by the east had been profitable for Robert Stanjek and his GUYOT environment.

But between 2100 UTC on Friday and 0900 UTC on Saturday, his fate seems to have been exhausted and the tactical stage has turned upside down.

While all the ships of the fleet reduced the speed and suffered some complicated roles to navigate, the stage was much worse for the team with European flag, which is no longer the ship to the south and seems to be in a very vulnerable position.

The tracker still shows the GUYOT environment - Team Europe with a nominal advantage, but this situation is based only on mathematics because it is east and therefore closer to Cape Town. The tactical reality is very different.

The 11th Hour Racing Team strategist and navigator of The Ocean Race, Marcel van Triest, analyses how to interpret the tracker

The tracker also shows that the entire fleet is compressing and the ship located further west, Team Malizia, is making strong profits in pursuit of the equal trio formed by Holcim-PRB, 11th Hour Racing Team and Biotherm, which are in sight of each other: the distance between them has been reduced to about 10 miles in the water and continues to fall... at this rate the fleet will arrive in Cape Town between 11 and 12 February.

Second stage classification at 1200 UTC - 4 February 2023

1. Guyot environnement - Team Europe, distance to the goal, 2595.0 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to the leader, 47.3 miles
3. Biotherm, distance to the leader, 50.8 miles
4. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to the leader, 60.1 miles
5. Team Malizia, distance to the leader, 82.0 miles

2023-02-02: The Ocean Race stage 2: super glow in the east

The Guyot environnement-Team Europe is located with a wind-free area on its route to the east

One day it can make a big difference in The Ocean Race. In fact, a few hours can turn what had been a winning hand into a very dubious situation.

This has been the case with the GUYOT environnement-Team Europe, which has chosen to go eastward to pass the doldrums and seemed to have achieved a great result in the process.

But only a couple of days after escaping from the claws of the Ecuadorian calms, the GUYOT environment was found with a complicated local weather phenomenon that has made them navigate much slower than their rivals during most of the Thursday morning (UTC).

While the entire fleet is slowing down after taking advantage of some imposing toilets in the last 24 hours, the ship that has been most affected has been the GUYOT environnement-Team Europe. that seems to have run out of luck in the east.

According to Simon, the problem is the long extension of the Santa Helena cyclone, an area of soft winds between the fleet and Cape Town.

The Santa Helena anti-cyclone is the reason why the fleet sails south very close to the coast of Brazil, rather than down the African coast or on a more direct route to Cape Town. The distance between the high-pressure system from Africa to the South Atlantic is constantly changing; at this time, GUYOT environment seems to be on the brink of the wind-free zone.

Although the tracker (at 1300 UTC) continues to show a small advantage in favor of Stanjek and his team, it is based more on its smaller distance to Cape Town than on the tactical reality of the race, where it appears that Team Holcim-PRB, which is the ship positioned more south, is the main contender.

Second stage classification at 1300 UTC - February 2, 2023

1. Guyot environnement-Team Europe, distance to the goal, 2986.5 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to the leader, 3.5 miles
3. Biotherm, distance to the leader, 38.3 miles
4. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to the leader, 80.7 miles
5. Team Malizia, distance to the leader, 168.1 miles

2023-01-31: Guyot environnement-Team Europe in the head The Ocean Race sails at 9.9 knots

The fleet escapes from the clutches of the doldrums and enters the southern hemisphere

The month of January comes to an end and so does the first chapter of the second stage of The Ocean Race. The fleet has already stormed into the southern hemisphere, crossing the equator at night and escaping from the Ecuadorian calms characteristic of the doldrums.

The Guyot environnement - Team Europe was the first to open the way just after 2AM UTC, and five and a half hours later, Team Malizia entered the southern hemisphere, and the five IMOCA of the fleet are already moving towards the new Alisian winds of the southeast.

While the fleet enjoys the alisian winds of the south-east, there are still about 160 nautical miles away between them from east to west, so the ships will sail in the next few hours with different angles and in different conditions, so we can expect more ups and downs in the classification.

Time in the equator

• Guyot environnement - Team Europe - 31 / 01 / 2023 02: 05: 11 UTC - 5d 07h 55min 11s - 1 269.4 mn - 9.9 knots
• Biotherm - 31 / 01 / 2023 02: 26: 35 UTC - 5d 08h 16min 35s - 1 275.8 nm - 9.9 knots
• Team Holcim - PRB - 31 / 01 / 2023 03: 13: 44 UTC - 5d 09h 03min 44s - 1 404.0 mn - 10.9 knots
• 11th Hour Racing Team - 31 / 01 / 2023 05: 12: 26 UTC - 5d 11h 02min 26s - 1413.3 nm - 10.8 knots
• Team Malizia - 31 / 01 / 2023 07: 32: 13 UTC - 5d 13h 22min 13s - 1500.3 mn - 11.2 knots

The first crossing of the equator is always an important milestone in a regatist's career and is celebrated with a visit of King Neptune with curious initiation ceremonies, a fact that is again produced with the novices of the present edition... the life on board in the equator is uncomfortable due to the extreme heat, but so many hours of sunlight have a benefit: solar energy.

Second stage classification at 1400 UTC - 31 January 2023

1. Guyot environnement - Team Europe, distance to the goal, 3662.0 miles
2. Biotherm, distance to the leader, 35.1 miles
3. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to the leader, 50.3 miles
4. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to the leader, 65.0 miles
5. Team Malizia, distance to the leader, 105.1 miles

2023-01-29: The Ocean Race: in the area of doldrums... and Team Malizia dating back

The fleet heading to the unknown

Paul Meilhat's Biotherm has been the first ship to feel the impact of Ecuadorian calms in the middle of the night and in a sharp way: his crew saw the ship's speed drop from 14 to 4 knots just after midnight UTC.

Shortly after, Team Holcim-PRB, the 11th Hour Racing Team and the GUYOT Environnement - Team Europe were in similar circumstances.

In fact, at 1200 UTC today, the only ship that moves at a good pace towards Cape Town is Team Malizia, which still pursues the head at about 14 knots of speed. The distance to the leader has been reduced by half: of the more than 230 nautical miles that it had at 1800 UTC last night have been passed to just over 100 miles at 1200 UTC on Sunday as the fleet is compressed.

The advantage of the Malizia is that it is more west than the rest, so its pattern, Will Harris, has the opportunity to make an easier crossing, while almost 200 miles east, the GUYOT pattern, Robert Stanjek, and his team could be about to live a couple of very painful days if the forecasts are confirmed.

Group in the center of the east-west extension, and more south, are the Biotherm, Team Holcim-PRB and the 11th Hour Racing Team, both in the hope that the next cloud or a possible storm will give them the momentum they need to get out on the other side.

The Ecuadorian calm, in addition to carrying a great mental demand, is also a physical challenge. With the innumerable wind changes, isolated storms and the strategy of jumping from one cloud to another to hook up wind grabs, the crews will have to make many sailing changes and countless maneuvers until they are rehooked to the toilets.

Second stage classification at 1200 UTC - 29 January 2023

1. Biotherm, distance to the goal, 3990.9 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to the leader, 19.0 miles
3. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to the leader, 25.6 miles
4. Guyot environnement - Team Europe, distance to the leader, 36.7 miles
5. Team Malizia, distance to the leader, 102.9 miles

2023-01-27: The Ocean Race: Biotherm holds with 11th Hour Racing very close

The American 11th Hour Racing is a few miles from the Biotherm leader

The Biotherm holds in the head of the second stage of The Ocean Race while the 11th Hour Racing Team seeks to overcome it in the lead. Only 3.4 nautical miles separate the first two that have opened a gap over the rest of the fleet.

The Guyot Environnement-Team Europe and the Holcim-PRB are 30 and 32 miles respectively of the first two classified. While Team Malizia for now seems to be accusing the missing Boris Herrmann of its headline pattern for injury, and is more than 80 miles from the headposts.

The soft alisian winds continue to accompany the fleet on the way to the equator, blowing from the north-east as they approach the Ecuadorian calm zone.

2023-07-26: The Ocean Race... winning south slowly at the start of the second stage

The fleet lived a slow night and moved south of Cape Verde

The tension has marked a first night of the second stage of The Ocean Race in which the IMOCA fleet has sailed south, moving away from Mindelo and approaching the uncertainty of the doldrums... the Ecuadorian calms.

This Thursday, Paul Meilhat's Biotherm is at the head of the fleet and, along with Team Holcim-PRB and the 11th Hour Racing Team, has transfered to the west, moving away from Sao Filipe.

Later, Team Malizia is forcibly pursuing the head group, while the GUYOT environment - Team Europe, has been a little further behind, after leading the fleet on the coastal route after departure. The fleet is like this:

1. Biotherm, distance to the goal, 4672.4 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to the leader, 1.4 miles
3. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to the leader, 5.3 miles
4. Team Malizia, distance to the leader, 9.6 miles
5. Guyot environnement - Team Europe, distance to the leader, 27.6 miles

2023-01-25: Thousands of viewers fire The Ocean Race in Cape Verde

A difficult decision-making marks the start of the second stage (Photo Sailing Energy)

After being hit by strong alisian winds during the short scale of the fleet in Cape Verde, on Wednesday the waters of Mindelo were relatively calm for the exit of Stage 2 of The Ocean Race.

This has been the first time that The Ocean Race has visited West Africa and this archipelago, although Cape Verde is on the course of the 14 editions of the race as a key tactical point in the downhill from Europe to the south of the Atlantic Ocean.

On land, The Ocean Race Summit Mindelo brought together more than 300 ocean defenders in Cape Verde on Monday, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres; the Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Ulysses Correia e Silva; and the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, to insist on renewed efforts to protect the ocean.

This Wednesday, in the race field, the teams have made a short coastal journey through before going out to open sea.

The Guyot environnement-Team Europe by Robert Stanjek and the 11th Hour Racing Team by Charlie Enright were the ones who left the line with the fastest, just ahead of the Biotherm and Team Holcim-PRB, while Team Malizia was the last to cross the line.

Shortly after, the Holcim-PRB, with the 11th Hour Racing Team in the wind and with a better wind, was a leader ahead of the Guyot environnement--Team Europe, Biotherm and Team Malizia.

The wind was blowing between 7 and 10 knots in the north-east during the coastal route, and the part predicts that it will decrease during the night, far away from the 25 knots alisies that have been the predominant feature since the arrival of the fleet.

The soft winds will make the stage difficult tactionally during the first few days, especially to decide how much south the ships earn before betting in the west. So is the classification in after the first compass of the second act:

1. Team Holcim-PRB
2. 11th Hour Racing Team
3. GUYOT environment - Team Europe
4. Biotherm
5. Team Malizia