Team Holcim-PRB fully dominated the In-Port Cape Town race presented by V & A Waterfront (Photo Sailing Energy)

Team Holcim-PRB (SUI) with Kevin Escoffier at the head led the In-Port Cape Town race from the beginning, presented by V & A Waterfront. With the southern summer sun burning on the field of races and a good south wind blowing between 15 and 18 knots, conditions were perfect for a quick and tactical competition.

A three-round square tour in the race field would test the manoeuvre skills of each team on IMOCA sailboats, which are not designed to mount beacons on coastal routes, but to navigate at full speed constantly for hundreds of miles.

While the GUYOT Environnement - Team Europe (FRA / GER) timed its exit perfectly to achieve a minimum advantage when the initial shot was fired, Kevin Escoffier's crew, just to barlovent, was the fastest to blow up its blue and green helmet on the foils and achieve an immediate and significant advantage over the GUYOT and the rest of the fleet.

Meanwhile, the Biotherm (FRA) had been stuck in a beacon even before the exit gunshot. Paul Meilhat's crew did everything they could to unravel the buoy's IMOCA and crew member Anthony Marchand jumped off the boat and was placed on the beacon to protect the Biotherm's helmet and foils from any damage when less than 48 hours before the exit of Stage 3. In a bad way, the team was forced to go to the pants, scoring 0 points in the In-Port race.

In the first beacon of the three-round square tour, Team Holcim PRB had extended its advantage to a few hundred meters. Later there was a fight for second place, with the 11th Hour Racing Team (USA) surpassing the GUYOT Environnement in a duel of simultaneous transferees. Charlie Enright's American team went to second place, with the GUYOT looking to defend third place on Team Malizia (GER), which was on their heels.

Team Holcim-PRB reached an advantage of more than 500 meters over the 11th Hour Racing Team, which in turn had taken a good rent on the ships from behind. Team Malizia joined a streak that did not reach the GUYOT and, to the frustration of the patron Benjamin Dutreux, the crew of Boris Herrmann advanced to the European ship and climbed to third place in the second round.

After 43 minutes of race, Escoffier's crew held an easy victory on board Team Holcim-PRB, ending more than two minutes ahead of Enright, which won a solid second place with the 11th Hour Racing Team. Team Malizia was third and GUYOT Environnement was fourth, although still two points above Biotherm, which had been removed from the coastal race.

Cape Town In-Port Race GP V & A Waterfront

1. Team Holcim-PRB (SUI), 5 points
2. 11th Hour Racing Team (USA), 4
3. Team Malizia (GER), 3
4. Guyot Environnement - Team Europe (FRA / GER), 2
5. Biotherm (FRA), 0