As pattern Charlie Enright said, this was not the end they wanted, but it was a great achievement for them anyway.

Enright referred to the third position achieved at Stage 3 by the 11th Hour Racing Team, which fought against a series of ever more important breakages on its ship from the first moments after departure in Cape Town to the finish line in Itajai.

Less than three hours later, with the morning sun beating strong, the Biotherm crossed the finish line to take the fourth place. Like his colleagues at the 11th Hour Racing Team, it was clear from the smiles on board that the team was proud of the achievement of completing the longest stage in the history of The Ocean Race and overcoming all the challenges they have had.

Both ships suffered major damage during the race from Cape Town: the major candle and the rudders in the 11th Hour Racing Team, or the port and leak fire in the Biotherm helmet.

Results of Stage 3
1. Team Malizia - 5 points
2. Team Holcim-PRB - 4
3. 11th Hour Racing Team - 3
4. Biotherm - 2
5. Guyot environnement - Team Europe- not finished - 0

General classification (after Stage 3)
1. Team Holcim-PRB - 19 points
2. Team Malizia - 14
3. 11th Hour Racing Team - 13
4. Biotherm - 10
5. Guyot environnement - Team Europe - 2

2023-04-05: The Ocean Race: The Biotherm fights for the third place

The battle of the podium promises a nice duel between the two teams still competing along the coast looking for the finish line, in which the Biotherm and the 11th Hour Racing Team sail with a difference of less than 15 miles.

Both progress slowly but constantly to the north, with the Biotherm located west of the 11th Hour Racing Team, where the team of pattern Paul Meilhat continues in a rather compromised situation.

In addition to the damage to one of its fils, the ship still has water leaks, which enter slowly, and the team has reported that the hydraulic system that moves the keel does not work, so they have to operate the procedure manually. Besides, they've been without wind instruments for over a week.

The list of challenges they have had to overcome has been long, so the fact that they continue to fight for the podium is a remarkable sign of a spirit of struggle, something that the Biotherm pattern does not hesitate to recognize.

The 11th Hour Racing Team by Charlie Enright continues to move north looking for Itajai with one eye on the Biotherm and another on the list of jobs to be done on arrival.

The expected time for arrival is quite uncertain, as none of the equipment seems to be sailing to its maximum potential, which makes the ideal route an unknown one before.

But the latest predictions point to an arrival at noon (local time in Itajai) on Wednesday, April 5, although it might vary in a matter of hours.

2023-04-03: The Ocean Race: Biotherm and 11th Hour Racing fight to complete podium

With the winner of stage 3, Team Malizia, and the second ranked Team Holcim-PRB, safe in Itajai, the battle in the water for the third place has been dramatically matched in the last 24 hours.

Paul Meilhat's Biotherm has achieved an incredible dating on the 11th Hour Racing Team over the last 24 hours, recovering almost 100 miles from its disadvantage. The two are separated from east to west for about 80 miles, but in terms of distance for the goal are now practically tied.

Both crews are showing an incredible resistance to adversity, as the two teams have suffered a great deal of setbacks in the five weeks of stage to date. A fight for the third place is not the battle they dreamed of when this stage began in Cape Town.

The climate is not ideal to move quickly towards the goal (winds from light to moderate), but should be synonymous with an exciting competition.

That last point is not overstated. All teams have long work lists for their ships, and the 11th Hour Racing Team and Biotherm are no exception. Its technical teams look at their rivals with envy, as the ships of Team Malizia and the Holcim PRB are already out of the water and begin work in the technical area of Ocean Live Park.

The sooner the Mālama and Biotherm arrive, the sooner the repairs can begin, at IMOCA's

2023: 04-02: The Ocean Race: Team Malizia of Boris Herrmann in Itajai

At 05: 20: 28 UTC / 02: 20: 28 local time of Brazil, Team Malizia crossed the finish line in front of Ocean Live Park in Itajai to win stage 3 of The Ocean Race, taking 5 points for the win.

The victory came on the 35 day of competition, after sailing 14,714 nautical miles an intense and fought stage... at the beginning of the stage, it seemed unlikely that Team Malizia was in the head of the fleet at the arrival and within a few days of departure in Cape Town, the team discovered a serious break at the top of the mast and had to devote almost two full days to a complicated repair at sea, with an uncertain result.

At that time, Team Holcim-PRB had escaped from the rest of the fleet and was almost 600 miles ahead of its rivals... on board the Malizia, the improvised reinforcement they made at the top of the mast was successful and the persecution began.

When the teams reached the sharp door of Stage 3, the Malizia had approached less than 200 miles from the Holcim-PRB, going up to the second place and taking 4 points.

As the fleet sailed in the south of New Zealand and went down to the southernmost area of the Pacific Ocean, its particular battle was equal and the advantages were moving around 10 miles for one or the other ship, which exchanged the lead while sailing along the ice exclusion zone.

During one of the worst periods of the stage, with the ship taking a very violent sea state, Rosalin Kuiper flew fired from his bunk and suffered a head wound. In order to get Rosie to stabilize and recover, the Malizia had even more difficult things, as he kept a rotation for the three-person guards for the rest of the stage.

In the passage through Cabo de Hornos Team Malizia had a close advantage of less than 30 miles, leading the fleet around this emblematic point and winning the Roaring Forties (Forty Rugientes) trophy in the process.

The final grip to the north was very equal. Team Holcim-PRB and Team Malizia were sailing among them, going forward with bow all over the South American coast.

On the last night, last Friday, they fought a battle against another heavy storm, with 50 knots of rattles howling from the coast and beating a haunted sea. Boris Herrmann and his Team Malizia handled the conditions with aplomo and sunrise with a 60-mile advantage after the Holcim-PRB pricked into a night-long fight and suffered some damage. This was the largest advantage a team had achieved since they passed through New Zealand, more than 10 days ago.

On the stage day and the last night at sea, Team Malizia Monaguesco sailed as the sound of a violin and especially with confidence in victory... towards the finish line, extending its advantage to more than 80 miles and achieving a historic victory... congratulations for Boris Herrmann, Will Harris, Nico Lunven, Rosalin Kuiper and the journalist on board Antoine Auriol... to the entire Team of Malizia for his victory, in short.

Manuel Pedro Seoane
DIGITAL NAUTICA Editor

2023-04-01: The Ocean Race: Itajai to less than a telediary

A fast and increasingly intense blur that brings winds of more than 40 knots, an almost sick state of the sea and another great challenge for the sailors who compete on the 34-day stage. The action on board Team Holcim PRB

It has been a tiring and pressure-laden night, with teams trying to compete for the points while making sure that the ship and crew could reach the goal.

With such a hard competition, the teams are keeping quiet about the damage they have suffered. It is a competitive advantage to hide their vulnerabilities to competition, but no one can sail 15,000 hard miles without suffering damage.

No doubt no ship is giving up 100%. And every member of the crew is asked to give more, far beyond their level of comfort.

For example, Team Holcim-PRB gave in miles to Team Malizia on Friday night. After the ships had sailed forward with bow from Cape Horn, it was strange to see the Malizia quickly move away more than 30 miles.

It is not difficult to imagine any damage on board as a decisive factor. The distance seems to have stabilized this morning (local time), but what happened on Friday could already be the difference that gives the victory to those of Boris Herrmann.

Both teams sailed near the coast to escape the worst climate, but still experienced hurricane winds and a tremendous sea state.

Later, in the fight for the third place, the Biotherm hit an object on Friday night and damaged its port fire. The fact that the 11th Hour Racing Team has not significantly increased its advantage would indicate that Charlie Enright's team is probably also sailing to a level below its 100%.

It would be impossible to exaggerate how challenging this last stretch of the coast has been. From Cape Horn the teams have lived a constant battle. Normally, the north turn is a break from the South Ocean and the beginning of a week of tactical variants to the goal.

This year, they have experienced a series of continuous challenges that have made them be pushed far beyond their operational limits.

The expected time of arrival in Itajai of the winning ship is between 02: 00 and 08: 00 local time on Sunday morning in Itajai (06: 00-12: 00 UTC). Regardless of the final time of arrival, a very warm welcome awaits you in Itajai.

2023-03-31: The Ocean Race: tension increases across the Uruguayan coast

The protagonists are the tension, exhaustion and extreme emotional changes between euphoria and despair... that is probably the best description of the mood on board Team Holcim-PRB and Team Malizia until they cross the goal.

Despite competing hard for more than 33 days and more than 14,000 miles on board, neither the Boris Herrmann Malizia nor Kevin Escoffier's Holcim-PRB have managed to find a definitive advantage.

On the contrary, they often sail among themselves and have been exchanging leadership for the last 48 hours.

The situation is no better in Team Malizia, where Boris Herrmann's team hoped to take advantage of the unexpectedly strong conditions they are having after Cape Horn to win some separation with their rival in conditions that tend to favor the German ship. They have not yet achieved this, and they are in a duel that seems to be destined to reach the goal.

They are hand-to-hand races, with few crew, something that is rarely seen on these ships. You will need your whole spirit of struggle on board these ships to unrelenting the energy needed to make some progress. Now it's a question of who can take the most time to the finish line.

Later, things are going a little better for the 11th Hour Racing Team, which has achieved a 60-mile advantage over the Biotherm... they're still very close after almost 14,000 miles of stage.

The forecast for arrival begins to take shape: for the leading couple, the most likely scenario is at dawn on Sunday, April 2 in Itajai (at noon UTC).

2023-03-30: The Ocean Race: Team Malizia and Team Holcim-PRB in a handkerchief

As the calendar progresses towards the 33rd day of competition in stage 3 of The Ocean Race, Team Malizia and Team Holcim-PRB are closer than ever.

In the 1200 UTC tracker update, the head pair was separated by less than 5 nautical miles in the classification.

Just over 350 miles behind, the 11th Hour Racing Team has started to distance itself from the Biotherm, with now sailing almost a day behind the leading couple.

The Guyot environnement - Team Europe is also progressing very well in its transport from South Africa to Itajai (Brazil) where the team will rejoin the race for stage 4. The Guyot is expected to arrive in Itajai in the late afternoon of Thursday (local time).

2023-03-30: Team Malizia leads the fleet The Ocean Race heading north to Brazil

After passing the Cape Horn and escaping from the southernmost derastics, the great climate challenges have not yet ended for the regatists of The Ocean Race.

The leading couple, Team Malizia and Team Holcim - PRB, met what Will Harris of the Malizia described as one of the most challenging climates of the stage when they turned north, with hurricane winds and agitated and confused seas.

Separated for less than 20 miles, the leading duo is in an intense race that will take you to the finish, with the arrival scheduled for next Sunday, April 2 in Itajai.

This Wednesday, the weather expert from The Ocean Race, Christian Dumard, described a situation for the couple of stragglers in which strong winds ran through the coastal mountains with rain microorganisms that could cause the wind to suddenly increase from 20 knots to more than 40 knots.

For the Biotherm, the climate near Cape Horn included snow in the mountains and snowflakes on the deck... the team is sailing like the old school after the electronic failure, tying 'lanitas' in the obences to see the angle of the wind.

2023-03-28: The Ocean Race: The IMOCA have already passed the Furnaces... with Malizia al command

Team Malizia continues to lead the classification in stage 3 of The Ocean Race after leading the fleet around Cape Horn.

This Tuesday it was the 11th Hour Racing Team (12: 55 UTC) and the Biotherm (15: 25 UTC) who have doubled the mythical Cape and joined the exclusive list of ocean navigators who have passed through Hornos.

The fleet has been divided into two groups, with the Malizia fighting to defend itself from the general ranking leader, Team Holcim-PRB, while the 11th Hour Racing Team has a slight advantage over the Biotherm, but this second duet has almost a day of disadvantage over the leading couple... almost 400 miles north, Kevin Escoffier returned to regatta mode after celebrating his third step by Horns.

2023-03-27: The Ocean Race: Team Malizia first to reach Cape Horn

Team Malizia, which was contemplating the possibility of returning to Cape Town after suffering a break at the mast in the first days of Stage 3, and who lived his approach to Cape Horn with a crew member injured and receiving care, has overcome all these obstacles to lead the fleet of The Ocean Race at this legendary point of passage.

Malizia passed the length of Cape Horn at 16: 23 (UTC) on Tuesday 27 March, 29 days, 4 hours and 8 minutes after leaving Cape Town.

Stage 3 is the longest in the history of The Ocean Race and one of its alicients is that it is the first time that this trophy is awarded for a seamless journey between the two ends that mark the eastern and western boundaries of the South Ocean.

To compete in these latitudes, in an area to which the regatists of The Ocean Race call the South Ocean, is never easy. Getting to Cape Horn has always been a titanic work, and this time the picture has not changed.

On Sunday, Team Malizia had a very complicated situation on board when Rosalin Kuiper was fired from his bunk for bad weather and hit his head, suffering a cut and concussion. Fortunately, with the support of medical experts, the team was able to close the wound and Rosie was able to rest and recover. The first signs indicate that it is recovering well on board.

In an amazing way, on the 30th of Stage 3 Team Malizia crossed the length of Cape Horn with an advantage of less than 30 miles over Team Holcim - PRB. Both ships have managed to separate a little from the Biotherm and the 11th Hour Racing Team, which have lost about 250 miles over the head duo.

The soft conditions that have slowed down the Biotherm and the 11th Hour Racing Team in the last 12 hours are expected to give way to stronger winds, although by marching 250 miles behind they still have about 18 hours to pass through Cape Horn, where they should arrive on Tuesday morning.

2023-03-27: The Ocean Race fleet is expected on Monday at the Drake Pass

After 48 hours of watching the wind and sea grow, with more than 40 knots and waves with crest close to seven meters, conditions begin to moderate this Sunday as the IMOCA fleet goes down south to get between Cape Horn and the ice-free zone.

The wind is now in a range of 18-22 knots and the waves are already 5 meters and go down. IMOCA are still moving a lot, which makes life on board difficult, but the situation has improved over the previous day.

Now there are many possibilities that the Cape Horn pass will be with rather moderate winds and very changing conditions, which will generate a tactionally complicated scenario.

On the route of this Sunday, the fleet is diving south. They started the day at 52 degrees of south latitude, and will need to go down to 56 degrees south to double Furnaces this Monday.

The 11th Hour Racing Team goes in line with the fleet and is more west, while the leader, Team Malizia, is the most east, 200 nautical miles closer to South America.

As conditions are moderated, there will be time to make the necessary repairs and plan the journey north to Itajai, but first we have to reach Cape Horn, an iconic milestone for all the regatists of The Ocean Race.

2023-03-25: The Ocean Race in the middle of a chain of blasts

It is the last weekend at the latitudes closest to Antarctica, in the waters that the regatists of The Ocean Race call the South Ocean.

In the 50 Wafers, the winds and waves circulate through a single way from the west to the east around the polar ice, forming a continuous train of drills that generates a wind and waves that are part of the legend.

The Cape Horn is the place where everything conflues: the land stands out south and there is an area where the seabed rises from 5000 meters to less than half.

This is where the IMOCA fleet of The Ocean Race is headed; the estimated time of arrival is Monday afternoon / night (UTC).

The regatists are for the last time challenging the South this weekend, with 35-kt bandages, with 45-kt streaks.

On the route, Team Malizia has overtaken Team Holcim-PRB and Biotherm, with the 11th Hour Racing Team losing miles in the last 36 hours. The distance from first to fourth now is more than 100 miles, but as we have seen before at this stage, the part provides for another compression and the leaders are expected to sail with a softer wind when Cape Horn passes.

The forecast says that conditions will remain very powerful over the weekend, and the winds will begin to moderate on Sunday before significantly decreasing on Monday, leaving open the possibility of a relatively easy passage from Cape Horn on March 27.

2023-03-24: The Ocean Race: the fleet a thousand miles from Cape Horn

The teams have in sight the end of the hardest part of the longest stage of the history of The Ocean Race... the most emblematic point of reference for ocean sailors, Cape Horn, is just over 1000 miles east for the fleet of The Ocean Race on the afternoon of this Friday (UTC).

But those miles won't fly easily. The weekend menu contains hurricane winds and waves of 6 to 8 meters, before the regatists pass through Cabo de Hornos on Monday morning.

Team Malizia is 10 miles ahead of Team Holcim - PRB; both ships are north of the Biotherm and the 11th Hour Racing Team, which sail behind them about 50 miles south-west.

It seems that everyone agrees that after a month at sea, the main objective must be to leave the southern latitudes safely and with the ships in good condition for the last north climb to the goal in Itajai.

The weather forecast says that conditions will intensify on Saturday with winds of about 35 knots, with 40 knots and a sea state with waves of more than 6 meters, before being slightly moderated on Sunday before the final pass through Cabo de Hornos, scheduled for Monday (UTC).

2023-03-24: The Ocean Race: the forecast of the meteor is hard after the passage of Cape Horn

During the 50 years of the history of The Ocean Race, the regatists have considered the stage of the South Ocean, the journey that takes place between Cape Town and Cape Horn, in the deep latitudes of the south, as the greatest milestone of the event.

Bend the Cape of Horns marks the end of the conditions of the south, where the blouses occur one after another, without obstacles in the form of terrestrial masses, the hurricane winds build seas with the most imposing and fearful.

The icebergs remain to the south and the stage culminates with a last push around Cape Horn, where the land stands out to 56 degrees of south latitude, channelling the winds and waves through a narrow step in the area that the regatists call 50 howlers.

Dumard stressed that during the approach to the Cape Horn this weekend, the wind will be strong, about 25 knots, before drastically decreasing, and the state of the sea should be moderated as well.

On the road, the competition is still very close. The Biotherm advances about 40 miles south of Team Holcim-PRB and Team Malizia, which are so together that they seem to be on top of each other in the tracker. The 11th Hour Racing Team has lost a little bit of rhythm, and now it's about 30 miles west... the Biotherm, which held the lead at 1500 UTC, suffered a break in a bow candle, as explained by pattern Paul Meilhat:

This is unlikely to be the last drama in the next few days: the approach to Cabo de Hornos almost always adds one last challenge, so we have to be attentive. The pass is scheduled between Sunday night and Monday morning (UTC).

2023-03-22: The Ocean Race: from the Nemo Point to Cape Horn

The fleet of The Ocean Race passed the Nemo Point at 17: 30 UTC on Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind the remote and isolated place of the ocean.

For a few moments, the Nemo Point felt more accompanied than usual. The four ships passed through him in a period of 23 minutes and, at the head of the fleet, Team Malizia little overtook Team Holcim PRB to display the lead for only 30 seconds.

Most of the sailing fans perhaps expected another stage after 23 days and 9,000 miles of stage. Nor is it exactly what the regatists expected... the vision from the Biotherm was similar to the rest, but he evoked great memories of the patron Paul Meilhat.

At 1400 UTC on Tuesday, the fleet remained compact: the difference in the classification from first to fourth was less than 10 miles. The ships have now passed the point further north of the ice exclusion zone and, as expected, are beginning to move south again. The wind speed is currently about 20 knots, with waves up to three meters.

Now we have to achieve a balance to Cape Horn, measuring the risk and the reward. A cold front approaches from behind with stronger winds and larger waves. The impact will be more severe as they go south. The optimal point will be to find the maximum wind with a relatively soft sea state. To the south there are fewer miles to Cape Horn and stronger winds, but the size of the waves could make staying in the north a better and faster option.

The ETA in Cape Horn is Sunday night UTC, and the most likely arrival date to Itajai is April 1... Brazil a week or so.

2023-03-20: The Ocean Race: increases the wind and thus the speed of the fleet

The four IMOCA moving eastward through the latitudes of the South Pacific Ocean are reaching better speeds today, after having suffered a weekend with soft winds.

Sailing along the ice exclusion limit at 52 degrees of south latitude, the teams have between 15 and 25 knots of wind, and their average speeds are about 20 knots.

And it's still an incredibly difficult stage: at 1500 UTC on Monday, the four ships are separated by only 2 nautical miles in the tracker, with 3.5 miles of separation between them from north to south.

The longer-term forecast is that there will be conditions of the type 'South Ocean' next weekend in the approach to Cape Horn, when the fleet will be locked between an ice exclusion zone that is unusually located to the north due to ice sightings and perhaps the most famous rock in the world, which will force them to go down to the south, plunging to 57 degrees of southern latitude.

https: / / www.theoceanrace.com / en / scoreboard

Very strong west winds, and a state of the sea with waves of more than six meters make up the picture that precedes the part for Cabo de Hornos, so the regatists have enjoyed their last days of relative calm when there are two weeks of stage to Itajai.

2023-03-19: The Ocean Race: Kuiper to Mast of the Malizia was able to see the four IMOCA

Today, the four teams are aligned on a 13-mile line extending from north to south, but separated by less than 3 miles in the classification. Something amazing after three weeks of stage.

The reason for this equality remains an obstinately persistent anti-cyclone and its corresponding soft winds act as a barrier for teams to move east.

In these conditions, the wind is a little stronger to the south, so the teams have turned to move south, descending in the classification a few miles as they move towards the no-ice zone, before recovering them when the next team moves south.

This should remain the dominant climate pattern until Monday, when high pressure begins to dissipate and the strongest winds return...

While the last few days gave a break to the typical conditions of the southern latitudes, the prognosis shows that this scenario will not last long, and the wind will return the week.

The last predictions of the routing say that the teams will spend Cape de Hornos in a week, between March 26 and 27, while the estimated arrival in Itajai (Brazil) would be the first weekend of April.

2023-03-18: The Ocean Race... the IMOCA in a 20-mile handkerchief

On the 20th of stage 3 of The Ocean Race, the competition is incredibly frowned, with four IMOCA separated by only 20 nautical miles.

The teams still have two weeks of stage left, but with such equal positions, this weekend they are experimenting as a kind of stage restart.

The loose wind conditions that have compressed the fleet have also given the crews time to complete the maintenance and repairs they need, both on the ships and on the crew themselves.

The wind is expected to wind The Ocean Race... the IMOCA in a 20-million-year-old handkerchief on Monday and the estimated time of arrival for Cape Horn is between March 26 and 27.

In fact, the Malizia took the lead for a few hours on Friday night, but in reality, the four teams now have the potential to emerge with advantage for when the most typical conditions of the southern latitude return at the beginning of next week.

2023-03-17: The Ocean Race... down from the wind and general regrouping of IMOCA!

As the forecast said, a slower wind conditions than usual just ahead of the fleet have resulted in a competitive restart of stage 3, just after the four IMOCA reached half of the longest stage in the history of the race.

These are unusual conditions for the 50 howlers, the waters that the navigators call the South Ocean, in the latitudes to the south of the 50 degrees, where traditionally what they command are the strong winds and an imposing sea.

But this Friday, on the 19th of the stage, the teams compete in much easier conditions, separated by only 30 nautical miles, and Team Holcim-PRB has seen that its advantage, which had reached 600 miles, has been reduced to less than ten miles.

The pattern Kevin Escoffier knows that his fate is largely due to weather conditions that are beyond his control: a wall of soft winds to the east that slows the leader more than the persecutor group. But he also feels his team might have been sailing better this week.

The Team Malizia of Boris Herrmann is just 7 miles from the leader and sails 30 miles further north, having won more than 30 miles in the last 24 hours.

This is the stage with which the entire fleet will have to deal over the weekend, but these benign conditions are also an opportunity to review and repair the ship.

The light winds will dominate the forecast this weekend, and the change of conditions will arrive at the beginning of next week.

2023-03-16: The Ocean Race: heading for the mythical Cape of Horns

Team Holcim - PRB retains its leadership this Thursday as the fleet compresses in less than 100 miles... according to yesterday's forecast, the leader is slowing down slightly and the back ships are approaching the first, but the overall picture has changed little in the last 24 hours.

Team Malizia continues to be the biggest threat to the leader, located 60 miles north but almost aligned in terms of distance to the east. The Biotherm and the 11th Hour Racing Team are further behind but aligned with the leader.

The teams are halfway through this gigantic stage 3, the longest stage in the history of the race, with an estimated date of arrival in Cape Horn still 11 days and about 4000 nautical miles away. The forecast for the next three days is lighter conditions that will result in more compression in the classification as well as an opportunity to make repairs on board.

During a live call with the media on Thursday afternoon, the11th Hour Racing Teamreported that the speed of the ship was about 22 knots with winds close to 20 knots. But looking to the future, priorities will change to include on-board repairs.

Mettraux confirmed that the team has developed a plan with its candle specialists to make a repair with which, if everything goes well, they can use the candle to a hundred percent of their capacity.

Meanwhile, almost across the world, the GUYOT envrionnement - Team Europe took a big step to join the fleet in Brazil. On Thursday morning the team released jams from the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town to begin its transport to Itajai after a major repair in the structure of the ship that left the team out of stage 3.

2023-03-15: The Ocean Race: the fleet is moving east at high speed

About midnight on Tuesday UTC, Team Holcim-PRB made another southbound, looking to stay close to the no-ice zone.

His closest rival, Team Malizia, continued to move east and, for the first time since the departure and Cape of Good Hope, more than two weeks ago, there was a ship positioned more east than the Holcim-PRB.

Kevin Escoffier's Team Holcim-PRB and Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia are now close to close.

But from a tactical point of view, most experts would say that Escoffier still has a stronger position. The further south you are, the shorter the distance to Cape Horn, as in reality the route in this part of stage 3 is a long and soft bow to the right around Antarctica, which makes the southern position as if it were the inner lane of a motor circuit.

However, the Malizia has had a good couple of days since the sharp door, and the pressure continues.

The fleet now competes with north-west winds of 25 knots, to the direct south of New Zealand, and there is another big pothole later, with an anti-cyclone and soft winds against which the ships will fight.

That will be an advantage for the Biotherm and the 11th Hour Racing Team, as the forecast says that the fleet will be compressed and the lighter conditions towards the end of the week will allow them to make much needed repairs.

2023-03-14: The Ocean Race: repairs and competition at the ice limit

After the distribution of points on the punctuable door on Sunday, the teams are consolidating their positions and working on their lists to keep the ships in race conditions.

On Monday afternoon, 11th Hour Racing Team unveiled the last challenge to be overcome by its crew: a larger raided candle, along a sailing seam at the first point of the curl.

However, pattern Charlie Enright confirmed that the team would try to repair the damage and continue to haggle...

As has happened before, the head ships will meet with a high-pressure dorsal with lighter winds and the tail ships will bring more wind with them. The softest conditions could also be an opportunity to make more repairs.

The Biotherm team faces its own problems, as it has discovered damage in a longitudinal frame that helps to sustain the structure of the ship.

2023-03-13: The Ocean Race: after the fight the routine is done with IMOCA

After the record conditions they had on Saturday and the passing through the adjustable door of stage 3 on Sunday, the daily routine begins again with Cape Horn about two weeks away.

It should be remembered that on Saturday the four ships exceeded the 24-hour distance record of IMOCA class. Pending ratification by the World Speed Sailing Record Council, the new brand now has the Team Holcim-PRB, which reached a record of 595.26 nautical miles, very close to the absolute race record at 602 nautical miles and which was established by Team AkzoNobel in the last edition.

The records were driven by highly motivated crews that forcefully pushed towards the punctual door of stage 3, with almost perfect winds and a relatively flat sea state.

On Sunday night UTC time, Kevin Escoffier's Team Holcim-PRB would be the first to cross the line at 143 degrees east, adding another 5 points and expanding its advantage in the classification.

2023-03-12: The Ocen Race: Team Holcim-PRB is in the lead

Two weeks after the departure of stage 3 in Cape Town, the patron Kevin Escoffier and his crew members at Team Holcim-PRB have taken the highest points at the punctuable door of stage 3 as the first of the IMOCA fleet passed at 17: 45: 38 UTC on Sunday, March 12.

It's been a very cost-effective 24 hours for the team. In the early hours of the Sunday morning, the crew of the Holcim-PRB set a new record of distance travelled in 24 hours of the IMOCA class with 595.26 nautical miles (1,102 km), exceeding the previous surplus in 50 miles.

By adding 5 points to the punctuable door, Escoffier and his team continue to accumulate victories in the classification of the race, and now have 15 points, following the triumphs they achieved in stages 1 and 2.

The fight for the second place on the door takes place 150 miles (about 7.5 hours) from behind, where the Team Malizia of Boris Herrmann has taken an impressive pace on Sunday by constantly exceeding the 11th Hour Racing Team of Charlie Enright and building a short but constantly increasing advantage of almost 10 miles.

The Biotherm is 40 miles back after being left behind on Saturday.

After more than three days of relentless navigation at record speed to the sharp door (all teams beat the previous record for at least 30 miles), the crews may look for a moment to check the equipment after confirming their points at the door, located at 143 degrees east length.

The 11th Hour Racing Team, for example, has to inspect the wear of two rudders and the Team Malizia less than a week ago that starred in its impressive mast repair. No doubt Team Holcim-PRB and Biotherm are also tightening their ships beyond normal.

While the scoring door marks a milestone in the longest stage in the 50 years of The Ocean Race history, there are still more than 7500 nautical miles before the Itajai finish line (Brazil). Half the points have already been granted, but the exact half of the road is still to come.

The ETA for Team Malizia and the 11th Hour Racing Team on the punctuable door is at 0100 UTC on Monday, and for the Biotherm 2.5 hours later.

2023-03-11: Day of records for the IMOCA fleet in The Ocean Race

It has been a record day at The Ocean Race, as the four IMOCA sailing in the south are pushing to the maximum to win positions - and points - at the stage 3 score door.

The conditions have been favourable for many miles: many hours of light, an angle of wind and an almost perfect speed, and a relatively flat sea compared to the usual conditions of the 40 Rugients.

At the beginning of this stage, the 24-hour distance record for a full-crew IMOCA (officially ratified) was 539.71 nautical miles. At the beginning of this stage, 11th Hour Racing Team increased that number with a day of 544.63 miles.

During Friday night and Saturday morning, those marks have been overtaken all over the fleet. The four ships have exceeded 572 miles in a 24-hour period.

The 11th Hour Racing Team established an early 582 miles (and rising) mark, but on Saturday at 12: 40 UTC Team Holcim-PRB established what appears to be the new standard with 588.71 nautical miles, although conditions remain favourable and there is a possibility that this figure will increase even further.

All this happens as the fleet approaches the stage 3 score door, 143 degrees East, where all possible points are offered and stage leader Kevin Escoffier, Team Holcim-PRB's pattern, hopes to continue with his perfect mark on the point table.

Its advantage has declined greatly, from over 600 miles less than a week ago to just over 130 miles this afternoon, but this figure has stabilized in the last 24 hours as the team finds its pace.

Team Malizia has been struggling to solve a problem in connecting your J3 candle to the bow deck, something important not only to use the candle, but also as a load support for the mast. But judging by their speeds, they're not stopping the march.

2023-03-10: The Ocean Race: a staggering rhythm towards Brazil... with a slight grouping

There's been more of the same on The Ocean Race this Friday, but in a good way. The four teams are devouring miles eastward in fast-track conditions.

There should be a very hard fight over the next two and a half days for the battle for the points in the North / South pointed line fixed along the 143 degrees east length.

In the last 24 hours, Team Holcim-PRB has seen its advantage be reduced, falling another 60 miles approximately, but the Kevin Escoffier pattern remains just over 100 miles ahead and is well positioned before the persecuted trio, which sails directly behind them further west. The sharp door is almost 1300 miles east.

Charlie Enright and his 11th Hour Racing Team continue to assess the status of their spare rudder. The team posted a video last night describing the situation from the beginning of this week to the current moment.

Meanwhile, in Cape Town, Guyot environnement-Team Europe reports that work on the hull of its IMOCA is moving faster than expected. After opening the hull in the laminated area, no further damage was discovered and the repairs progressed so quickly that they are already preparing the sailboat to paint it. The team plans to start transport to Itajai at the end of next week.

2023-03-09: The Ocean Race: Team Holcim-PRB's advantage is halved

The trio of ships that pursues the current stage 3 leader, Team Holcim-PRB has lived 48 fantastic hours on its east journey.

Since 1500 UTC on Tuesday, the second-largest Biotherm has recovered almost 250 nautical miles. The leader's advantage remains significant, 170 miles, but much less secure than at the beginning of the week.

The reason the distance is being reduced as quickly as it is significant is largely due to climate patterns in the latitudes of the south of the 40 Rugientes.

Kevin Escoffier's Holcim-PRB has overcome the favourable weather system he had been enjoying and now faces an anti-cyclone with much softer wind conditions.

There is nothing to do, and you have no choice but to see how the rest of the fleet, even with stronger conditions, cuts you away thanks to the wind that comes with them. They should get even closer as they approach the sharp door, which they will probably reach on Monday.

In the Biotherm, the spirits are high, as you can imagine. But Paul Meilhat's team has also experienced slightly lighter conditions, while Team Malizia and the 11th Hour Racing Team continue to do many miles, cutting the distance and compressing the fleet in each tracker update. The competition is being hard and of high quality.

2023-03-08: The Ocean Race... huge way to Tasmania

With four teams sailing in the 40 Rugientes, the fleet is finally in what the sailors consider the most typical conditions of the South Ocean, with strong winds caused by a series of blasts that drive them to the east at full speed.

The leader, Team Holcim-PRB, has put the bow to Antarctica to become the southernmost boat because he continues to smell lighter conditions ahead, which has been a concern of the patron Kevin Escoffier for a few days. He's seen the Biotherm cut almost 100 miles in the last three days, and this is his best defense.

Escoffier and his crew have also been having trouble finding the right candle configuration for these conditions, with lively discussions about how to proceed... while in the Biotherm, the mood is more relaxed.

On the contrary, there has been a stressful moment at the 11th Hour Racing Team. After repairing two bow candles, the team discovered rudder damage during a routine inspection... the team has moved forward at a good pace all Wednesday, a sign that things on board have returned to normal.

The miles are going to fly in the next few days, as the wind rises and the fleet flies east.

2023-03-07: Guyot retires from the third stage The Ocean Race

Interesting day that I lived on Tuesday in The Ocean Race with varbiable meteum conditions and that makes it a day of transitions in a very south latitudes.

The great winner of the last 24 hours has been the second ranked Biotherm, who has recovered more than 30 miles with Team Holcim-PRB.

At the other end, the 11th Hour Racing Team appears to be in danger of falling into the tail of a weather system and is carrying out a remarkable downhill to the south, almost to the limits of the ice-free zone.

Benjamin Dutreux's Guyot Environment Team Europe has confirmed that they withdraw from stage 3 and will focus on repairing their boat to be ready to rejoin the race in Itajai (Brazil)

A reduced sails inventory due to on-board repairs has caused the equipment to have had problems keeping in the pursuit group and remaining in the same weather system.

2023-03-06: The Ocean Race: 470 miles seem a solid advantage for Team Holcim-PRB

Dawn on Monday with an advantage of more than 470 nautical miles, a week after the departure of stage 3, seems an enviable position for Kevin Escoffier and his Team Holcim-PRB.

But the challenge to maintaining a great advantage is how to better cover your rival, who sails in a completely different weather system and has the advantage of seeing which route you have taken. Looking at the foresight, there are reasons for optimism for the persecute trio formed by Biotherm, 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia.

The Biotherm has recovered almost 50 miles in the last 24 hours, something impressive. Still, Paul Meilhat and his team would need to do the same for another 9 days to match the leader, so the situation may not be as bad as Escoffier thinks.

From 3: 00 UTC, Team Malizia has been matched with the 11th Hour Racing Team, both now about 70 miles behind the Biotherm, Team Holcim PRB another 400 miles away... there is a lot of stage to reach Itajai.

2023-03-05: The Ocean Race... the IMOCA at vertigo speeds in the 40 Rugients

Team Holcim-PRB maintains an advantage of more than 500 miles in stage 3 of The Ocean Race, but the three-boat group that follows him is making small advances sailing at a record rate.

The 11th Hour Racing Team traveled a distance of 544.63 nautical miles during the 24 hours that ended just after midnight Saturday... if that figure were ratified by the World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC), it would be a new official record of the IMOCA class.

With this record waiting for confirmation, Charlie Enright's team has almost matched with the Biotherm in second place, with Team Malizia just 50 miles back.

In front of the fleet, on board Kevin Escoffier's Team Holcim-PRB, the crew has been working to repair a tear in their bow candle, the J2, applying a patch on the damaged surface.

The technical team of the Guyot envrionnement Team Europe was also put to work with its work list, after its ship arrived in Cape Town at night... the ship will be taken ashore, the damaged area will be examined and the rest of the hull will be subjected to several non-destructive tests... after that, the repair plan will be designed.

2023-03-04: The Ocean Race... IMOCA fast sail to Brazil

While Team Holcim-PRB continues to mark the pattern, sailing at high speed towards the first punctuable door located at 143 degrees east length, the other three ships are finally following him at full speed.

The Biotherm, the 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia have needed to win south to the limit of the ice exclusion zone to find the wind, but now they are already moving miles east.

The three IMOCA that persecute the leader are much further south and border the ice exclusion zone about 45 degrees south latitude, while Kevin Escoffier's Team Holcim-PRB is more than 400 miles north, still clinging to that original weather system that allowed them to achieve a 550-mile advantage.

Meanwhile, to the north, the Guyot environnement-Team Europe is approaching Cape Town, where it is scheduled to arrive on Saturday night. The mast and the boat will be removed on Sunday, if the weather allows, and the work to repair the damaged structure will begin immediately.

2023-03-03: The Ocean Race... increases the wind and thus the speed in the third stage

The Biotherm, the 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia are again in motion after a frustrating period with unusually soft, warm and calm conditions.

While this unusual weather was perfect for Team Malizia as its crew worked during the day and night of Wednesday to repair their damaged mast, the Biotherm and 11th Hour Racing Team regatists received it much worse, as they could only see Team Holcim-PRB leading the stage with an increasing advantage, as it sailed in a blur ahead of them.

On board the Biotherm they are moderately happy, as they have moved from a position lagging south to second place in the classification, thanks to the fact that they have hooked the new wind ahead of the 11th Hour Racing Team.

In fact, the American team has met with misfortune in recent days. Trapped in an anti-cyclonic bubble with almost calm winds, Charlie Enright's team has even gone miles west, moving away from the goal, in their efforts to catch the new wind.

From the afternoon of Friday UTC already sail again, moving at 20 knots of speed, but still struggling to have a more favorable bow while the calm remains on its way.

In general, it has been a difficult first week for the American team, but with more than 30 days of stage ahead, there is a lot of time to change things.

For Team Malizia, the news is positive. The repairs seem to have gone as well as they expected and the team is moving again at full speed, although still with a little caution, as they need as much time as possible for the resins to be cooked in the repair at the top of the mast. But the prognosis is positive.

At the head of the fleet, it's all good news for Team Holcim-PRB. They could hardly have gone better for their first five days, as the Kevin Escoffier is almost 600 miles ahead of their nearest competitor.

2023-03-02: The Ocean Race: Holcim-PRB is the leader and leads the second in 300 miles

In this edition of The Ocean Race, Kevin Escoffier's Team Holcim-PRB has selected Unstoppable (Imparable) of Sia as its team song for the ceremonies in the pants and on the stage, a perfect title for the stage 3 start they are completing.

After winning stages 1 and 2 of The Ocean Race, the crew of the Holcim-PRB now has a solid advantage when we have been in four days of stage, escaping with a blur with strong winds that has left the rest of the fleet behind.

At 1500 UTC on Thursday, Team Holcim-PRB has an advantage of more than 300 nautical miles over the 11th Hour Racing Team, which grows minute by minute as Escoffier and his crew sail up to 10 knots faster than the persecute ships. But it wasn't easy.

The 11th Hour Racing Team has gone up to the second place, but it has not managed to stay in the same slate and sails with softer winds. However, going second in the classification after having suspended the navigation for two hours after departure is a good achievement. The reporter on board, Amory Ross, reports that the mood is good.

The history of the Biotherm is similar, almost 200 miles back, but it also experiences unusually loose wind conditions for a ship that has already submerged its bow in the 40 roaring. For these teams, the southern roar has not yet arrived. "Unnatural" was the term chosen by Sam Davies to describe it.

However, the other two crews must be much happier in these lighter conditions: the GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, now on their way to Cape Town to carry out structural repairs on their ship, and Team Malizia, which today has brought some crew members to the mast to reinforce damage it suffered when a bow candle left the insurance, allowing the drip to fade into the carbon fiber.

Team Malizia's crew has had a tiring Thursday, turning on the mast with carbon fiber reinforcement plates that must be stuck in the area to make the repair. While the lighter winds and warmer temperatures provided favourable conditions for repair, the state of the sea made the mast balance like a pendulum in the air, making the work complicated... at 1500 UTC, the team was still working in the garden, but the Boris Herrmann says that its plan is to move as far as possible.

The five teams face their own challenges in the first days of this gigantic stage 3... they are all proving to be great.

2023-03-01: The Ocean Race: Holcim-PRB leader, Guyot to Cape Town and Malizia with failures

The Ocean Race has lived 24 busy hours, with the fleet moving east at a good pace, trying to cling to the strong winds of a Southern blur.

Team Holcim-PRB is making the most of it, but the news of the day is focused on the Guyot environnement-Team Europe, which has chosen to return to Cape Town after suffering what the team and its technicians have called a hull sandwich failure, which is essentially a structural problem on the ship.

The Guyot environnement-Team Europe had been sailing very well at this stage start, taking second place at the time of the discovery and subsequent suspension of the navigation in stage 3.

Cape Town is almost 600 miles north-west of the current GUYOT crew position. They may be here over the weekend, but it depends on the conditions they find.

Shortly before, on Tuesday night, Team Malizia discovered a failure in the bow candle locking system that caused the candle to fall into the water. The crew had to work quickly to cut it and avoid damage to the foils and the keel.

Meanwhile, in the race field, Kevin Escoffier and his Team Holcim-PRB continue to lead the way east.

2023-02-28: The Ocean Race... and the wind was made in the third stage

The wind has reached stage 3 of The Ocean Race as the five IMOCA teams have fallen to higher latitudes and have started to win this one, hacking the first great weather system of the stage.

After a day of loose and current winds against, the strong wind is very welcome. But it comes with a very hard state of the sea, with a wave forecast up to six meters high when they continue to go down south.

The fleet seems to agree to go down to a latitude of 39 degrees south: at that point we will see in the tracker the ships move to the north and again to the south.

Looking at the weather maps, the fleet is compressed between the anti-cyclone they just crossed and a deep bleach, with strong winds and large waves, which pushes them from the south and moves them east.

Achieving the right balance between speed and security will be the key in stage 3. It is very unlikely that any of the teams will make a winning move during these first few days, but an aggressive decision that will end with breakages could be impossible to recover, so caution is likely to be the predominant factor.

2023-02-27: After the very hard exit in Cape Town... the calm came to The Ocean Race... sure?

After curling against a bandage on Sunday night, the fleet of The Ocean Race, which already has its five full-performance sailboats, has slowed its pace on Monday morning.

The five IMOCA crews have hit a small anti-cyclone and the soft winds associated with it. They will have to go through it to reach the south and the highest latitudes of the 40 rugients to take the bleach system that will take them around Antarctica to Cape Horn at this stage, the longest in the history of the race.

But there is also another obstacle. On some occasions, a very large swirl of the needle current has pushed the ships north at a speed of up to four knots. This phenomenon seems to have especially punished the 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia.

Both the 11th Hour Racing Team and the Biotherm were reincorporated into the race after the repairs they needed. The pattern Charlie Enright had the 11th Hour Racing Team ready as soon as the mandatory two-hour stop period expired.

Paul Meilhat needed more time to get the supplies he needed and start the repairs, but was able to leave the pants in Cape Town and restart the competition at 22: 21 UTC.

The low wind conditions have allowed Meilhat and his team to reduce the disadvantage significantly, showing the right decision to make a short stop to make sure your ship is ready for the rigorous conditions that are coming. The repairs are still on board.

Kevin Escoffier and his Team Holcim PRB are in a position that is already familiar to them leading the fleet, with the Guyot Environnement Team Europe by Benjamin Dutreux and Robert Stanjek very close.

2023-02-26: The Ocean Race: spectacular start of the third stage in Cape Town

The five IMOCA of The Ocean Race starred in an extraordinary exit from stage 3 of the ocean race around the world at Table Bay on the first sides of its 12,750 nautical miles adventure to Itajai in Brazil.

The race began with two and a half turns to a coastal tour to give the crowds that filled the coast of Cape Town the opportunity to marvel with these sailboats with stones before they went out to the South Ocean.

A group of three whales seen in the original exit area caused the race committee to make a last change to establish the route. With the output line affected by the wind shadow caused by the Table Mountain, there was very little wind for the fleet in the new race field.

The Biotherm began by sending in the water... by taking up to about 600 meters over the rest of the fleet, which finally hooked the wind of 25 knots and accelerated to speeds of 30 knots or more.

Team Malizia had crossed the exit line in second place, followed by the Guyot environment -Team Europe, with the 11th Hour Racing Team and the Holcim - PRB crossing the exit line last.

Team Malizia was the first to refind the wind for the start of the second coastal round, followed closely by the 11th Hour Racing Team. Meanwhile, the Biotherm fell from first to last when the Meilhat team was overtaken by the Holcim-PRB and the GUYOT environnement-Team Europe.

Once the wind returned to the fleet, the ships had enough to maintain control with strong and crowded conditions. At some times, two curls did not seem enough with the ships almost exceeded by the conditions.

The Biotherm had a problem fighting to control his candles. A team radio call to the race committee suspended the competition to return to the port to make repairs.

Then it was the 11th Hour Racing Team that announced that it was temporarily leaving the race with damage on a saber of its major... but the American team chose to stay in the water to make the repairs and meet the minimum period of two hours before it resumed the competition.

The Biotherm can resume the competition at 1505 UTC and the 11th Hour Racing Team at 1507 UTC, according to the regulations... joining the race.

Meanwhile, at sea, Team Malizia was the first to find the wind around the Headlands in front of Cape Town and began to open the way in stage 3, along with Team Holcim-PRB and Guyot Environment Team Europe.

The wind forecast is 25-30 knots with waves of 2-3 meters... the third stage, is proving to be a challenge in the first hours.

2023-02-25: With 12750 miles a third stage record in The Ocean Race

With 12750 nautical miles, Stage 3 of this edition will be the longest in the 50 years and 14 editions that have passed since The Ocean Race began.

When the ships leave the pants in Cape Town this Sunday at noon, it will be the most emotional game for friends and family. As the fleet approaches the most remote ocean on the planet, there will be much at stake. There will be many farewell tears when the regatists face an adventure that is expected to last more than a month.

Paul Meilhat, patron of the Biotherm, later signed up for The Ocean Race. The French master thought he didn't have much time to gather the kind of experience he wanted on board, but Stage 3 made it easier to convince his IMOCA colleagues to join the crew.

Two other French patterns are also well aware of their importance in determining the outcome of The Ocean Race within four months. Neither Kevin Escoffier nor Benjamin Dutreux want to take the results of the first two stages for granted. Escoffier and Team Holcim-PRB have a perfect score with two-stage wins in the Atlantic, but they do not take for granted their first successes, while Dutreux and GUYOT environment - Team Europe have finished last in the two initial stages.