The 11th Hour Racing Team takes the win in the In- Port Race

The 11th Hour Racing Team has led the Itajai In- Port Race from beginning to end... the victory has led the American team to the top of the In- Port Race Series classification table... in a test in which the wind was between 8 and 10 knots.

Charlie Enright perfectly timed his approach to the sotavent end of the output line, and the 11th Hour Racing Team took a chest from the moment the exit pistolet was given. Breathing in his neck was Kevin Escoffier's Team Holcim-PRB, where the French was eager to see if he could beat the American ship before the first beacon. Meanwhile, a good exit from the barlovent end of the line by the Biotherm also allowed Paul Meilhat's new crew to threaten the two ships in front.

Later, the Guyot environnement - Team Europe was again competing with its black ship for the first time since it retired from stage 3. Benjamin Dutreux kept Team Malizia at bay, which went very slow, and Will Harris' crew was initially lagging behind.

However, in the pro-wind stretch, with the double Olympic athlete Marie Riou singing the tactic for Meilhat, the Biotherm managed to steal the interior of the Holcim-PRB, and the French ship went second in the second round. Later, the Malizia did the same with the GUYOT, as the German ship managed to mount the beacon just ahead of the Dutreux crew.

The same cannot be said of the Holcim-PRB, which in the final maneuver saw his bow candle flattening impotent as the Malizia advanced in the final stretch to get the third place in the goal. Escoffier was disappointed to fall to the fourth place, while the GUYOT Environnement was fifth.

Exit Stage 4 on Sunday April 23... of 5,500 nautical miles, from Itajai to Newport in the United States will take place on Sunday at 13: 15 local time / 16: 15 UTC / 18: 15 CEST.

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

IMOCA

2023-04-21: The Ocean Race... for this afternoon the Itajai In- Port Race

The 11th Hour Racing Team and the Malizia are grieving for the first place in the classification of the In-Port

The Itajai In Port Race is disputed this Friday afternoon at 14: 10 local time in Brazil (17: 10 UTC), with the forecast of low winds, which could generate challenging and changing conditions on a tour located near the Itajai-Açu river currents.

After two races in Port (Alicante and Cape Town), the general has the 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malzia tied in the lead with 8 points. Team Holcim-PRB, the winner in Cape Town, is three points behind.

The Biotherm had to return before the hour last Wednesday for the crane to take the boat out of the water after hacking several pieces with the keel, but returned to the water that same night, with no major problems. And after an inspection and some minor jobs, the team returned Thursday to the race field.

Classification of In Port Race Series
1 - 11th Hour Racing Team - 8 points
2 - Team Malizia - 8
3 - Team Holcim - PRB - 5
4 - Guyot environnement - Team Europe - 4
5 - Biotherm - 3

2023-04-19: Fourth stage The Ocean Race... and to rotate the crews

Many new developments in all crews, facing the fourth stage

The rotation of the crews is proving to be a great feature in this edition of The Ocean Race. For Stage 4, there will be several major changes in the crews, especially in two of the teams. We are almost in the middle of the race, and about 55% of the points are at stake, so if the intention is to make some changes, Itajai seems a sensible place to do it.

However, it is often said that in ocean races, experience is everything. The multiple crew changes in Team Holcim-PRB, for example, make the leader of the race general vulnerable in Stage 4? Will this be a chance for the other teams to attack? This is the summary of changes in the different crews.

Team Holcim-PRB
The current leader of the race, Team Holcim-PRB, sees as the pattern Kevin Escoffier is about to sail with a crew completely different from that of Stage 3. Get on board for the first time Annemieke Bes (NED) and Benjamin Schwartz (FRA), while Fabien Delahaye (FRA) passes from ground work to boat races for the first time.

Biotherm
Great changes also in the Biotherm, in which the pattern Paul Meilhat (FRA) incorporates three new crew members. For Stage 4, he will be joined by British regatist Alan Roberts (GBR, nine times participating in the French circuit of Figaro alone), Portuguese regatist Mariana Lobato (Olympic and world champion of Match Race in 2013) and French regatist Marie Riou (four times world champion of Nacra 17, Olympic and winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2018 with Dongfeng Racing Team). Anne Beaugé (FRA) will be the OBR again.

11th Hour Racing Team
Francesca Clapcich (ITA) returns on board the 11th Hour Racing Team, taking the place of Justine Mettraux (SUI). Jack Bouttell (AUS / GBR) will do the In-Port Race, but he gets off the ship for this stage, and his place will be held by the member of the ground team Damian Foxall (IRL), who is on board for the first time.

Team Malizia
The British regatist Will Harris will be the patron of Team Malizia at Stage 4 of The Ocean Race, assuming the position for the second time in the world's return. The new team is the French ocean regatist Christopher Pratt. It will replace Boris Herrmann who, as planned, will not participate in the Itajai to Newport phase. Pratt has a great experience in IMOCA in several projects of the French circuit.

Guyot Environnement-Team Europe
The GUYOT Environnement-Team Europe is left with the same crew that came out at Stage 3. This was not the original plan, but after the ship's withdrawal from Stage 3, the master Benjamin Dutreux and the team have decided that it would be better to maintain the continuity of the crew from the previous stage. Most of the crew took the opportunity to rest and recover at home, so they have had a good few weeks to recharge energy and prepare for a great performance in the Atlantic.