Please select your home edition
Edition
leaderboard with question mark E6 launch 2021

The Ocean Race Leg 3 Day 19: Coming together in the not-so-Furious 50s

by The Ocean Race 17 Mar 15:50 UTC 17 March 2023
The Ocean Race 2022-23 Leg 3 onboard 11th Hour Racing Team. Malama enjoying some flat Southern Ocean sailing © Amory Ross / 11th Hour Racing / The Ocean Race

As forecast, lighter than usual conditions just ahead of the fleet have provided an effective re-start of leg 3, just after the four IMOCAs reached the halfway point of the longest stage in the history of the race.

These are unusual conditions for the 'Furious 50s', the waters in the latitudes south of 50-degrees where strong winds and towering seas are the norm.

But on Friday, on the 19th day of racing, the teams are racing in much easier conditions, separated by just 30 nautical miles, and Team Holcim-PRB has seen a lead that at one point had stretched to 600 miles, now cut to less than ten.

Skipper Kevin Escoffier knows his fate is largely due to weather conditions outside his control - a brick wall of light winds to the east that slows the leader more than the chasing pack. But he also feels his team could have been sailing better this week.

"I think we are not as focussed or precise in terms of how we are sailing compared to before," he said. "We've discussed this and now we are back to how we were doing it earlier. Things like having small debriefings after each watch, writing down our goals each time, it's essential to do that.

"As for Malizia, we haven't been looking that much at them because they do not have the same wind as us for a few days now..."

Boris Herrmann's Malizia team is only 7 miles out of the lead and thirty miles to the north, having gained over thirty miles in the past 24 hours.

"It has been our plan to be in the north so we have the ability to come down at a good angle to the ice exclusion zone," said Nico Lunven on Team Malizia. "With this wind speed it is quite nice. But it is already getting a bit light closer to the high pressure."

This is something the entire fleet will deal with over the weekend. But the benign conditions are also an opportunity for boat checks and repairs.

"The next few days will be progressively lighter and not to be blunt, but we have a lot of work to do on Malama," was the update from 11th Hour Racing Team media crew Amory Ross, as the team plans to repair its mainsail and at least one rudder.

The light winds will dominate the forecast this weekend, with relief coming early in the week.

The latest position are on the Race Tracker

Follow the racing at www.theoceanrace.com and www.eurosport.com/sailing

Related Articles

Aarhus In-Port Race set for Sunday showdown
The sunny skies are forecast to continue Conditions in Aarhus have been incredible so far during the stopover and the sunny skies are forecast to continue into Sunday's In-Port Race. Crowds have been enjoying the warmth and the city of smiles has been living up to its name. Posted today at 1:00 pm
Wammen announces new law on nature & biodiversity
Denmark's Finance Minister urges the international community to fight for the ocean Wammen announces new law on nature and biodiversity at The Ocean Race Summit Aarhus held during the stopover of the round-the-world sailing race. Posted today at 7:31 am
Team JAJO ready to rejoin The Ocean Race
On 8th June, the fleet will set course for The Hague The Team JAJO VO65 arrived in Aarhus, Denmark last weekend to rejoin The Ocean Race for the VO65 Sprint Cup. The Dutch flagged team, led by skipper Jelmer Van Beek, will be preparing for the Aarhus In-Port Race on 4 June. Posted on 31 May
VO65 fleet returns for The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint
WindWhisper Racing Team is already in Aarhus, training The last time we saw the VO65 fleet in The Ocean Race was in January and the teams had just completed the opening stage of the VO65 Sprint, from Alicante, Spain to Cabo Verde. Posted on 26 May
The Ocean Race's In-Port Race Postponed
Due to deteriorating weather in Newport Due to deteriorating weather, the In-Port Race in Newport which was scheduled for this Saturday 20 May at 14:10 local time (20:10 CEST) has been postponed and will take place on Sunday, ahead of the start of Leg 5. Posted on 20 May
The fight for first starts in Newport
Three teams are within one point at the top of The Ocean Race leaderboard Four IMOCA teams will compete in the Newport In Port Race on Saturday before heading off across the Atlantic as The Ocean Race leaves the Americas and returns to Europe. Posted on 20 May
The Ocean Race Leg 4 Day 19: 11th Hour win
11th Hour Racing Team wins in hometown, with Malizia second, closing up the leaderboard 11th Hour Racing Team have won Leg 4 of The Ocean Race, leading the fleet into their hometown of Newport, Rhode Island on a spectacular spring afternoon in New England. Posted on 10 May
Hard landing in the middle of high-speed mode
For GUYOT environnement - Team Europe during Leg 4 of The Ocean Race It was like a hard knockdown out of nowhere in a strongly fought boxing match: GUYOT environnement - Team Europe had just found its rhythm on the fourth leg of The Ocean Race, had dived into the trade winds after days of nerves in the slack zone. Posted on 1 May
Every nautical mile counts
GUYOT environnement - Team Europe is strengthening its commitment to ocean protection GUYOT environnement - Team Europe is strengthening its commitment to ocean protection and plastic waste recycling by partnering with Berlin-based CleanHub, an organization whose mission is to keep plastic pollution out of our oceans. Posted on 26 Apr
Heiner and Kirketerp join Team JAJO
Team JAJO skipper Jelmer van Beek is glad that he can add both former Olympians to his team Olympic gold medalist Martin Kirketerp and former Laser World Champion Nicholas Heiner join Team JAJO for The Ocean Race. The Dane Kirketerp will be sailing on Team JAJO during both Leg 6 and 7, Dutchman Heiner will only sail Leg 7. Posted on 26 Apr
Hyde Sails 2022 One Design FOOTERSelden 2020 - FOOTERMarine Products Direct 2023 - Calypso FOOTER