Please select your home edition
Edition
Stoneways Marine 2021 - LEADERBOARD

The Ocean Race Leg 4 Day 2: A pure speed contest

by The Ocean Race 24 Apr 18:55 BST 23 April 2023
The Ocean Race 2022-23 Leg 4 onboard Biotherm. Skipper Paul Meilhat and Marie Riou with Team Malizia and Team Holcim - PRB behind as they leave Itajaí © Anne Beauge / Biotherm / The Ocean Race

It was GUYOT environnement - Team Europe sailor Annie Lush who said the opening days of Leg 4 would be a "trim off" and this is how it has come to pass.

She was referring to the probability the teams would be closely lined-up, drag racing one boat next to the other. Sail trim and boat speed would be the determining factors.

And over the first 18 hours of racing this has come to pass with the fleet racing east-southeast to get offshore as fast as possible.

Follow all the content from the boats here.

Paul Meilhat's Biotherm held the early lead into this morning, but now it is Team Holcim- PRB who bow forward. But the margins are very thin - on the leaderboard, the spread from first to fifth is just five miles.

The east-northeast wind is fairly light - 8 to 12 knots - and variable with squalls and rain showers. It is forecast to build slightly over the next 24 hours.

"We've spent these first hours of the race trying to get to the gradient wind offshore," said 11th Hour Racing Team's Simon Fisher, on Sunday evening. "It's going to be tricky with the clouds."

"The wind is very shifty," said Kevin Escoffier on Team Holcim-PRB. "But we have to deal with it. Instead of going for a big bet it is better to play with the small shifts than going for a big change. When you are not sure, it is better to be safe."

On Team Malizia, navigator Nico Lunven had a scary moment when he was hit by a jib sheet as the fleet sailed away from Itajaí last night. He suffered minor cuts and abrasions to the face. After consultation with the shore-side doctor he is reported to be fit to keep racing and has been taking on his regular duties, including doing his weather routing through the night.

"I feel like a boxer who has lost a match but it is ok," he said.

The latest positions can be found on the Race Tracker here.

Related Articles

The Ocean Race and Cabo Verde team up
Signing a Memorandum of Understanding to protect and restore ocean health Following a successful stopover and hosting of The Ocean Race Summit in January 2023, Cabo Verde and The Ocean Race will focus on protecting and promoting ocean health through sport and science... Posted on 20 Sep
Call for recognition of inherent ocean rights
Made by The Ocean Race and global partners The Ocean Race, the Government of Cabo Verde and US-based Earth Law Center present principles to guide a new relationship with the ocean. Posted on 19 Sep
eDNA data collection in The Ocean Race
Scientists found a link between latitude and the abundance of ocean bacteria that break down plastic Environmental DNA, known as eDNA, one of the most cutting-edge ways to measure ocean health and biodiversity, was collected during The Ocean Race 2022-23 in a world first for racing boats. Posted on 16 Sep
Winner of the 2023 Magnus Olsson Prize announced
English navigator Simon 'SiFi' Fi won The Ocean Race with 11th Hour Racing Team The following is sent on behalf of the Magnus Olsson Memorial Foundation. Posted on 5 Aug
Growing number of cities express interest
In hosting The Ocean Race Europe 2025 Iconic cities across the European continent are expressing their interest in hosting the IMOCA fleet along The Ocean Race Europe route in 2025. Posted on 2 Aug
How The Ocean Race drove action to protect the sea
The race featured the most comprehensive science programme created by a sporting event The Ocean Race 2022-23 featured the most ambitious sustainability programme in the Race's 50 year history, including initiatives that were firsts in the event industry and sports' world. Posted on 18 Jul
2023 Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy concludes
Record number of entries take to water A record number of entries across six sailing classes took to the water in Cascais, Portugal, for three days of racing over the weekend of 7-9 July. Posted on 10 Jul
The Ocean Race Grand Finale in Genova
Sunny skies, very light and shifty winds and enthusiastic crowds on shore Sunny skies, very light and shifty winds and enthusiastic crowds on shore and on the water were the order of the day as this six month, around the world odyssey came to a close. Posted on 1 Jul
11th Hour Racing first US The Ocean Race winner
With North Sails' cutting-edge sail innovations Global leader in sailmaking and performance clothing, North Sails, is proud to have again been the Official Sail Supplier at the Ocean Race 2022-23. The Ocean Race is the ultimate test of sailing prowess, covering 32,000 nautical miles over six months. Posted on 30 Jun
Record number of female sailors in The Ocean Race
More than in any of the previous events in the Race's 50 year history The Ocean Race 2022-23 featured more female sailors than in any of the previous events in the Race's 50 year history. Posted on 30 Jun