At 23:00 UTC Sunday – and as the leading group reached the halfway point in the race in terms of mileage – United by the Ocean and Team Francesca Clapcich powered by 11th Hour Racing continue to battle for the lead of the fleet.
Team Francesca Clapcich powered by 11th Hour Racing is in second, and DMG MORI Global One boat in third, a further 60 nm behind.
Meanwhile, Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia in fourth place, 115 nm off the lead and still in the grip of the low pressure system, with the crew experiencing winds above 25 knots and fighting through a relentless slamming sea state.
A high-speed collision with an object in the water tore a pneumatic ram from its mounting, knocking out trim control on Malizia’s port foil, while the crew is also managing a separate ballast tank leak. The setback cost Boris Herrmann’s team 55.7 nautical miles in 24 hours — the biggest single reversal of the race so far — dropping them from first to fourth.
Although now out of the worst of the weather, the front running trio are still hammering their way across the Atlantic at boat speeds in the mid-to-high twenties as they try to make the most of 20 to 25-knot southerly winds and keep the speed up for as long as possible.
It has also been a difficult 24 hours of racing for the crew of Oliver Heer’s fifth-placed Embrace the Challenge (SUI), who reported significant damage to their mainsail, sustained as the crew attempted to put in a reef yesterday evening in very strong winds.
MSIG Europe remains at the back of the fleet as it continues to recover lost distance from earlier gear trouble.
The fleet remains in the low-pressure system it has been chasing since day three, with the next 24 hours flagged as the best remaining window for big daily mileage before conditions ease on the approach to Lorient.
As the leading trio bump up against a zone of lighter winds, there is opportunity for the fleet to compress, so chasing three will be pushing harder than ever to get back in the game.