Three days into the Ocean Race Atlantic, the fleet racing from New York to Lorient has already delivered the kind of tactical drama that defines transatlantic sailing. Team Malizia’s Boris Herrmann has now logged more than 330 nautical miles, but that lead is under real pressure, with United by the Ocean and 11th Hour Racing sitting roughly ten miles south in noticeably better breeze. Anyone following the Ocean Race Atlantic this week has watched a straightforward start turn into a genuine dogfight, as all six boats converged on the same stretch of a three-mile virtual start line before fanning out across open water.
The Tack That Shaped the Ocean Race Atlantic
What happened next may prove decisive for the entire leg. Overnight, navigators across the fleet debated whether to commit to a single tack toward open ocean or hold course with the group — a call sailors themselves described as likely the last major tack for days. Team Malizia, sailing on a foil package only three months old, initially built an eight-mile advantage before United by the Ocean and 11th Hour Racing broke east into fresher pressure, a gamble that now appears to be paying off. It’s the sort of moment we’ve tracked before in our coverage of Team Malizia’s early pace, where small positional choices compound fast over thousands of miles.
Watching the Ocean Race Atlantic Live
Beyond the tactics, this broadcast also features a Super Sprint segment, timing all six boats over a neutralized 20-minute window to compare raw speed regardless of position, plus a rare drone pass from onboard reporter Georgia Scoffield aboard MSIG Europe. That boat, the oldest hull in the fleet, is skippered by Conrad Colman, whose build-up to this race we covered ahead of the start, and currently sits furthest west while the rest of the fleet holds tighter together. Sailors wanting the full unfolding picture can watch the live Ocean Race Atlantic day three broadcast for the complete tactical breakdown and onboard footage.
Video courtesy of THE FOIL — watch the full video on YouTube.
