Team Malizia is leading The Ocean Race Atlantic after a hard-fought start in demanding conditions off the East Coast. Just one day into the transatlantic contest, the six competing crews find themselves battling through light winds as they search for the fastest route across the ocean. While the fleet remains within roughly 30 nautical miles of one another, Boris Herrmann’s team has seized the initiative from the very first miles.
The weather seemed determined to test the competitors from the outset. Low, dark skies hung over New York as the sailors departed Brooklyn two days earlier. From there, they faced a long journey out to the offshore start line, positioned 150 nautical miles off the East Coast, where extremely light winds forced organisers to postpone proceedings until 10:00 a.m. local time.
“It’s a bit strange to watch an offshore start,” said Oliver Heer of Embrace the Challenge with a smile.
Once racing got underway, the fleet encountered a slightly choppy sea with waves of around 0.8 metres and a 17–18-knot north-easterly wind. The boats made a flying start towards the south-east, every crew locked in with full concentration.
“We know that small gains can make a big difference over the coming days,” admitted Sarah Stone of United by the Ocean. “We’re simply trying to go fast,” added Francesca Clapcich of 11th Hour Racing. “You have to be well positioned and quick — but that’s what every sailor wants,” Boris Herrmann joked.
So far, however, it is his crew that has done this best. The Team Malizia lineup of Boris Herrmann, Cole Brauer, Justine Mettraux and Julien Villion took the lead within the opening miles and has remained out in front ever since.
They also claimed victory in the first Super Sprint — essentially a race within the race, rewarding the fastest team over a 20-minute period. Team Malizia earned 6 points, finishing ahead of the brand-new DMG Mori Sailing Team on 5 points and Embrace the Challenge on 4 points. A major innovation in this edition, the Super Sprints take place daily and can be followed live during the Onboard Live broadcasts from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. CEST.
Boris and his crew are providing early confirmation of the potential of their new boat. Malizia 4, designed by naval architect Antoine Koch and the Finot-Conq design office, was launched only in July and is competing in its first official race.
Across the fleet, attention is now fixed on one critical objective: connecting with a low-pressure system moving eastwards. This system could propel the boats for much of the Atlantic crossing, making positioning absolutely crucial. To achieve this, the entire fleet has headed north and is currently navigating through an area of extremely light winds.
“The challenge was to find the right angle without getting stuck,” Boris explained. Embrace the Challenge was the first boat to gybe north. “Maybe we took that option too early compared with the others, which separated us from the rest of the fleet,” crew member Lincoln Dews explained.
The fleet is expected to escape this patch of light wind and gradually build speed in the coming hours. Watch this space.
