The inaugural Ocean Race Atlantic is off to a sporty start, seeing 30 knots sustained in some areas as the six boats surge east. Boris Herrmann’s Malizia leads the pack from a northern position, but Paul Mielhat (United by the Ocean) and Francesca Clapcich (Powered by 11th Hour Ocean Racing) are close behind and in an advantageous position.
“We were a bit more north than our opponents and we had some headers that were unexpected, so we couldn’t go east as much as we would like,” Malizia’s Justine Mettraux says. “So we have lost quite a lot of ground today. But there is not much we can do except try to make the most with what we have and hope it will improve. But it’s not been easy since last night.” They also had to manage a technical failure in the form of a ballast tank hatch cover blowing off, which took time for replacement and clean up. Still, Malizia is setting a blistering pace, which portends well for the recently launched boat.
11th Hour (sailing the former Malizia boat, which raced in The Ocean Race 2023 and Vendée Globe 2024) has their sights set on their nearest neighbors to the north. “We are trying to keep up with Paul Meilhat and United by the Ocean—he is just further ahead of us—but also he definitely wanted to stay south, the same as us, so our strategy over here is pretty similar between United by the Ocean, DMG Mori and ourselves,” said Clapcich.
DMG Mori with skipper Kojiro Shiraishi follows shortly behind United by the Ocean and Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Ocean Racing, while Oliver Heer’s Embrace the Challenge has taken a northern route, sitting in a different breeze than the lower pack. Conrad Colman’s MSIG Europe had a tough night, with a furler mishap that led to hours of boatwork, forcing them to turn north and slow down while they made necessary repairs.
The fleet is due to stay in the current breeze for a couple days before sailing out of it, which may finally offer a chance for the back of the fleet to make up some miles. Looking ahead, Clapcich says. “I think we made a decent transition from the light wind into a bit more breeze and now we are in a wide area of breeze with the Gulf Stream going north, so it doesn’t really help us staying south, which is our goal. We will have to deal with this for a few more miles, then there is going to be a calm place in the Stream and then it is going to turn towards the south again, so that will help us.”
Tracker interfaces for these kinds of races have also been evolving in recent years; it’s not just where in the world the fleet is anymore. Check out the live feeds from the boats for an unprecedented look at what those red blotches on the tracker really look like. To access them, click on the “Live Show” on the left of the tracker and select which boat you’d like to view.
The race’s daily show airs at 11am EDT, with Niall Myant Best narrating for analysis and live calls with the fleet. The race is expected to wrap up around September 8, so tune in while you have the chance.
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