The Ocean Race – It’s not over til it’s over

There’s a cat and mouse battle at the head of both fleets as the leaders weave their way towards Cabo Verde

The winning IMOCA is expected to finish near midnight GMT in Cabo Verde, with Team Holcim-PRB maintaining speed and control at the front of the fleet.

But there are still some moves to be made as the leading trio, which includes 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia, gybe towards the finishing line. Each manoeuvre has some jeopardy attached in losing miles to the competition or placing the boat in an unfavourable wind shift.

Team Holcim – PRB lead the IMOCA fleet

Grinding through it on board 11th Hour Racing Team

“We’re going really fast at the moment, it’s actually quite a nice mode,” said Boris Herrmann from Team Malizia as they try to gain miles on second-placed 11th Hour Racing Team. “We have these long waves that help push us. It’s getting warmer. Looking forward to some smoother sailing and maybe a bit quieter too as it’s been very loud on board with this sea state. But let’s see.”

Behind the leading trio, Biotherm and GUYOT environnement – Team Europe, are lined up about 8 to 10 hours behind the leaders, with Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm holding the inside track advantage.

VO65s

It’s a similar story in the VO65 fleet, with WindWhisper Racing Team in a strong position ahead of Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team and Team JAJO, who are likely to be in a dogfight for second place all the way to the finish. The latest projections have the VO65 leaders arriving Cabo Verde on Saturday afternoon.

Incredible drone footage from Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team

ETAs:
Leading IMOCA – midnight and onwards GMT Friday night
Leading VO65s – Saturday afternoon GMT

How to follow the arrivals:
Check in on theoceanrace.com and our social channels @theoceanrace for the latest information. The tracker is your best guide to the latest positioning.

With an overnight arrival for the top IMOCAs in strong winds and heavy seas off Mindelo in Cabo Verde, our coverage will focus on dockside interviews and reaction from the teams as they get ashore.

Rankings at 1200 GMT – 20 January 2023
IMOCA

1. Team Holcim-PRB, 250.4 miles to finish
2. 11th Hour Racing Team, 36.1 miles to leader

3. Team Malizia, 49.3 miles to leader

4. Biotherm, 209.4 miles to leader
5. GUYOT environnement – Team Europe, 284.4 miles to leader



VO65

1. WindWhisper Racing, 423.6 miles to finish


2. Mirpuri Foundation Race Team, 29.7 miles to leader
3. Team JAJO, 51.5 miles to leader
4. Austrian Ocean Race – Team Genova, 106.4 miles to leader 

5. Ambersail 2, 128.5 miles to leader
6. Viva México, 795.4 miles to leader