Imagine racing 4,600 nautical miles against four other sailboats, from the Cape Verde Islands down the Atlantic into the Roaring Forties, and pointing up to Cape Town, South Africa, only to finish a handful of miles ahead of the two nearest boats.
That’s what Skipper Kevin Escoffier and his Team Holcim-PRB did to win Leg 2 of The Ocean Race on Sunday after a tense battle against Biotherm and the 11th Hour Racing Team in the final day of the race.
At sunrise on Sunday morning, three teams were battling for the win, with Biotherm, 11th Hour Racing Team and the Holcim-PRB crews racing in lockstep in light conditions. The top boats could see each other with the naked eye as they closed in on the Mother City.
Just three hours before the finish, Escoffier and his team finally squeezed ahead, having sailed a slightly better angle towards Cape Town, to eke out a winning position. Just three miles and 25 minutes separated the top three boats after more than 17 days of racing, a tiny margin of victory, especially considering it’s not a one-design class.
This is the second consecutive leg win for Escoffier and his team, who extend their advantage on the leaderboard.
There will be an in-port race in Cape Town and on February 26 Leg 3 to Itajaí, Brazil, will begin.
You can read more on The Ocean Race website
Leg Two IMOCA60 results
1. Team Holcim-PRB, winner
2. Biotherm, distance to finish, 3.4 miles
3. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to lead, 0.7 miles
4. Team Malizia, distance to lead, 11.6 miles
5. GUYOT environnement – Team Europe, distance to lead, 53.2 miles
