Team Malizia Wins Leg 3 of the 2023 Ocean Race

With Team Malizia and Team Holcim-PRB already having finished, the remaining two teams are in a race for third place

By Lidia Goldberg

April 3, 2023

After racing for five weeks through the Southern Ocean, the longest leg of the Ocean Race, Team Malizia sailed into port in Itajaí, Brazil, on April 2, at 5:20 UTC. Following behind them at 10:56 UTC was Team Holcim-PRB. Now, the race for third is close between Biotherm and 11^th Hour Racing Team.

The final 24 hours of racing for Malizia and Holcim-PRB were brutal, with 50-knot winds and high seas that had the two leaders working extremely hard. Team Malizia managed to make it out with a 60-mile lead on Holcim-PRB who crash gybed when their autopilot failed, causing them to fall behind.

Now, Biotherm and 11^th Hour Racing are separated by 80 miles, but Biotherm made up almost 100 miles from Sunday Monday. With moderate wind and an upwind leg before them, the race to the finish won’t be as fast as the teams might want. Furthermore, both teams have repairs that they urgently want to get started on. Whoever finishes first between Biotherm and 11^th Hour Racing will get a head start on fixing up their boats.

“We have had highs and lows, seen joy, frustration, courage, and heartache. We’ve been fast. We’ve been broken. Above all, thus far, we’ve been safe. The magnitude of what we’ve done hasn’t yet set in, nor should it have, it’s never over ‘til it’s over! We have 500 miles or so to go, and 2 or 3 potential points on the table,” said 11th Hour Racing Team skipper Charlie Enright on Sunday afternoon.

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