’Nothing Silly Before Chile’: The Ocean Race Fleet Line Up for Cape Horn

24th March 2023

Drone view of current Leg 3 leaders Team Malizia on Day 23 (Thursday 23 March) Credit: Antoine Auriol/Team Malizia/The Ocean Race

The IMOCA teams have the end of the hardest part of the longest leg in the history of The Ocean Race in sight.

On Friday afternoon UTC (24 March), the most iconic of landmarks to offshore sailors — Cape Horn — lies just over 1,000 miles to the east.

But those miles won’t come easily. Gale-force winds and six- to eight-metre seas are on the menu for the weekend, before the sailors can expect to pass Cape Horn on Monday morning (27 March).

Team Malizia is 10 miles ahead of Team Holcim-PRB with both boats to the north of Biotherm and 11th Hour Racing Team, some 50 miles behind to the southwest.

“We’re attacking the last long downwind leg towards Cape Horn, with the last low pressure system that will take us as far as the Horn,” Team Holcim-PRB skipper Kevin Escoffier said.

“We’re going to gradually climb into conditions that are more like the south, with about 30-35 knots of wind and seas that will reach seven meters. Solid conditions, as you would expect from coming this far.

“The important thing now is to take care of the boat, take care of the crew and stay in touch with the competitors. Fast, but not furious.”

In fact, this is in line with another memorable reminder the crew of 11th Hour Racing Team has come up with: “Nothing silly before Chile.”

It seems all are in agreement that after a month at sea, the main goal must be getting out of the southern latitudes safely and with boats in good shape for the final push north to the finish in Itajaí, Brazil.

The weather forecast is for conditions to escalate on Saturday (25 March) with trailing winds near 35 knots, gusting into the mid-40s, and a sea state over six metres, before moderating slightly on Sunday (26 March) and again into more a manageable state for the actual passage of Cape Horn on Monday UTC.

Leg Three Rankings at 1900 UTC, 24 March

Team Malizia, distance to finish, 2,908.4 miles
Team Holcim-PRB, distance to lead, 14.1 miles
Biotherm, distance to lead, 69.6 miles
11th Hour Racing Team, distance to lead, 75.9 miles

Find the latest fleet positions on the race tracker at theoceanrace.com.

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