After sailing 3,868 nautical miles from Newport, Rhode Island, the teams finally arrived back into European waters. Team Malizia got off to another great start in leg 5, winning the In-Port race and leading through the departure gates as they headed into the Atlantic. The first few days at sea were fast and furious, with big speeds, tricky conditions and plenty of obstacles to navigate, ranging from fishing boats to whales. Team Malizia suffered an initial setback when they lost their most important sail but fought hard and stayed part of the leading group.
Then as the fleet raced towards Europe, the three boats at the front really picked up the pace and in near perfect conditions, speed records began to tumble. On Friday night, having covered 641.13 nautical miles in 24 hours, Team Malizia broke the 24-hour monohull distance record that had literally just been set by Team Holcim-PRB, by the narrowest of margins. You can watch Team Malizia’s reaction as they wait for the results to be verified here.
After crossing the Atlantic in record speeds, Team Malizia was locked in another close battle with Team Holcim-PRB on approach to the finish in Aarhus. Aware of the significance of the double points scoring leg, they pushed the Swiss boat right to the line, ultimately finishing in 3rd place and picking up six points. They now sit in 3rd place on the overall score board, only four points behind the leaders.
On arrival into Aarhus, skipper Boris Herrmann commented: “What a race! I am incredibly proud of our team and of our boat. This boat is now the fastest monohull in the world. That is unbelievable…The racing in this leg was amazing, especially at the end with the other boat in view.”
He continued: “The fight is on. We can still win this race. It will never be over, the final score will be made at the finish in Genoa and we will fight until the 1st of July. That’s what we enjoy.”
The arrival back into European waters means there are some special moments to come for Team Malizia during the next leg. After departing Aarhus, Denmark on Thursday, 08 June, Boris Herrmann will once again get to sail in German waters during a Kiel ‘fly-by’ and co-skipper Rosalin Kuiper also returns to home waters as they head to The Hague in The Netherlands, where the estimated time of arrival is Sunday, 11 June.
For more information and to follow the race, head to Team Malizia's website and social media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram) or visit The Ocean Race website.