Team Malizia's crew, comprising Skipper Will Harris and Co-skippers Rosalin Kuiper, Nico Lunven, Yann Eliès, together with onboard reporter Antoine Auriol, has crossed the finish line in Leg 2 of The Ocean Race in fourth place. They arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, at precisely 15:16:49 UTC on 12 February 2023 after taking 17 days, 21 hours, 6 minutes and 49 seconds to complete this stage of the race. The team reached the finish only 2 hours and 6 minutes behind Team Holcim-PRB, which claimed victory in Leg 2.
On arriving in Cape Town, Skipper Will Harris said: “Everyone raced their hearts out from the word ‘go’, but the result was down to a bit of luck. In the end, it wasn’t the 6,500 racing miles that counted; it was all down to the last 100. We tried a different option, aiming to go for glory rather than nothing at all, and in the end it didn’t pay off, unfortunately. The winners must have sailed a great race to get to the finish.”
On taking over the role of skipper earlier than planned after Boris Herrmann was injured, the British sailor added: “The great thing about this leg was to have a really good team. I know the crew very well, and thanks to Rosalin’s energy, Nico’s navigational skills, Yann’s experience and Antoine’s good humour, we had a great spirit onboard. Even after a slow start, we stayed motivated, kept pushing, didn’t let it get us down and managed to come back into the lead, where we stayed almost all the way to the finish.”
Boris Herrmann said: “The final hours of the race weren’t in our favour, but the team fought on. We are so proud of them and their great racing. Even though we’d have loved them to win, we couldn’t have asked for more. They pushed till the end, took us on this journey with them and showcased the amazing sport of sailing, engaging people around the world. The final score is fourth place, but they won in many ways. Will taking over as Skipper showed his talent as a leader and he made the team proud. To come back from fifth, take the lead, and maintain the energy and spirit of the team is amazing! This is only Leg 2 and there is still a long way until the Grand Finale in Genoa. We have learnt a lot and we will come back to Leg 3 even stronger. I am excited to get back on board with the crew for the next leg, which will start on 26 February.”
You can read more details about Leg 2 on Team Malizia’s website.
The crew will now rest for a few days and then complete a few checks on the boat and some repairs. The next events on the horizon are the Pro-Am Sailing events on 22-23 February and the In-Port race, which Team Malizia is currently leading.
Leg 3 of The Ocean Race is a record-breaking stage − the longest racing distance in the 50‑year history of the event. This one-month marathon to Itajaí, Brazil, covering 12,750 nautical miles, will start on 26 February. This leg takes the IMOCA sailors down to the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties of the Southern Ocean. Antarctica is to the right and the fleet will need to pass all three Great Southern Capes − the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn − without stopping, for the first time.
During this challenge, Team Malizia will continue to support the global effort to address climate change. Its slogan “A Race We Must Win” carries a double meaning, as the team is not only competing to win The Ocean Race but also seeking to unite people on a bigger scale to win the urgent race against climate change and global warming.
Team Malizia will collect valuable CO2 data from the ocean in remote parts of the world via its onboard laboratory and use the race stopovers and its communications platforms to raise awareness about ocean protection and climate change. On 04 February 2023, Team Malizia deployed a scientific Argo float in partnership with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and OceanOPS to collect rare data from the ocean.
A reminder of how to follow the action
Team Malizia's onboard reporter Antoine Auriol is capturing all the “behind the scenes” action, with daily updates being shared on Team Malizia's website and via social media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram).
You can follow The Ocean Race route and anticipated arrival and departure times for each leg of the journey here. The Ocean Race also shares content from all the participating teams on its website and social media channels. Further information: www.theoceanrace.com