Leg 5 sees the fleet return to Europe for the first time since leaving Alicante in January. The teams will sprint across the Atlantic and then pass around the top of the British Isles before an anticipated arrival into Denmark’s second largest city of Aarhus in 10-12 days. It promises to be another action-packed leg full of challenges, ranging from the complex weather systems of the North Atlantic to navigating the ice exclusion zones, oil rigs and wind farms that populate the route.
Boris Herrmann returns as Team Malizia’s skipper and he is joined by experienced French sailor Yann Eliès, co-skippers Will Harris and Rosalin Kuiper and on-board reporter Antoine Auriol. Ahead of the start, Boris Herrmann said: “Leg 5 is an exciting one. It is an iconic, ocean racing leg and we have everything to race for. Anything can happen, so we need to stay focused and keep up the good work. I am quite confident we can perform well”.
Newport is known as America’s sailing capital and they put on a great show. An enthusiastic crowd saw Team Malizia and 11th Hour Racing Team go head-to-head as they passed under Newport Bridge in the In-Port race before Team Malizia clinched the win and led the fleet out into the Atlantic.
So far, the Ocean Race has proved fiercely competitive and that looks set to continue as leg 5 is another double point scoring opportunity. Team Malizia currently sits in joint second position on the overall scoreboard with only one point separating the top three teams. In the advent of a tie, the In-Port race points work as a tie breaker, so Team Malizia’s win in Newport could prove vital.
Team Malizia can look forward to returning to European waters and after Aarhus, Denmark, there will be a ‘fly-by’ in Kiel, Germany en route to a further stop in The Hague, The Netherlands, before the Grand Finale in Genova, Italy at the end of 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.