11th Hour Racing Team set records to battle it out for second with Biotherm, while GUYOT environnement return to port

Updated 05/03/2023 at 09:14 GMT

The 11th Hour Racing Team have made a rapid start to leg three of the Ocean Race, and are in a good position to challenge Biotherm for second place. Meanwhile, Team Europe are now back in Cape Town after sustaining damage to their boat. Robert Stanjek said: “I’ve done 1000 races but this was a new adventure so I’m very, very sad that it’s falling apart."

Highlights: All the best action from Leg 3 of The Ocean Race 2022-23

The 11th Hour Racing Team made a blistering start to leg 3 of The Ocean Race, registering 544.63 nautical miles in a period ending just past midnight.

That impressive feat means the team is now fighting it out for second place alongside Biotherm, behind leaders Team Holcim-PRB.

The time of 544.63 surpasses the official IMOCA record of 539.71 nautical miles, which was set by Hugo Boss.

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There is still element of confusion concerning these record distances, with the IMOCA website listing the crew of the Charal registering 558 nautical miles in a 24-hour period. However, this has yet to be ratified by the World Speed Sailing Record Council.

11th Hour Racing Team also made a speedy 542.68 nautical mile run on leg 2 of the race, but this was also unratified.

Meanwhile, GUYOT environnement - Team Europe arrived back in Cape Town on Saturday night and will assess damage to the structure of the hull. The mast and hull of the boat will be taken out, so the extent of the repairs can be evaluated.

The decision to return was incredibly frustrating for Robert Stanjek, with the crew in a good position behind Team Holcim-PRB, but a problem with the hull prompted them to head back to South Africa.

Leg three is the longest in The Ocean Race’s history at 12,750 nautical miles from Cape Town in South Africa to Itajai in Brazil and sees the crews travel along the Southern Ocean.

“In general I am very disappointed,” he said. “The Southern Ocean and sailing around the world becomes more and more pure, it was one of my main motivations [for the race].

“I’ve done 1000 races but this was a new adventure so I’m very, very sad that it’s falling apart. I worked seven or eight years to get to the start line of this race and the Southern Ocean leg was basically motivating me for all those years.

“You are never too old and it’s never too late so maybe we have to come back to do this once again.”

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