The Ocean Race 2022-23 - Team Holcim-PRB pull away in final hour to win exciting finish to Leg 2

ByEurosport

Updated 12/02/2023 at 14:51 GMT

Team Holcim-PRB pulled away from the rest of the field in the closing stages of Leg 2 of The Ocean Race. It was an exciting finish into Cape Town with four boats battling for the lead - Team Malizia, Biotherm, 11th Hour Racing Team and Holcim - PRB. Watch live coverage from every leg of The Ocean Race 2022-23 with Eurosport and discovery+.

'It's another level, the pinnacle!' - Intro to Leg 1 review of The Ocean Race

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Sunday 12 February

Team Holcim-PRB win Leg 2

They have done it again! Team Holcim-PRB make it back-to-back leg wins in a time of 17 days, 19 hours, 00 minutes and 09 seconds.

Read our full report here.

12:30

Holcim-PRB are pulling away from the rest of the field after a frantic four-way fight between themselves, Team Malizia, Biotherm, 11th Hour Racing Team. That might be the decisive move of Leg 2!

11:00

We're not far off the finish of this leg of the race so here's the latest report ahead of the finale

Saturday 11 February

20:00

It looks like it will go down to the wire on Leg 2, that is according to Simon Fisher of 11th Hour Racing Team.

"We are so close to Cape Town but the reality of the situation is that this race is far from over," said Simon Fisher from 11th Hour Racing Team.

"I keep thinking all the miles won and lost up to this point are likely to count for very little. The forecast between here and the finish is complicated, filled with light winds and weather features that are typically poorly defined by the models. Despite hours staring at the various options, they remain just that, for answers aren’t coming any time soon."

13:30

We are heading for a BIG finale. With just 250 nautical miles left until the leaders arrive in Cape Town, there is still everything to play for. Incredibly, just 0.1 miles separates the top two, with 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Holcim-PRB in a real tussle.

Team Malizia and Biotherm are also within five miles of the lead while the fifth-placed boat, GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, remains the fastest in the fleet having made up over 400 miles in the past two days!

"It looks like we're sailing on a lake at the moment," said Will Harris from Team Malizia on Saturday. "You wouldn't believe we're 300 miles south of Cape Town at nearly 40-degrees south latitude.. Flat water, 10 knots of wind..."

Leg 2 rankings at 12:00 GMT:

1. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to finish, 256.9 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to lead, 0.1 miles
3. Team Malizia, distance to lead, 1.2 miles
4. Biotherm, distance to lead, 4.4 miles
5. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, distance to lead, 65.4 miles

Friday 10 February

17:00

In Leg 2 of The Ocean Race, teams have launched special equipment in the ocean to collect data that is used for weather forecasts and by scientists researching climate change.

Teams deploy drifter buoys and an Argo float to collect data on weather, climate change

12:30

"I've just done the routing [the weather routing predictions] for all of the boats, and we all finish within 10 minutes!"

That's some prediction from Team Holcim PRB skipper Kevin Escoffier as the weather looks set to cause havoc with the top order as we approach the finish of Leg 2.

A ridge of high pressure - with very light winds - sits between the teams and the finish line. The leading boats keep poking their bows into the lighter conditions and slowing down. Meanwhile, the last place boat in the fleet is bringing fresh winds with them as they relentlessly close the gap.

"What kind of sport are we doing when we do nearly 20 days at sea, pushing for every metre and then at the end everything is decided by the weather forecast?!" continued Escoffier.

"But we know sailing is like that..." he concluded with a grim laugh.

Just 2.4 nautical miles separate the top three, with Team Malizia continuing to lead the charge from Holcim-PRB and 11th Hour Racing Team. But the teams are casting ominous glances behind, with fifth-placed GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, who trailed by over 510 miles when they made their turn to point at Cape Town, now finding themselves less than 220 miles behind and moving almost double the speed of their rivals.

Here's a more detailed look at the upcoming weather:

08:00

Morning sailing fans!

We are heading for a dramatic finish in Cape Town, with just 2.2 nautical miles separating the top three. Team Malizia have snuck into the lead after a clever gybe last night. Holcim-PRB are second, 1.4 nautical miles adrift, with 11th Hour Racing Team slipping from first to third.

Thursday 9 February

22:00

It's a tough stretch of the race, with the teams facing gusty winds and extremely rough seas.

Check out the thoughts of some of the teams as 11th Hour Racing Team took the lead.

Leg Two Rankings at 2100 UTC - 9 February 2023

1. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to finish, 756.4 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to lead, 25.7 miles
3. Team Malizia, distance to lead, 38.1 miles
4. Biotherm, distance to lead, 103.0 miles
5. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, distance to lead, 337.1 miles

12:00

The five IMOCA teams gybed away from the ice exclusion zone along 45-degrees south latitude overnight, and thus have turned to race towards the finishing line in Cape Town. Team Malizia lead the way.

A distance of less than 900 nautical miles stands between the teams and the finishing line. However, a ridge of high pressure with very light winds stands between the fleet and the finish.

Over 400 nautical miles separated the teams in the rankings at midday UTC on Thursday, but with the wind forecast to build in from the west, there is a very real possibility of all five teams finding themselves together on the final approach to Cape Town.

This is what Charlie Enright, skipper of second-placed 11th Hour Racing Team, said of the situation: "[We are shooting] up towards Cape Town, which is a north easterly trajectory and where we will encounter a ridge and the whole fleet will compress and we'll have to be on our toes: it will be first in, first out.

"We could bob around for a while and anyone could pass anybody. Then we will end this leg with a gruelling 100-mile coastal race... We've got to stay fresh to the end.”

Leg Two Rankings at 1200 UTC - 9 February 2023

1. Team Malizia, distance to finish, 867.6 miles
2. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to lead, 18.5 miles
3. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to lead, 73.6 miles
4. Biotherm, distance to lead, 190.8 miles
5. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, distance to lead, 416.3 miles

10:00

Will Harris and Rosalin Kuiper gave their views on the “relentless, 24/7” foiling noise that envelopes an IMOCA during the Ocean Race. Team skipper Harris joked that he loves it because it means they are going fast.

Hear them talk - over the foiling drone - in the below video.

Malizia crew joke they ‘love’ the ‘relentless, 24/7’ foiling drone

Wednesday 8 February

13:45

It has been a productive and fast 24 hours for the IMOCA fleet in The Ocean Race as the teams continue to roar south towards an ice exclusion zone and into the 'Roaring 40s', named for the area south of 40-degrees latitude where low-pressure systems circle the continent of Antarctica, unimpeded by land masses.

Conditions have been ripe for speed runs, and the top three boats on the ranking have all posted plus 500-nautical mile stretches in a 24-hour period.

Skipper Charlie Enright's 11th Hour Racing Team had the best mark according to Race Control, set overnight at 541.7 miles, which is edging into record-breaking territory.

But it is skipper Will Harris and his Team Malizia that have the current lead, with the top three boats very close in their positions as they roar towards the finish line.

For more details on this update, check in here.

Leg two Rankings at 1200 UTC - 8 February 2023

1. Team Malizia, distance to finish, 1201.3 miles
2. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to lead, 4.4 miles
3. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to lead, 62.9 miles
4. Biotherm, distance to lead, 222.7 miles
5. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, distance to lead, 492.8 miles

Tuesday 7 February

21:00

The gap from 11th Hour Racing Team to Team Malizia has grown slightly during the day but the latter have began to close the gap again over the last few hours and they are back within two miles behind.

Team Holcim-PRB are now nearly 18 miles behind though so they have a big task to get back into contention for the lead.

14:00

It has been a thrilling second leg of The Ocean Race - albeit a gruelling one! - and the push for glory is only going to intensify in the final stages, with the five IMOCA crews bracing themselves for one last push to Cape Town.

The routing is far from straightforward, with the yachts having to sail a long way south into the Southern Ocean to get round the St Helena high before climbing north east to the finish, where an area of light winds is likely to block their route to Table Bay.

Kevin Escoffier, the skipper of Team Holcim-PRB, who is currently trailing new leader Team Malizia by just four miles in second place with under 1,800 nautical miles to go, said: “The last part of this leg won’t be easy.

“We had a cold front during all last night and we are going for another one tonight. That front – the low pressure – will bring us up to the southern limit of the course at the ice limit, so we can’t go further south than that."

10:15

Team Malizia, 11th Hour Racing and Holcim - PRB are all within 5nm of each other...

Keep up to date with the latest from the race with the live tracker here

'What is the problem?' - Team Malizia have an issue during The Ocean Race

Monday 6 February

17:20

Team Malizia have taken the lead ahead of Holcim - PRB and 11th Hour Racing.

Here's the latest on what's happened today and what's ahead...

12:30

It's all smiles aboard the Malizia boat right now...

'It's magical... the race is on!' - Malizia crew bask in improved fortunes

08:00

11th Hour Racing extended their advantage overnight on Leg 2. Skipper Charlie Enright and his crew profited from an early decision to take a westerly routing on the descent down the Atlantic, with the choice paying off over the weekend.

"From here it’s a bit of a zig zag course trying to gybe in the shifts and continue to use the windy features rolling west to east across the South Atlantic to get down, and to get east, quickly," reports Amory Ross from 11th Hour.

"We’ll keep zigging and we’ll keep zagging until we’re far enough south that we can skirt around the southern boundary of the St Helena High. At that point it’s just east, and eventually back north to Cape Town. We’re coming up on a relatively fast part of the course so the pedal is down and if the winds cooperate there should be some nice 24 hour runs in our future."

Holcim-PRB are in second, 18.4 nautical miles adrift, with Malizia the other big winners over the weekend as they cemented their grip on third.

"It's so cool... We were 200 miles behind and now we've just gybed and crossed in front (of Biotherm)," said Rosalin Kuiper onboard Malizia. "It's magical. We're so happy to see it like this!"

Current standings:

1. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to finish, 2027.6 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to lead, 18.4 miles
3. Team Malizia, distance to lead, 28.8 miles
4. Biotherm, distance to lead, 70.1 miles
5. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, distance to lead, 272.6 miles

07:15

Winning isn't everything at The Ocean Race. The teams have also been contributing to climate research with some onboard science. Here's a quick overview of some of the work going on:

Four of the teams are deploying 'drifter buoys', which have the primary role of transmitting data that feeds into global weather forecasts. Malizia are deploying an 'argo float', a more complex piece of kit that takes 10 day trips into the depths of the ocean and transmits data primarily for climate research
All 5 teams will deploy 'drifter buoys' in the Southern Ocean, a region that lacks coverage so this deployment is particularly crucial
GUYOT environnement - Team Europe and Holcim-PRB are taking samples throughout the race of microplastic levels in the ocean
11th Hour and Malizia have an 'OceanPack' onboard, which measures a range of data, such as oxygen, CO2 and temperature, which are analysed by a range of research organisations to give insights into climate change and the role that the ocean plays
Biotherm have a specialist microscope onboard - never before used on a racing boat - which captures images of phytooplankton in the water, this will be used to give insights on biodiversity

Sunday 5 February

12:00

It's a very close race now with 11th Hour Racing, Team Holcim-PRB, Biotherm and Team Malizia within 25 miles of the lead and spread across about 35 miles from north to south.

More gybes to the south are expected over the coming hours and days as the teams zig-zag south and east to navigate around a high-pressure system with light winds.

"We're sailing into a high. There's more rotation in the centre of the high but a bit less pressure," said 11th Hour Racing Team skipper Charlie Enright as he laid out the options relative to his closest competition, Holcim-PRB and Biotherm. "We want the best of both worlds."

The outlier is GUYOT environnement - Team Europe who made their move over 160 miles to the north, once again looking to cut the corner on their rivals.

The teams have also been deploying drifter buoys that will gather and transmit data to help the scientific community study climate impacts on the ocean, and aid with weather forecasting. This is an area of the Atlantic Ocean that isn't well-serviced by commercial shipping, so this is a meaningful contribution from the race teams.

Saturday 4 February

22:30

Skipper Robert Stanjek says his GUYOT environnement - Team Europe recovered a torn sail after it burst and fell into the water.

"We were sailing under spinnaker at about 15 knots of speed. We were sailing our A2, our big nylon sail, the most fragile one we have on board. I was off watch sleeping and then we had an alarm. Everybody had to get on deck because the kite broke.

"We were surprised because it was not that windy. We don't know why, but the sail tore almost from top to foot. The whole team did a good job to overcome the crisis."

Read the full story here.

12:30

There were big change overnight as we saw a shift in conditions, that ended up impacting GUYOT Environment quite a lot.

However it was better news for Team Maliza. Here's what Nico Lunven had to say.

"The wind is a bit shifty with some squalls to play with. Lots of wind variations so we need to change sails, adjust triming, gybe, etc,

"We are quite happy as we have been able to catch up a bit our competitors. Now we are only 30-40 nautical miles behind Holcim - Biotherm - 11th Hour. And GUYOT is in a different option, much closer to the rhumb line (direct route to Cape Town) but in light wind for now.

"Ahead of us, there is still a lot to play for. The next goal is to catch some strong NW wind in order to be able to gain to the East, towards Cape Town.

"Life is good on board. we had some showers under the rain squalls yesterday. We will need to monitore our remaining food as the leg is longer than expected..."

Friday 3 February

18:00

After nine days at sea now, the crews have got to focus on boat maintenance and power consumption.

Team Holcim-PRB’s Tom Laperche says things are “pretty complicated out there now. The team are currently in third place."

“We’ve had a lot of rain and big clouds," Laperche added. "But we managed to keep going so it’s not too bad."

12:00

GUYOT environnement - Team Europe are back in the lead after taking first place from Biotherm overnight.

Thursday 2 February

19:00

Robert Stanjek of GUYOT environnement - Team Europe has reflected on the last two days' of racing in the latest on-board update.

"The last two days were extreme," he began.

"The first one was beautiful. I think we averaged 21 knots for about 24h. That was a fast jib reach with a lot of distance! Life was not easy on board foiling upwind with up to 26/28 knots in top speed. But we enjoyed the speed and we were happy to increase our lead slightly.

"Last night we sailed into a huge, huge cloud with lots of rain and wind shifts and mostly light winds. We needed to work a lot to keep the boat going. Everyone was tired. We spent a lot of energy but couldn’t escape the bad conditions. Over the past hour we seem to have found stable but light trade winds again. We lost a lot on the other boats westerly of us. Not easy. But it is still a long race.

"All good on board Guyot!"

13:00

GUYOT environnement - Team Europe's advantage is dwindling... and technically, it's already gone given the tactical reality of the race where western winds are propelling their rivals faster south.

The tracker shows Team Holcim-PRB have slashed the gap further to just 3.5 nautical miles, meaning the lead should be set to change hands shortly.

"We are fighting, we are fighting for every mile," said GUYOT skipper Robert Stanjek.

Current standings:

1. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, distance to finish, 2986.5 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to lead, 3.5 miles
3. Biotherm, distance to lead, 38.3 miles
4. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to lead, 80.7 miles
5. Team Malizia, distance to lead, 168.1 miles

08:50

Team Holcim-PRB were on the charge overnight, slicing the gap to leaders GUYOT environnement - Team Europe to 24.7 nautical miles.

It appears the "west is best" mantra has finally come into play, with the four-strong chase pack picking up speed as they stick closer to the Brazilian border.

Will GUYOT environnement - Team Europe drift westwards to try and pick up speed, or will they gamble that strong winds return to their course?

Wednesday 1 February

18:00 - ‘Sunrise at latitude zero’ – The best clips as IMOCA yachts cross the equator

‘Sunrise at latitude zero’ – The best clips as IMOCA yachts cross the equator

14:00

The five IMOCA yachts are continuing the charge towards Cape Town. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe continue to lead the fleet, defying conventional wisdom that 'west is best' as their rivals stick closer to the Brazilian coast.

According to the official report, all of the boats are enjoying southeast winds in the 12-18 knot range.

Fifth-placed Team Malizia sailor Rosalin Kuiper is hoping for an upturn in fortunes after getting out of the speed-sapping doldrums.

"We're still behind the others. In the doldrums the western side wasn't too favourable. So that was hard," Kuiper said. "But at the moment, we have 18 knots of breeze and a true wind angle of about 085 degrees, so this is really good conditions for us.

"But we feel a little bit limited by the foil alarms, so we're trying to find the right mode and make sure we don't damage the foils. It's frustrating because we know there is more potential and speed in the boat. We will keep on pushing."

Current standings:

1. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, distance to finish, 3304.4 miles
2. Team Holcim-PRB, distance to leader, 67.5 miles
3. Biotherm, distance to leader, 98.6 miles
4. 11th Hour Racing Team, distance to leader, 114.2 miles
5. Team Malizia, distance to leader, 178.3 miles

08:00

The sun rises on another day of sailing action. Blue sky, pristine clouds... and an equator crossing ritual?!

First Equator cross ritual onboard GUYOT environnement - Team Europe (Charles Drapeau / GUYOT environnement - Team Europe)

Image credit: Other Agency

GUYOT environnement - Team Europe continue to lead the way...

Tuesday 31 January

20:50

GUYOT environnement - Team Europe looked pretty happy to have crossed the equator earlier this morning...

GUYOT environnement - Team Europe crossing the equator in Leg 2 of the Ocean Race

Image credit: Eurosport

16:00

“Life, for the moment, is good,” was the message from the 11th Hour Racing Team as the IMOCA fleet crossed over the equator into the southern hemisphere this morning.

The fleet is travelling south towards Cape Town and has now escaped the calms of the doldrums.

GUYOT environnement - Team Europe was the first to cross the equator just after 2am GMT. Around five-and-a-half hours later, Team Malizia nudged into the south, and the five deep IMOCA fleet are now pushing towards the new southeast tradewinds.

"This is always dangerous to write, so I do so with trepidation, but it seems like we are out of the doldrums and back into the trades," said 11th Hour Racing Team media man Amory Ross.

"I’m writing this under clear skies and 14 knots of wind, 20 knots on the speedo, bow in the sky, reaching at great haste due south. Life, for the moment, is good.”

Follow the live 2023 Ocean Race tracker here.

11:45

Here's the latest race report from the official race feed:

08:00

GUYOT envirionnement - Team Europe still running the show at the front as the race enters a new hemisphere!

Monday 30 January

22:51

Some fantastic shots from out at sea...

20:20

Team Malizia currently have the most nautical miles remaining but it's all pretty close.

Skipper Will Harris spoke about the challenges ahead last night.

"We're at the gateway to the doldrums and we're still going fast. We're going twice as fast as the other boats right now and we just need to keep going like this, keep the boat moving. If we get a bit of luck and keep our fingers crossed, maybe we'll catch up some miles. But let's see - the doldrums can do anything."

17:30

Here's a look at the current state of play as the fleet sails towards Cape Town, with still some distance to go. It's GUYOT envirionnement - Team Europe leading the way but not by much.

You can follow the live Ocean Race tracker here.

15:45

Here's an update from GUYOT envirionnement - Team Europe on how they are dealing with the conditions...

14:30

It's been a difficult 24 hours for the entire fleet as the five IMOCA teams become fully engulfed in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, better known as the doldrums.

The light, fickle winds, random storm cells and clouds that bring sudden puffs of wind along with rain and thunder and lightning, mean days and nights of uncertainty.

The prize for escape is immense - the promise of steady southeasterly tradewinds south of the equator and acceleration towards the final goal, the finish in Cape Town.

Sunday 29 January

08:45

The doldrums: "A period of being sad or bored and with no energy or enthusiasm."

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ICZ): "Known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather."

As you can probably guess, the fleet have entered the ICZ, meaning an enormous fight to channel what little gusts there are to keep moving. Biotherm are still leading the pack, as they have done for the best part of a week, with Holcim-PRB in second.

Saturday 28 January

08:30

The latest standings in Leg 2 with GUYOT environment - Team Europe making great strides.

Friday 27 January

21:00

If you ever wondered what about the sleeping arrangements during The Ocean Race, then look no further...

The Ocean Race: Kevin Escoffier of Team Holcim-PRB explains how the crew sleeps mid-race

13:00

It's still Biotherm at the front, with 11th Hour Racing some five nautical miles adrift in the battle for the lead. Holcim-PRB are in third.

The Ocean Race's social media have also dropped a nice race report from Day 2, well worth checking out:

08:00

As we welcome a new day, Biotherm still lead the charge down the Atlantic as the fleet continue towards Cape Town.

Thursday 26 January

17:45

The teams are well underway in Leg 2, but here's a chance to take a look back at the stop off at Cabo Verde.

14:00

The leading pack has been cut from four down to three.

Team Malizia look to have gone a bit off course while Guyot environnement - Team Europe still have ground to make up at the back.

12:45

It's still Biotherm leading the way as the IMOCA fleet head south from Mindelo towards the Doldrums.

"This is VMG (velocity made good) racing downwind between the islands," said Biotherm's Paul Meilhat heading into last night.

"We made the choice to use the spinnaker off the start and it's worked well because we are in front of the others."

We have some beautiful shots of the Biotherm on the open sea...

11:35

We are two days into leg two and there has been plenty of action already...

10:20

It's still Biotherm who are setting the pace in leg two. Four of the five IMOCA boats are close together but Guyot environnement - Team Europe have some ground to make up.

Here's a snapshot of how things are looking at the latest update:

09:00

Good morning.

It’s day two of leg two of the 2023 Ocean Race.

After starting out in Cabo Verde yesterday, the boats are heading out into the Atlantic Ocean as they travel south towards Cape Town.

Biotherm currently lead the way with Team Holcim-PRB and 11th Hour Racing Team close behind. There are around 3,800 nautical miles of the leg remaining.

You can see the day's progress so far on the live tracker here.

Wednesday 25 January

23:15

Some overnight homework for you sailing fans...

21:30

A magical sunset as the IMOCA fleet settle in for their first night back on the water...

20:50

Miss the action earlier from the start of Leg 2? Here are your highlights.

The Ocean Race: Highlights of leg 2 as the race sets off from Cabo Verde

20:30

Cabo Verde was a picture earlier this afternoon as the five IMOCA boats set sail for Cape Town...

Next stop Cape Town for The Ocean Race 2022-23 as Leg 2 gets underway

Image credit: Other Agency

The IMOCA class leave Cabo Verde for Leg 2 of The Ocean Race 2022-23

Image credit: Other Agency

The Ocean Race, Start of Leg 2 in Cabo Verde

Image credit: Other Agency

19:45

You can follow how the boats are getting on in Leg 2 via the race tracker.

Paul Meilhat's Biotherm have moved to the front as of now.

19:00

Relive the start to Leg 2 here as Guyot Environnment - Team Europe went off like a train!

Watch the start of Leg 2 of The Ocean Race 2022-23 as the IMOCA boats head for Cape Town

18:45

Team Holcim - PRB and 11th Hour Racing have just edged ahead of Guyot Environnment - Team Europe for the time being, meaning the running order after a hotly-contested start to Leg 2 is:

1. Team Holcim - PRB

2. 11th Hour Racing

3. Guyot Environnment - Team Europe

4. Biotherm

5. Team Malizia

18:35

Wondering what it's like out there on these IMOCA boats? Wonder no more...

'Trying to figure out what to hold on to' - The Ocean Race: What sailing on an IMOCA feels like

18:25

The boats are working their way out into the open waters, and what a scene it is with the volcanic Cabo Verde mountains as a backdrop.

For the moment, Team Holcim - PRB and 11th Hour Racing are locked in a battle as closest pursuers to Guyot Environnment - Team Europe.

18:15

You can't take your eyes off this in the opening stages! It's only the first mile, but every inch is being fought for.

And as they round Mark 1, it's Guyot Environnment - Team Europe still in the lead.

Team Malizia are currently bringing up the rear, over a minute from the front.

18:10

And we're underway with Leg 2 of The Ocean Race 2022-23!

A rapid start from Guyot Environnment - Team Europe!

18:05

Five minutes to the start!

18:00

The meteorological conditions could prove just as influential as the nautical ones as Leg 2 begins but all appears relatively benign at the start line, with a balmy early evening temperature of 23 degrees celsius, humidity of 60%, and a north-easterly wind speed of 10-15 kph.

17:50

A quick reminder as the start approaches. Leg 2 is a 4,600 nautical mile journey from Cabo Verde to Cape Town. The challenges are many for the five IMOCA boats: the infamous Doldrums winds, the Saint Helena high pressure system, AND fast-moving storms.

Hear from the skippers as they evaluate what's ahead...

17:45

"Just cooking your meal is a dangerous thing on these boats", says Boris Herrmann ahead of the start. Team Malizia's skipper misses Leg 2 due to burning his foot when he was trying to prepare food during Leg 1.

"He's trying to channel his energy into supporting us," adds Herrmann's British replacement skipper, Will Harris.

17:40

Some fascinating stats on our live coverage about the number of nautical miles each boat actually travelled to complete Leg 1. And it shows that there are very different ways to get from A to B...

1. Team Holcim - PRB: 2314.31 nautical miles

2. 11th Hour Racing Team: 2398.20

3. Team Malizia: 2306.81

4. Biotherm Racing: 2337.87

5. Guyot Environnement - Team Europe: 2435.74

17:30

Quite apart from being one of the toughest sporting events on the planet, The Ocean Race really does take place in a stunning setting...

GUYOT environnement - Team Europe in viaggio verso Capo Verde, The Ocean Race 2022-2023

Image credit: From Official Website

The Team Holcim-PRB Imoca class sailing boat takes the start of the 2023 Ocean Race, off Alicante on January 15, 2023.

Image credit: Getty Images

The Ocean Race 2022-23

Image credit: From Official Website

17:15

As a little appetiser of what's to come this afternoon/evening, here are some of the highlights from the Leg 1 start in Alicante. It feels like yesterday the boats were setting off from Spain, but we're already 10 days into The Ocean Race 2022-23!

Highlights: Watch start of The Ocean Race 2022-23 as IMOCA boats depart from Alicante

17:10

The dock outs have begun on a beautiful afternoon in Cabo Verde with just 20 minutes until the start of Leg 2!

16:40

Paul Meilhat and his Biotherm team finished fourth in Leg 1, and were happy to have made it safely to Cabo Verde.

Now the Frenchman - looking ahead to Legs 2 and 3 - says he will be looking to "push the boat more and more".

‘It was amazing!’ - Meilhat expects to ‘push boat more and more’ on Legs 2 & 3 of Ocean Race

16:30 - The IMOCA crews prepare to leave dry land

Not long before the sailors once again take to the water - and it's quite the atmosphere in Cabo Verde!

16:00 - How the table looks before Leg 2

A reminder of the team rankings so far with Leg 2 just 90 minutes away...

15:00 - Escoffier relishing arriving at ‘iconic sailing city' of Cape Town

The excitement is building ahead of Leg 2 of The Ocean Race. Kevin Escoffier – skipper of Holcim-PRB – says it will be amazing to arrive under the Table Top Mountain in Cape Town – a city he calls “iconic”.

“Cape Town is an iconic sailing city,” said Escoffier. “It is amazing arriving there under the Table Mountain – it is not only beautiful, but it is also the doors of the 1000 oceans. When we pass Cape Town, we know we are getting in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.”

Escoffier relishing arriving at ‘iconic sailing’ city of Cape Town

12:30 - A complicated forecast ahead of start of Leg 2

Leg 2 of The Ocean Race looks set for a complicated start.

The fleet would usually expect strong and steady trade winds - permanent prevailing winds that flow in the equatorial region – and thus a fast exit from the Cabo Verde islands.

However, the recent cut-off low pressure system currently north of Cabo Verde has shut off these trade winds.

And as Simon Fisher of 11th Hour Racing Team explains here, the lack of trade winds will lead to an expansion of the Doldrums, making the fleet’s passage south more complicated.

“If we had left a couple of days ago I think it would have been a quite straightforward trip down south,” said Fisher.

“But it is going to be a lot trickier now because the Doldrums are expanding.

“Those first three or four days down to the Doldrums are going to be pretty important. It’s about getting away from Cabo Verde smoothly and then somehow picking up the beginning of the trade wind as they rebuild efficiently. After that it’s about finding the right spot in the Doldrums.”

11:00 - The best on-board footage from Leg 1

The Ocean Race is widely regarded as one of the toughest challenges in all of sport, and Leg 1 produced some stunning moments captured by our on-board cameras.

The best of the on-board footage from Ocean Race 2022-23 Leg 1

10:00 - Malizia skipper Herrmann to miss Leg 2 after burning foot

Team Malizia skipper Boris Herrmann will miss the Leg 2 of The Ocean Race after suffering a severe foot burn in the opening leg.

Herrmann led his crew to a podium finish in Leg 1, finishing behind winners Holcim-PRB and the 11th Hour Racing Team.

But Team Malizia have announced that he will be unable to take part in Leg 2 after burning his foot with boiling water and receiving medical advice to sit it out due to the risk of infection while at sea.

“Boris is continuing to receive medical treatment and is recovering well,” said a note on the team’s website.

Britain's Will Harris will now skipper the team in Hermann’s absence, while French sailor Yann Elies joins the crew.

09:00 - WHAT HAPPENED IN LEG 1?

IMOCA

Team Holcim-PRB secured victory in Leg 1 of the Ocean Race.

Skippered by Kevin Escoffier, Team Holcim-PRB crossed the line off Mindelo, Cabo Verde in a time of 5 days, 11 hours, 1 minute and 59 seconds.

It was a commanding performance from Team Holcim-PRB, as Escoffier and his crew led for the majority of the race.

Team Holcim-PRB were involved in a fierce battle with the 11th Hour Racing Team, but the latter suffered a torn headsail and had to slow down to fit a replacement - and that enabled Escoffier to secure clear water and power away.

The top three IMOCAs finished within five and a half hours of one another, with Biotherm taking fourth and GUYOT environnement - Team Europe fifth in times of six days, eight hours, 47 minutes and 47 seconds, and six days, 12 hours, 20 minutes and 37 seconds respectively.

VO65

In the VO65 class, WindWhisper Racing finished in the early afternoon on Saturday as Pablo Arrarte led his team to victory.

The Polish flagged team finished in a time of six days, one hour, 11 minutes and 14 seconds after escaping the brutal conditions of the Mediterranean in the opening 48 hours of the race with a lead they would extend and protect.

Team JAJO took second, Austrian Ocean Race were in third, Ambersail 2 took fourth and Viva Mexico came home in fifth. Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team retired from the leg.

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What is The Ocean Race?

The Ocean Race is a yacht race which takes place around the world and was first held in 1973.

Since 1988, it has been run every three years.

The 2022-23 race will see sailors compete in either the IMOCA 60 class or the VO65 class boat. Both classes are capable of high speeds, and in the right conditions, can cover 600 nautical miles or more in 24 hours.

There are currently five teams signed up for the IMOCA 60 class and six for the VO65 class.

The Ocean Race is one of the sport’s Big Three events, alongside the Olympic Games and America’s Cup.

The winner is the team that finishes in the shortest time. The last edition of the race was the closest in history, with Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng Race Team winning by only 16 minutes after 126 days of racing spread across 11 legs.

The Ocean Race route in full

What’s the route for The Ocean Race?

The Ocean Race 2022-23 will visit nine cities over a six-month period, starting from Alicante, Spain, on January 15, 2023.

The race will finish in Genova, Italy.

Ocean Race route:

Leg 1: Alicante, Spain to Cabo Verde, leg start on January 15, 1,900 nautical miles - Team Holcim-PRB take win in Leg 1 of the Ocean Race 2022-23
Leg 2: Cabo Verde to Cape Town, South Africa leg start on January 25, 4,600 nautical miles
Leg 3: Cape Town to Itajai, Brazil, leg start on February 26, 12,750 nautical miles
Leg 4: Itajai to Newport, Rhode Island, leg start on April 23, 5,500 nautical miles
Leg 5: Newport to Aarhus, Denmark, leg start on May 21, 3,500 nautical miles
Leg 6: Aarhus to The Hague, Netherlands, leg start on June 8, 800 nautical miles
Leg 7: The Hague to Genova, Italy, leg start on June 15, 2,200 nautical miles