Race Day in Cape Town - Team Holcim PRB take the win

HOW TO FOLLOW TODAY'S ACTION - click here

13:05 UTC - 15:05 local time -- Race Report
 

Team Holcim PRB wins in Cape Town
(this will be updated with more quotes when sailors return)

Team Holcim PRB (SUI) led the Cape Town In-Port Race presented by V+A Waterfront from start to finish in Cape Town. With the South African sun blazing down on the race course and the southerly breeze blowing 15-18 knots, conditions could not have been better for some fast and tactical competition.

A three-lap configuration on the square race course would test every team’s boathandling skills on these IMOCA boats, which are not designed for turning tight corners but for going fast in straight lines for hundreds of miles.

While GUYOT Environnement - Team Europe (FRA/GER) timed its start perfectly for a marginal advantage as the gun fired, it was Kevin Escoffier’s crew just to windward who were quickest to pop their blue-green hull up on to the hydrofoils and launch to an immediate and significant lead over GUYOT and the rest of the fleet.

Meanwhile Biotherm (FRA) had got stuck on a race mark even before the start gun was fired. Paul Meilhat’s crew were doing all they could to disentangle the IMOCA from the mark, but the fleet was long gone. Crewman Anthony Marchand jumped off the boat and on to the mark to protect the Biotherm hull and foils from any damage with less than 48 hours to the start of Leg 3. Reluctantly the team was forced to head for the dock, scoring 0 points from the In-Port Race.

By mark one of the three-lap square course, Team Holcim PRB had stretched to a lead of a few hundred metres. Further back was a tight battle for second, with 11th Hour Racing Team (USA) outmanoeuvring GUYOT Environnement in a simultaneous gybing duel. Charlie Enright’s American crew moved up into second, with Guyot now looking to defend third place from Team Malizia (GER) hot on their heels.

Team Holcim PRB stretched into a 500-metre-plus lead over 11th Hour Racing Team, who in turn had extended nicely on the boats behind. Team Malizia hooked into a gust that missed GUYOT and to skipper Benjamin Dutreux’s frustration Boris Herrmann’s crew slipped past the European boat and up into third place on the second lap.

After 43 minutes of racing, Escoffier’s crew celebrated an easy victory on board Team Holcim PRB, finishing more than two minutes ahead of Enright who scored a solid second for 11th Hour Racing Team. Team Malizia were third and GUYOT Environnement fourth across the finish line, although still two points up on Biotherm, long since retired from the In-Port Race.

"We're very happy," said skipper Kevin Escoffier of Team Holcim PRB. "We had a very good start, and we raced fast, doing safe manoeuvres, going straight and with speed. It was very shifty with Table Mountain behind us but now we can enjoy the view."

Now the teams have less than 48 hours to make sure their minds, bodies and boats are fully prepared for the start of Leg 3 and 12,750 nautical miles of adventure through the Southern Ocean to Itajaí in Brazil.

Results and points - Cape Town In-Port Race presented by V+A Waterfront
(Provisional)

1. Team Holcim PRB (SUI), 5 points
2. 11th Hour Racing Team (USA), 4 points
3. Team Malizia (GER), 3 points
4. Guyot Environnement - Team Europe (FRA/GER), 2 points
5. Biotherm (FRA), 0 points

12:58 UTC - 14:58 local time -- Boris Herrmann and Team Malizia complete the podium leaving GUYOT environnement - Team Europe in fourth place. 

12:54 UTC - 14:54 local time -- The win goes to Kevin Escoffier and Team Holcim PRB!! This is getting to be a habit for the winner of leg 1 and leg 2 now adding the Cape Town In Port Race presented by V+A Waterfront to their trophy cabinet. 11th Hour Racing Team takes second place. 

12:50 UTC - 14:50 local time -- The Race Committee confirms all boats are clean in terms of sailing the correct course, so it's Team Holcim PRB leading 11th Hour Racing Team, with Team Malizia in third and GUYOT environnement - Team Europe in fourth place --- Biotherm has headed home and scored Did Not Start after tangling with a start mark.

12:45 UTC - 14:45 local time -- A little bit of controversy in the fight for third place between Team Malizia and GUYOT environnement - Team Europe. With a mark drifting out of place, Malizia was able to cut a corner and grab a lead ahead of GUYOT... The Race Committe will need to rule on whether both boats have indeed sailed the correct course. 

12:36 UTC - 14:36 local time -- Kevin Escoffier and Team Holcim PRB lead heading towards the final lap, with 11th Hour Racing Team chasing. The wind is stable and the lead is relatively secure but it's not over yet. 

12:27 UTC - 14:27 local time -- It's Team Holcim PRB, ahead of 11th Hour Racing Team, GUYOT envrionnement - Team Europe and Team Malizia, with Biotherm retiring. 

"It's really disappointing," says Sam Davies from Biotherm. "It's great racing out there.

12:25 UTC - 14:25 local time -- While Team Holcim PRB continue to lead after one lap, Paul Meilhat's Biotherm has elected to head away from the course, scored as Did Not Start. 

1215 UTC - 1415 local time -- Biotherm appear to be entangled with a start mark and are well back.

12:10 UTC - 14:10 local time -- Kevin Escoffier has come out FLYING, leading the fleet off the starting line.

12:02 UTC - 14:02 local time -- This is the first time on 'new' foils for 11th Hour Racing Team, after they applied to the Race Committee for permission to make a change due to serious damage. "We were up over 25 knots in the Pro Am sailing the past couple of days, so I guess they're ok," said skipper Charlie Enright.

12:00 UTC - 14:00 local time -- The Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, is on board with Team Holcim-PRB for today's racing. 

11:44 UTC - 13:44 local time -- As a reminder, it was Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia who came out on top at the first In Port Race in Alicante in January. In light fickle conditions, Team Holcim-PRB failed to beat the clock on the time limit and didn't register a point. They'll be looking to get on the scoreboard today.

11:20 UTC - 13:20 local time -- This is a busy day for The Ocean Race sailors. With one eye on the impending departure for the longest leg in Race history on Sunday, the teams also need to focus on the task at hand today. This is just the second In Port race in the Series. As well as being a competition in its own right, the In Port Race Series rankings are used as a tie-break on the overall leaderboard.

11:05 UTC - 13:05 local time -- Conditions are forecast to be tremendous for racing today. Wind upwards of 15 knots, flat water near the shore, and great viewing from the breakwater off the V+A Waterfront.

10:45 UTC - 12:45 local time -- Dock out ceremonies nearly complete as the fleet heads out for Table Bay and stunning racing conditions.