The Ocean Race Leg 4: Team Holcim-PRB work on plan after dismasting while 11th Hour Racing Team leads fleet north
![The Ocean Race Leg 4: Team Holcim-PRB work on plan after dismasting while 11th Hour Racing Team leads fleet north](/resizer/picscache/730x450c50/d2382972dd4eaae001612f456f584afd.jpg)
Kevin Escoffier's team is down but not out after dismasting while leading Leg 4...
Near 0500 UTC, while the boat was racing east in moderate northerly winds and sea state, the mast on Team Holcim-PRB came crashing down. Skipper Kevin Escoffier had a message sent to Race Control that the crew was safe and again shortly afterwards that the boat was secure and no assistance was required.
"We very well. We were leading in with our fresh, new crew on Holcim-PRB. We had a mechanical failure and the mast came down,"
Escoffier said. "That's life. We are working now on a jury rig to go back to the harbour to be able to be back in the race as soon as possible. The team is working hard to find a solution." While this is a big blow to a team that has won 19 out of 20 possible points across the first three legs of The Ocean Race, the competitor in Kevin Escoffier is not giving up.
The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 26 April 2023, Leg 4 Day 3 onboard Biotherm. Skipper Paul Meilhat on the pedestal, holding the autopilot remote close by. © Anne Beauge / Biotherm / The Ocean Race
"If we are going to get to Newport, the start is on the 21 May, and if we can get there we will still be leading The Ocean Race, so we're working hard to make that happen," he said. The Holcim-PRB team is looking at all options, including whether it would be possible to get a spare mast to Brazil in time for the team to resume racing in Leg 4, thereby securing at least one point and rejoining the fleet in Newport in time for the transatlantic Leg.
If that proves logistically impossible with timing, other options could include shipping the boat and spare mast separately to Newport in time for Leg 5 (also very tight on time), or Aarhus for Leg 6. All this will be decided in the coming hours - for now, the boat and crew are safe and the team has options to get back into The Ocean Race.
The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 26 April 2023, Leg 4 Day 3 onboard 11th Hour Racing Team. Charlie Enright fixing a small tear in the J2 while it’s high and dry. © Amory Ross / 11th Hour Racing / The Ocean Race
"Shocking news. Luckily no one is injured, but it's an incredible shame. Kevin sailed such a strong race. We actually passed him on sight tonight, spoke briefly on VHF," said Robert Stanjek on GUYOT envrionnement - Team Europe, no doubt sharing the sentiments of all the competitors.
"We suffer with them, of course. You wouldn't wish that on anyone." Elsewhere on the water, 11th Hour Racing Team has moved up one place to take the lead, with Team Malizia just 10 miles behind and Biotherm close as well. GUYOT envrionnement - Team Europe is 30 miles in arrears, but holding pace over the past 24 hours.
The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 26 April 2023, Leg 4 Day 3 onboard GUYOT environnement - Team Europe. A Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) having a break onboard.The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 26 April 2023, Leg 4 onboard
The fleet is breaking free of the exclusion zones which opens up some of the tactical options.
The latest positions are on the Race Tracker and the leaderboard is available here
The latest news is at www.theoceanrace.com and you can follow sailing’s greatest round-the-world challenge on Eurosport with every leg departure live and on-demand on discoveryplus.com or Eurosport.com
Cover photo © The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 27 April 2023, Leg 4 Day 4 onboard Team Holcim - PRB. Team Holcim-PRB, dismasted during the night, approximately 20 miles off the coast of Brazil.The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 27 April 2023, Leg 4 Day 4 onboard Team Holcim - PRB. Team Holcim-PRB, dismasted during the night, approximately 20 miles off the coast of Brazil.The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 27 April 2023, Leg 4 Day 4 onboard Team Holcim - PRB.
Ti Potrebbe Interessare Anche
37^ America's Cup: Rob Wilson coaching corner di INEOS Britannia in vista della regata...
Per tutti i team che partecipano alla 37a America's Cup Louis Vuitton, uno dei ruoli chiave è probabilmente quello degli allenatori, che rappresentano...
37^ America's Cup: Ben Ainslie attende con ansia la regata preliminare
Uno dei team più seguiti della Louis Vuitton 37a America's Cup è stato senza dubbio il Challenger of Record, INEOS Britannia, che fin dall'inizio...
Campionato Italiano Team Race Optimist: a Marina di Ravenna vince la Fraglia Vela...
Marina di Ravenna, 23 luglio 2024 - Si è chiuso ieri, con la vittoria della Fraglia Vela Riva il Campionato Italiano Team Race Optimist, evento...
37^ America's Cup: un mese alla regata preliminare finale
Manca solo un mese all'inizio della terza e ultima regata preliminare della 37a America's Cup, che inizierà giovedì 22 agosto 2024 e si concluderà...
37^ America's Cup: Terry Htchinson guarda alla terza regata preliminare
Rappresentare lo yacht club più famoso del mondo potrebbe essere un peso per alcuni, ma non per il New York Yacht Club American Magic, uno dei team...
Jajo Dutchsail Woman vince l'Eurosat 69F Youth European Championship 2024 mentre...
Acquafresca (Lago di Garda) - L'EUROSAF 69F Youth European Championship 2024 si è concluso presso il Acquafresca Sports Center lungo la sponda veneta...
Youth Championship: le parole a caldo degli Azzurrini sul Garda
Sei titoli mondiali, sei medaglie d’oro, il Nations Trophy alzato al cielo: il bilancio della giovane vela italiana al grande Youth Sailing World...
Motonautica, fine settimana sfortunato per Martina Barbarini in Estonia al Campionato...
Le noie al motore non hanno permesso a Martina Barbarini della C&B Racing Team Academy di essere competitiva a Tallin in Estonia, nella gara del Campionato...
37^ America's Cup: Max Sirena si concentra in vista della regata preliminare finale...
Chiunque abbia seguito il programma di ricognizione congiunta negli ultimi due anni sarà ben consapevole di quanto Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sia...