The Final Sprint - But are the new boats quicker? - Ocean Race Atlantic Pt3

A fast Atlantic sprint. Punishing conditions. Breakdowns, tactical reshuffles and a four-boat fight that went right down to the wire. But most of all, the big question on many people’s minds, are the new boats quicker? The Ocean Race Atlantic from New York to Lorient may have been short by IMOCA standards, but it delivered plenty of drama. Boris Herrmann’s Malizia saw their charge compromised after hitting something in the water and damaging the system controlling the port foil. Embrace the Challenge suffered a blown-out mainsail. And at the front, shifting winds and a high-pressure system compressed the fleet and turned the final stages into an intense tactical battle. With 11th Hour Racing, DMG MORI, Malizia and Paul Meilhat’s United by the Ocean fighting for the podium, crews pushed hard — even switching off the autopilot and steering by hand in search of every last fraction of speed. But there was another story playing out alongside the sprint to the finish. When the breeze was on and the sea state became more demanding, the pace of the latest boats offered a tantalising glimpse of what this new generation might be capable of. But, as the results rolled in the IMOCA form guide was still far from sorted . So, while the racing was closer than ever and went right down to the wire, the Ocean Race Atlantic delivered as many questions as answers at the end of the 3,000 mile sprint. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Final Sprint 00:40 Malizia’s Foil Problems 02:11 The Fleet Compresses 03:21 A Complicated Run to the Finish 04:58 Embrace the Challenge Strikes Back 05:44 Humans vs Autopilot 07:10 Four Boats, One Finish 07:27 United by the Ocean Takes the Win 09:00 The Rest of the Podium 09:42 What Malizia Learned 10:42 So, Are the New Boats Quicker? Facebook - @planetsail.org Website - www.planetsail.co.uk Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-sheahan Instagram - matthewsheahan