“We’re certainly behaving like we still have a chance,” Colman said, adding a warning for any rival that falters: “You want to beat people when they’re at their best, not when they’re broken down.”
MSIG Europe’s damage list grows: On top of the earlier furling line repair, the crew has now also ripped the track off the boom after it banged against the wind vane in rough conditions.
Malizia’s new boat, another rough night: The autopilot failed again overnight, requiring Cole Brauer and a woken Boris Herrmann to fix it by hand while hand-steering. A 30-knot squall hit mid-repair, forcing Julien Villion out to take a second reef. It’s the second traveler sheet replacement this week. Despite it all, Malizia won the day’s Super Sprint, its fourth win in five days, and leads the cumulative Super Sprint standings by two points over DMG Mori.
Current standings, distance to finish:
- United by the Ocean – 1327.6nm
- 11th Hour Racing – 1329.4nm (1.9nm behind)
- DMG Mori – 1387.3nm (59.7nm behind)
- Malizia – 1441.3nm (113.7nm behind)
- Embrace the Challenge – 1716.1nm (388.5nm behind)
- MSIG Europe – 1807.8nm (480.3nm behind)
A fast 24 hours up front: 11th Hour Racing, United by the Ocean and DMG Mori all covered over 520nm in the last 24 hours, 11th Hour Racing topping the fleet at 547nm, short of the 641.13nm record but genuinely quick sailing. 11th Hour Racing‘s boat was previously campaigned as Malizia 3, with Will Harris, on loan from Team Malizia, helping skipper Francesca Clapcich get the best from a design he already knows well.
Weather: The fleet is roughly halfway across the Atlantic, with the front four needing to track north over the coming day to stay in the breeze and avoid a developing light patch to the south.
