Team 11th Hour Racing finished just minutes ahead of Team Malizia after a down to the wire neck and neck push for the finish line in Newport, RI on May 10th, 2023. The leg was a grueling 17 days covering 5068 miles of ocean.
© Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race
The last days of leg 4 saw the team fighting through the last few punishing days of intense weather with a storm throwing over 50 knot winds and high seas at the teams making their way in the final sprint to Newport. During that time Team Biotherm suffered a mast breakage and removing their chance to catch up to the 2 leading teams.
11th Hour Racing Team won Leg 4 of The Ocean Race, leading the fleet into their hometown of Newport, Rhode Island on a spectacular spring afternoon in New England. Skipper Charlie Enright was beaming as he stepped ashore, moments after his team held off Team Malizia to cross the finishing line for their first leg win of the event.
“This means so much to all of us,” Enright said. “Timing is everything and to be able to get this result, on this leg, coming to our home base in Newport feels incredible. Everybody on the team played a role and did their part. “It feels so good to see all the boats on the water and the people here on shore to welcome us and share this with us. We’re grateful for the support and happy we could get the win for everybody. “It wasn’t an easy leg.
Over the 17 days of racing north from Itajaí Brazil, the teams had to manage numerous transitions between weather systems, from the southern hemisphere tradewinds, through the doldrums and into the north Atlantic trades. A storm just two days out from the finish brought wind gusts over 50 knots and a brutal sea state, conditions that veteran on board reporter Amory Ross described as ‘terrifying’. And through it all, 11th Hour Racing Team and Team Malizia exchanged the lead over a dozen times, before Enright and his squad emerged with the win Wednesday afternoon. “This was a great race,” said Team Malizia skipper Will Harris. “It was close racing, which is something we always like, and it sets us up nicely for the legs ahead. “The results today, combined with overall race leader Team Holcim-PRB having to retire from the Leg after dismasting on day four, mean the top three teams on the leaderboard will be within one point when the transatlantic race starts on Sunday 21st May. Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm crew is still at sea racing towards Newport, with over 150 miles left to run.
| Their ETA has slipped into Thursday as the boat is mired in lighter winds. Leg 4 positions (as at 20:00 UTC on Wednesday 10 May 2023) 1. 11th Hour Racing Team – 5 points 2. Team Malizia – 4 points 3. Biotherm – racing 4. GUYOT environnement – Team Europe – suspended racing 5. Team Holcim-PRB – retired from leg – 0 points The latest positions are on the Race Tracker and the leaderboard is available hereThe 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 For more on The Ocean Race, visit our website: www.theoceanrace.com |
| About The Ocean Race Since 1973, The Ocean Race has provided the ultimate test of a team and a human adventure like no other. For nearly 50 years, it has kept an almost mythical hold over some of the greatest sailors and been the proving ground for the legends of our sport. The 14th edition of The Ocean Race started from Alicante, Spain on January 15th 2023, and will finish in Genova, the Grand Finale, in Italy early in the summer of 2023. The race visits nine iconic cities around the globe over a six-month period (Alicante, Spain – Cabo Verde – Cape Town, South Africa – Itajaí, Brazil – Newport, RI, USA – Aarhus, Denmark – Kiel Fly-By, Germany – The Hague, the Netherlands – Genova, Italy) and features a leg with the longest racing distance in the 50-year history of the event – a 12,750 nautical mile, one-month marathon from Cape Town, South Africa to Itajaí, Brazil. The IMOCA fleet of mixed crews will pass all three great southern Capes – Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn – non-stop, for the first time. Along with five confirmed foiling IMOCA teams racing around the world, six one-design VO65 boats will race on three legs with an option to compete for a new trophy within The Ocean Race called The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup. Sustainability in The Ocean Race We have a proven commitment to sustainability, and with the support and collaboration of 11th Hour Racing, Founding Partner of the Race Sustainability Programme and Premier Partner of The Ocean Race, we are inspiring action and creating tangible outcomes. Building upon our award-winning legacy in sustainability, our innovative Racing With Purpose program is acting as a catalyst for positive change and accelerating the application of innovative solutions to help restore ocean health. |
