10
Aug 23
Best of The Ocean Race: Leg 2 & Cape Town, Racing South
The Ocean Race came to an end at the beginning of July and the team is taking a well-deserved rest but this doesn’t mean that you have to miss us over the summer! We have prepared a series of photo articles that we will share one by one in the coming weeks - so that you can relive the last 6 months of incredible racing around the world with some of the most memorable images!
by Hélène Katz
Let's go at it again! After a few stressful days in Cabo Verde, mostly due to Boris' foot injury, the crew is now back on the water racing in Leg 2 with Yann Eliès (right) jumping in. Nico Lunven is one the lookout as the crew sails around the Cape Verdean islands shortly after the start.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Not for the heart-fainted! Far from being afraid of heights, Rosalin checks the rig in 29 meters height at the beginning of Leg 2, always with a smile on her face.
© Rosalin Kuiper / Team Malizia
The Cape Verdean islands are only one of the many beautiful landscapes Team Malizia will get to enjoy in the coming months as they race around the world.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Day 5 on Leg 2 of The Ocean Race, and onboard reporter Antoine captures the vastness and beauty of the Ocean by flying over Malizia with a drone.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
31st January 2023: It's Yann's birthday! The team had prepared a few surprises and Yann was very happy to receive gifts from his family, here a drawing from his children.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
That day the team also crossed the Equator. A first time for Antoine and Rosalin who therefore got a visit from King Neptune, and had to go through a first-Equator-crossing ritual! They did well and after the ritual everyone got to toast to Neptune and the Ocean!
© Will Harris / Team Malizia
Navigator Nico spending many hours in front of the computer, analysing the weather files and coming up with the best possible strategy, day and night.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Big shoes to fill: Skipper Will Harris took over the leader role for the first time in this race. Always calm, collected, and driven by performance, the young Britton is loved, respected, and supported by the entire crew.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Day 10 into Leg 2, and there's always something to check or to fix onboard.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
As important as sailing is our mission to contribute to science, which is why we measured valuable ocean data with the Ocean Pack during the whole race. On Day 10, we deployed an Argo Float, which will measure CO2 and other data for 4-5 years in the South Atlantic and send is via satellite to scientists. It trajectory can be followed online and the float carries the signatures of children from a school in Alicante, marine geosciences students from 11 West African countries, GEOMAR scientists, and Team Malizia members.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Skipper Will on the tiller in the cockpit of Malizia - Seaexplorer. It's day 13 of Leg 2 and there are still many miles to go...
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Since the start of the race, the crew has been struggling with an issue: The unbearable noise boat makes at high speeds. The appendices of the boat, especially the keel make such a loud noise that, awake or asleep, the crew has to wear noise-cancelling headphones. And even those are not enough at times...
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Yann on deck checking the sails as the crew is speeding South.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Day 15 and more things to fix. The crew is now also sailing in higher latitudes and wearing warmer clothing. The Southern Ocean is calling...
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
18 days into Leg 2, Nico's beard has grown (a lot) but his mind is still as sharp as day 1. The unusually disturbed South Atlantic weather meant the quickest route to Cape Town would take the crew all the way south to the ice gate. Another perfectly timed gybe then put them into an excellent position in the lead directly between their competitors and the finish. As they make their way to Cape Town, will they be able to stay in front?
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
The crew reached the South African coast in the lead and it looked as if the race was theirs. Unfortunately a ridge of light winds blocked their way to Cape Town about 500 nautical miles from the finish. The team placed themselves slightly further south of the fleet hoping to take advantage of the increased pressure. This strategy was working perfectly until the very last miles of the race where the wind disappeared on them, not paying off in the end.
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
In the end, Team Malizia arrived in 4th place in Cape Town. Nevertheless, the crew and shore team were really proud of the achievement, of having shown that the boat is fast and our strategic decisions proved themselves. And it's still a long way until the Grand Finale in Genova!
© Alec Smith / The Ocean Race
After the arrival in Cape Town, on 12 February 2023, the technical team's long job list started: In only 14 days of refit, the team would have to make the boat ready for the big Southern Ocean leg and fix the noise issue which made life onboard so difficult.
© Jimmy Horel / Team Malizia
As the tech team worked on the boat, the education team and sailors hosted a public My Ocean Challenge kids event, at the Amphitheater located at the heart of the V&A Waterfront. Over 100 children attended the event!
© Marie Lefloch / Team Malizia
And we also organised another Malizia Sustainability Panel Debate.
© Ricardo Pinto / Team Malizia
The IMOCA fleet back in the water after two weeks of refit, during which the team checked, repaired, and prepared the boat for the challenging conditions of the Southern Ocean, and also successfully worked on the appendages of the boat to reduce the noise.
© Ricardo Pinto / Team Malizia
And we are racing in Cape Town! With a stunning Table Mountain view, the boats competed against each other in the second In-Port Race, the last event before the Southern Ocean leg...
© Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race
Back onboard for the big challenge. With his foot perfectly healed, Boris rejoined the crew in Cape Town, sailing in the In-Port race during which the team finished in third place. But his eyes stayed on the much anticipated next challenge: The Southern Ocean. Only two more days and they'll be off for the longest leg in The Ocean Race's 50-year history...
© Ricardo Pinto / Team Malizia