On Saturday it seemed as if the race couldn’t get any closer. By Sunday morning UTC that was proved wrong.

Today, all four teams are lined up on a 13 mile line extending north to south, but separated by less than 3 miles on the leaderboard. All this after three full weeks of racing.


The Ocean Race 2022-23 Leg 3 Tracker – photo © The Ocean Race

The reason for the close racing remains a stubbornly persistent ridge of high pressure and its light winds that is acting as a barrier to the teams making progress to the east.

In these conditions, the wind is marginally stronger to the south, so the teams have been taking it in turns to gybe south, dropping down the leaderboard by a few miles as they move towards the ice exclusion zone, before making gains back when the next team dives south.


The Ocean Race 2022-23 Leg 3, day 21 onboard Biotherm. Team Malizia on sight.The Ocean Race 2022-23 – 18 March , Leg 3, day 21 onboard Biotherm – photo © Ronan Gladu / Biotherm

This should remain the dominant weather pattern until Monday when the ridge begins to dissipate and stronger winds return.

“There is a ridge of high pressure in front of us and a low pressure behind, so we are stuck a bit in the middle,” is the way Biotherm skipper Paul Meilhat explains the situation.


The Ocean Race 2022-23 Leg 3, day 21 onboard Biotherm. Drone view. Close racing between Biotherm and Team Malizia – photo © Ronan Gladu / Biotherm

It’s definitely worth taking a look at the Content from the Boats page today. In the relatively calm conditions, teams are doing repairs, boat and mast checks and plenty of drone flying.

When Team Malizia’s Rosie Kuiper went up the mast, she could see all four boats from the top of the rig, for example.

The Ocean Race 2022-23 Leg 3, Day 20 onboard Team Malizia. Drone view. Rosalin Kuiper on the mast, witnessing the close racing between Team Malizia and Biotherm © Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia

While the past couple of days provided a respite from typical southern latitude conditions, the forecast shows this will be shortlived, with the breeze coming on again to start the week.

The latest weather routings have the teams passing Cape Horn in one week, on 26/27 March, while the ETA in Itajaí, Brazil – with less certainty – is the first weekend in April.

The latest position are on the Race Tracker

Follow the racing at www.theoceanrace.com and www.eurosport.com/sailing

by The Ocean Race

YachtBoatNews

Recent Posts

17th CIC Normandy Channel Race

Now published, the Notice of Race for the 17th CIC Normandy Channel Race offers double-handed…

2 days ago

Fountaine Pajot FPY 70S

The FPY 70S introduces a new way of living at sea. True to the Fountaine…

2 days ago

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez

After the elaborate fireworks display, which lit up the Gulf of St Tropez on Friday,…

2 days ago

DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix Day

ROCKWOOL Racing are in pole position after the first four fleet races of the DP…

2 days ago

47th Régates Royales de Cannes

Generally, the last week of September in Cannes is favourable to sailing, and previous editions…

1 week ago

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez

The gentle majesty of sail was omnipresent in the port of St Tropez this Sunday,…

1 week ago