Race Update 1 - A Surreal Start

(C) Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Atlantic

Embrace The Challenge slipped away from New York City in wet fog, the skyline disappearing rapidly. There was the ceremonial start, then a long transition offshore towards the real start line.

That stretch gave everyone a chance to settle. The boat went quiet. People found their own space, did their own thing and started getting into race mode.

Sleep was patchy. The heat and humidity onboard made it difficult to get properly comfortable, but by the time the team reached the start area everyone was switched on an ready to race.

Mid-Ocean Race Start

There is something strange about six IMOCAs suddenly meeting in the middle of the ocean.

It is not often you get a true offshore start, with all the boats already out in full ocean conditions and still within sight of each other. At different points, all six boats were close enough to feel very connected. At one stage, United By The Ocean seemed almost to be match racing us.

Then it was 3, 2, 1 and off they go.

For the first few hours, we were ripping along steadily at 15 to 20 knots, all boats still very much in the same area of water.

Then came the first real tactical game. Who would tack first? Who would be brave enough to break away from the strong lift and head north, knowing it would feel painful in the short term but might pay later?

Malizia was the first to go, and that immediately started another round of discussion onboard Embrace The Challenge.

Was it the right moment for us?

 Our boat and sail package are different, so does that mean our timing should be different too? Do we stay in touch with the fleet? Do we commit north?

That is the loop everyone goes through before making the call.

Eventually the decision was made went, and for a time Embrace The Challenge was the most northerly boat in the fleet.

From there, the challenge became navigating a lighter patch of wind and trying to connect with the next system, hopefully the beginning of the express train towards France.

Life On Board – View From Our OBR

Paddy Condy our OBR (on board reporter) shares what life on board is really like.

“The mood onboard is good.

We are still in touch with 11th Hour Racing and United By The Ocean, two teams who know their boats extremely well. For us, that is proving incredibly valuable. Every hour alongside them gives us another reference point and another opportunity to understand where we are strong and where there is more to find.

Life onboard is still a work in progress.

It is hot, lumpy and this boat was never designed around five people living onboard. We are still figuring out the best sleeping positions, where people naturally want to eat and even where food needs to be stored so it is easy enough to reach that people actually eat it.

There is no better way to find those things out than by racing.

Morale is high too, and one part of my role as OBR is not only to show what is happening onboard, but also to keep an eye on whether the sailors are actually eating and drinking enough.

That is where Condy’s Coffee comes in! We have an espresso maker onboard and specially brewed coffee from Jasper’s on the Isle of Wight. Offshore, the small luxuries matter more than you think.

The team has also had a good laugh about my drone receiving what can only be described as a 'Viking burial'.

The little chap had clearly had enough and decided to ignore my instructions, crashing down into the waves. The end of a long, committed career at sea.

As I write this, the sun is coming up and we are back above 20 knots.

Every now and then you catch one of the sailors with a proper school-kid grin on their face. It is hard not to when you are moving this quickly across the Atlantic.

Then, almost instantly, the grin disappears and the focus returns: "How do we keep this speed?"

That is life on board right now.”