The Ocean Race: stage victory for Kevin Escoffier's Holcim-PRB

Masterfully led by Kevin Escoffier, the crew of Holcim-PRB won the first leg of The Ocean Race, the prestigious round-the-world race with stopovers, from Friday to Saturday night.

The Imoca, which sails under the Swiss flag but which has four Frenchmen on board (Tom Laperche, Fabien Delahaye and Julien Champolion, the on-board reporter, in addition to Kevin Escoffier) ​​crossed the finish line shortly after three o'clock in the morning , completing the first stage from Alicante in 5 days, 11 hours, 1 minute and 59 seconds.

A perfect start for this crew who dominated the proceedings of this opening round after taking the advantage over the competition on the second day of racing by emerging victorious from an intense tacking duel along the Spanish coast against 11th Hour Racing Team.

The American boat, the victim of a torn sail, let go before entering the Atlantic.

Second in the first leg, Charlie Enright's crew, arrived just under three hours behind the winners.

Team Malizia (Boris Hermann, Germany) completed the podium more than five hours behind the reference time.

Read alsoNugget of sailing, Tom Laperche sets off around the world for a great discovery

"

up," Escoffier said.

“

”, rejoiced the boss of Holcim-PRB who will return to the sea on January 25 with the second leg between Cape Verde and Cape Town.

The French boat Biotherm fourth out of five

At the foot of the provisional podium, the French boat Biotherm was 188 miles from the finish on Saturday morning at 10:00 am.

A smooth introduction for Paul Meilhat and his squad who will probably not win this round the world, long known as the Whitbread.

Last of the five boats to have been launched, Biotherm has a smaller budget than those of the competition.