This is called a successful freelance. Charlie Dalin, who came to compete in the 5th stage of The Ocean Race, the round the world trip with crews with stopovers, won this Monday morning this stage counting double on Charlie Enright's American boat. 11th Hour Racing Team won after only 7 days 8 hours and 49 seconds of sailing, almost 4 hours ahead of the Holcim-PRB of Kevin Escoffier (and Charles Caudrelier), followed five minutes later by Team Malizia.
«
I'm super happy with this win here in Aarhus, on the occasion of my first participation in The Ocean Race. It was extremely fast, I feel like I left Newport two days ago. It was really great to sail so intensely," explained Charlie Dalin, second in the last solo Vendée Globe and in preparation for the next one scheduled for 2024.
Tight standings
With this success in Denmark, 11th Hour Racing Team takes the lead of the general classification with 28 points, Team Holcim-PRB remaining in the race for the final victory with 27 points, Team Malizia of Boris Hermmann counting 24 and Biotherm of Paul Meilhat 13, far ahead of Guyot Environnement – Team Europe of Benjamin Dutreux, who dismasted on this stage in Newport and Aarhus.
Kevin Escoffier, who broke the 24-hour (640.91-mile) distance record in this express heat, after dismasting in the previous one, came back into the game, but not enough to win. "I think we sailed fast and as well as the others," commented the former Vendée Globe castaway. We had some problems, at first we had to trust our (new) mast, then we broke the 24-hour record, but it was not enough. The new IMOCAs are quite extreme, fast but not very comfortable. I can tell you that doing 640 miles in 24 hours is really not comfortable... But by finishing in second place, we still have the opportunity to win The Ocean Race." The next stage between Aarhus (Denmark) and The Hague (Netherlands), via Kiel (Germany), will start on 8 June.