The Ocean Race Europe fleet returned to competitive action in Cascais, Portugal on Saturday where the 12 international teams representing nine countries took on the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy coastal race ahead of the start on Sunday 6th June, of the second offshore leg to the city of Alicante on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.
In the IMOCA 60s, Charlie Enright’s American entry 11th Hour Racing Team made most of the early running, but having led the five-boat fleet around the first two marks, on the way back upwind the United States foiler could not hold off the non-foiling Owen Clarke designed Offshore Team Germany, skippered by Germany’s Robert Stanjek.
Photo credit: Felix Diemer OTG
At the finish Offshore Team Germany took the win to collect three points, 11th Hour Racing Team took two points for second, with Thomas Ruyant’s Linked-Out closing out the podium for the final single bonus point.
"I think we managed very well in the conditions which were not suiting us, we managed to survive and keep in contact," said German skipper Robert Stanjek. "Then we just had a smashing downwind and Ben (Dutreux) made a really good lay line calls and we were in a good flow and we just closed in. I think technically we sailed pretty smart on the last upwind. It's a great feeling ahead of the leg two start tomorrow."
OTG’s win comes on top of an extraordinary performance by the recently modified 2010 boat. In a field which included some of the favourites from last year’s Vendee Globe Stanjek held the lead on the approach to the finish in an IMOCA 60 that although set up for foils, has not yet been fitted with them. OTG finished a mere 5 seconds behind Thomas Ruyant’s Linked Out and 3 minutes 15 seconds behind leg winner Corum (Nicolas Troussel).
Going into the second offshore leg the current standings in the IMOCA fleet are:
1 11th Hour Racing 6 points
2 Offshore Team Germany 5 points
3 Corum L’Epargne 5 points
4 Linked Out 4 points
5 Bureau Vallee 1 point