Race 2, Day 24: Henri Lloyd sets Ocean Sprint benchmark time

Different tactics are playing out among the fleet with hopes high for racing the 300 mile Ocean Sprint section of the course in the fastest time possible.

Henri Lloyd has set the benchmark so far with a time of 29 hours 55 minutes, beating Qingdao’s time of 30 hours 42 minutes. The two opposing teams are followed by OneDLL in a time of 30 hours, 55 minutes, PSP Logistics in 32 hours 29 minutes, GREAT Britain in 32 hours 14 minutes, Derry~Londonderry~Doire in 33 hours and 9 minutes, Jamaica Get All Right in 33 hours 49 minutes and Old Pulteney in 34 hours 9 minutes.   

Olly Cotterell, skipper of OneDLL, describes the tactics at play during the Ocean Sprint.

“As it was, the wind did not go round so the only option really available to us when we worked out distances and speeds was to follow the great circle route (shortest route to Rio) with good boat speed under our Yankee 1. This is the tactic that the yachts ahead of us employed as are the yachts immediately behind us.

“We do not know the results yet. I have to say it looks mighty close though. The nice thing about the Ocean Sprint is that anyone can win it and the further down the fleet you are the more likely you are to go for the shortest distance through the gate so this competition is still wide open and should make for interesting viewing.”

The overall winner of the two extra points will not be known until all 12 yachts have completed the Ocean Sprint.

For more details of the Ocean Sprint, read the skippers’ reports here. You can keep an eye on the fleet’s progress here at the Official Race Viewer.