The tension is higher than ever in The Ocean Race Atlantic. The top four boats — DMG MORI Global One (1st), United by the Ocean (2nd), 11th Hour Racing (3rd) and Team Malizia (4th) — are separated by less than 50 miles. They should soon pick up stronger winds again as they race towards Lorient, where they are expected to arrive on Thursday.

For now, the rough seas, 40-knot gusts and low grey skies are behind them. On Monday, the leading crews sailed across relatively flat seas in 15 to 20 knots of wind. This morning, the leading boats were sailing at no more than 15 knots. A high-pressure bubble ahead of them is expected to gradually move south, opening the door for the fleet to benefit once again from the approaching low-pressure system. 

The key right now is positioning and finding the shortest route to the finish. This also explains why Malizia, which was 120 miles laterally from DMG MORI Global One yesterday, has managed to close the gap to 80 miles.

While the battle between United by the Ocean (2nd) and 11th Hour Racing (3rd) grabbed most of the attention yesterday, DMG MORI Global One appears to hold a slight advantage thanks to its more southerly position. Kojiro Shiraishi and his team continue to demonstrate the potential of their boat, which was launched at the beginning of the summer.

Around 1,100 miles remain for the leading teams, who are expected to cross the finish line in Lorient this Thursday. Further back, the gap is widening between the leaders and Embrace the Challenge (5th) and MSIG Europe (6th). The two trailing boats are sailing in a different weather system and are currently 330 and 426 miles behind respectively.

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