The Ocean Race 2022-23 - Leg 5: Updates and live tracker as fleet leaves Newport, Malizia win In-Port Race

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It's back! The Ocean Race 2022-23 has returned for Leg 5, with the four-strong fleet sailing from Newport, Rhode Island to Aarhus, Denmark.

Team Holcim - PRB saw their lead slashed in the IMOCA class after dismasting during Leg 4, with 11th Hour Racing Team taking maximum points to move within one at the top of the standings. Team Malizia share second spot, but are behind courtesy of an inferior In-Port Race record - even though they kicked off Leg 5 with victory in the short format race, despite late drama.

The Ocean Race

Race Report, May 22: Team Malizia win In-Port race as fleet leaves Newport

A DAY AGO

Here are the current standings:

https://i.eurosport.com/2023/05/22/3710043.jpg

Widely regarded as one of the ultimate sporting challenges in any field, The Ocean Race's 14th edition started in Spain as the IMOCA fleet embarked on a race which will take them more than 60,000km across the globe.

You can follow all the latest developments across The Ocean Race on Eurosport and discovery+.

Meanwhile, you can follow the progress of the boats via our live tracker - and stay up to date with the race via our live updates below:

Tuesday May 23

08:30

Fresh from their Leg 4 win, 11th Hour Racing Team are setting the early pace as the teams motor into the Atlantic.

With just under 3,000 nautical miles left to race, here were the teams' respective positions as of 08:00 UK time this morning:

Monday May 22

17:55

Some updates from the crews, now. Malizia skipper Borris Herrmann said on Sunday night: "It's been a nice start. We have the spinnaker up, but the wind is turning to the right so we will have to change to a flatter sail.

"We can see 11th Hour Racing Team over there, so it's all very good. Quite gentle sailing."

Kein Escoffier on Team Holcim-PRB, is optimistic.

"The leaders touched the wind shifting forward first (out of Newport), and we were able to come back a bit. But then we fell into a light spot and they gained, but we are within about a mile of Malizia, so it's good," he said.

16:45

11th Hour have now moved into the lead, with a 7km nm lead over Holcim-PRB.

Behind them, by just 0.4nm, is Team Malizia. Biotherm are in fourth spot 15.1nm back, with GUYOT environnement - Team Europe not in the race.

12:00

Team Malizia and 11th Hour Racing Team are neck-and-neck, albeit on different paths, with the pair trading the lead throughout the early running.

11:00

The race is on to be first to Aarhus, Denmark!

Race Report, May 22: Team Malizia win In-Port race as fleet leaves Newport

Sunday May 21

22:50

It was a dramatic end, as Team Malizia edged over the winning line to claim victory in the In-Port race at the start of Leg 5 and the highlights are here.

Highlights of In-Port race and start of Leg 5 as Team Malizia claim win

21:00

Hear from Team Holcim-PRB's Abby Ehler on that early close call between her boat and that of Team Malizia...

20:45

Team Malizia take five points for their triumph, with the current Leg 5 departure standings here:

1. Team Malizia

2. 11th Hour Racing Team

3. Team Holcim-PRB

4. Biotherm

20:30

Team Malizia have done enough! They trickle over the line to win the In-Port race to kick off Leg 5!

11th Hour Racing Team follow them over the line not far behind.

20:20

Drama here as Team Malizia seem to have more or less parked up just yards before the In-Port finish line as they hit a wind shadow. This should have been a procession for the German boat but it's a lifeline for 11th Hour Racing Team! Or will they get stuck in the same area?

20:10

This was a pretty jaw-dropping moment...

20:00

Malizia round mark three well in the lead, followed by 11th Hour Racing. There is a long old gap to Team Holcim-PRB and Biotherm in third and fourth respectively.

19:50

Those two boats - Team Malizia and 11th Hour Racing Team - are still out in front as they travel under the amazing Newport Bridge which frames Narragansett Bay.

Which way will this one go?

19:40

And that's Team Malizia into the lead as they round mark 2 ahead of 11th Hour Racing - what a line they took there!

19:30

The field is bunching up! Team Malizia are now right on the shoulder of 11th Hour Racing Team - they could do worse than follow the route of Charlie Enright's boat, who know these waters so well.

19:25

11th Hour Racing Team continue to make the pace early on, storming along at 12 knots per hour and rounding Mark 1 in first. For now, the order is:

1. 11th Hour Racing Team

2. Team Malizia (+179 metres behind)

3. Biotherm (+393m)

4. Team Holcim-PRB (+537m)

19:20

The wind has suddenly dropped and the boats are trickling along the In-Port course for now. Given they only started minutes ago, there are already some pretty big gaps between the boats...

19:17

Drama at the start as Team Malizia pull an overtake on Team Holcim-PRB and come extremely close to hitting the Committee boat marking the start line! That was tight!

19:15

Leg 5 of The Ocean Race 2022-23 is underway! And it's a wonderful start by 11th Hour Racing Team!

19:10

Five minutes until Leg 5 is go. A reminder that we begin with the In-Port race...

19:05

10 minute countdown to the start...

Quick weather watch:

Conditions: Sunny
Temperature: 20 Degrees Celsius
Humidity: 49%
Wind: 18 KPH W

18:50

It's been a wonderful send-off for the four boat crews...

The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 21 May 2023. Dock out for the In-Port and start of Leg 5 in Newport. Team Malizia.

Image credit: Other Agency

The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 21 May 2023. Sailors parade for Leg 5 in Newport. Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong passing the Baton to Team Malizia skipper Boris Herrmann.

Image credit: Other Agency

The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 21 May 2023. Dock out for the In-Port and start of Leg 5 in Newport.

Image credit: Other Agency

18:45

11th Hour Racing Team are now making for the open water...lots of support for the home town team!

18:30

A reminder that you can watch live coverage with us as of now - just follow the player link above!

18:25

Next to dock out are Team Malizia...

18:15

Right then, who are you backing from the three-way battle? Or can Biotherm spring a surprise?

18:05

Great scenes as Team Holcim-PRB - having dismasted in Leg 4 - are back on the start line. Their boat looks gleaming in the Newport sun as they begin their dock-out.

17:45

Buckle up everyone!

17:30

For anyone wondering why we haven't had a chat with Guyot Environnement - Team Europe, they haven't made the start line for Leg 5 due to their dismasting on Leg 4.

Their skipper Benjamin Dutreux said this week that they are determined to return to the race, but have a "lot of work" to do, with their boat being sent to Europe for repairs.

17:10

Last but by no means least, let's hear now from Boris Herrmann, whose Team Malizia are right in the hunt for overall victory with just three legs to go.

Herrmann said: “Leg 5 is an exciting one. It is an iconic, ocean racing leg, and there is excitement up to the finish.

"Currently, things couldn’t go any better for our team and for the race as a whole. We are now in joint second position on the scoreboard with 11th Hour Racing Team, only one point behind Team Holcim-PRB so almost on equal points. We have everything to race for. Biotherm is not too far behind, they could come back into the podium game.

Boris Herrmann

Image credit: Getty Images

"Anything can happen, we need to stay focused and keep up the good work.”

17:00

In the latest skipper interview, Leg 4-winning Charlie Enright of 11th Hour Racing Team says now is the time to "push, push, push".

“This feels like a reset, like a brand new race," he said, ahead of the Leg 5 start. "You race differently when the scores are different. Our win here was absolutely amazing, but I don’t want our team thinking that’s the pinnacle of the race. It was a good feeling, but if we do what we are setting out to do, there’s a better feeling waiting for us [at the end of the race] in July.

“The question is how much risk are we willing to take? You all know how many struggles we had in Leg 3, how many technical difficulties, and that meant we weren’t able to race in the way we wanted to.

"Leg 4 has shown that we can deliver, and we’re in the right place in terms of reliability - now is the time to push, push, push."

16:30

It's the turn of Biotherm skipper Paul Meihat to come in front of the microphones now, and though his team are down in fourth in the overall leaderboard, he is bullish about performing well on the latest leg of this "crazy adventure".

“It’s a bit rough because we’re just off the pace," Meilhat said. "We’re making progress, but so are our rivals. It’s kind of hard because it feels like we’re playing with different weapons to the others. Our focus is more on project management.

The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 2 March 2023, Leg 3 onboard Biotherm. Paul Meilhat watching the sunset.

Image credit: Eurosport

"Beyond that, we knew what we were getting into and we have to accept it. We need to keep our heads down and focused on our goals. Being here, being a part of this crazy adventure, is already quite something and we’re doing really well.

"Added to that, we’re alive, we’re not far behind the others and there are 10 points up for grabs in this leg.”

16:00

Team Holcim-PRB lead the overall standings by just one point from 11th Hour Racing Team, despite retiring from Leg 4 after dismasting.

Hear now from their skipper Kevin Escoffier on how repairs on his boat have gone, and how he is looking ahead to Leg 5.

"Obviously the first few days, we will have to regain confidence in our rig, even if the work of the technical team has been impressive," Escoffier said. "In just a few days, we've managed to get a boat back into an impressive state of performance and racing.

"All the boats are progressing. 11th Hour Racing Team has just put back its pair of V2 foils and has just put on new sails. Malizia has improved in speed.

"We will have to be at 100% of our skills, at 100% of the boat to hope to win in Aarhus. That's normal. It's a very high-level race, and that's why we're here. We have the crew for that, we have the boat for that, we have the team for that."

The Ocean Race 2022-23 - 23, April 2023, Leg 4 onboard Team Holcim - PRB. Skipper Kevin Escoffier giving instructions via his headset.

Image credit: Other Agency

15:45

It was an extra special Leg 4 win for 11th Hour Racing Team in Newport, with their skipper Charlie Enright hailing from Rhode Island.

Here he was reacting to his team's momentous win, and getting home...

'Truly wild!' - Enright reacts to home win in Leg 4 alongside daughter Maggie

15:00

Here's a quick reminder of The Ocean Race 2022-23 leg schedule, and which team have won each so far. Four down, three to go...

Leg 1 - Alicante to Cabo Verde - Winner: Team Holcim-PRB
Leg 2 - Cabo Verde to Cape Town - Winner: Team Holcim-PRB
Leg 3 - Cape Town to Itajai - Winner: Team Malizia
Leg 4 - Itajai to Newport - Winner: 11th Hour Racing Team
Leg 5 - Newport to Aarhus - Begins today, May 21
Leg 6 - Aarhus to The Hague
Leg 7 - The Hague to Genova

14:45

We are edging nearer the start of Leg 5, and here is all the info you need to watch the action live...

13:30

Before the action gets going later, let's look back at all the arrivals in Newport that brought Leg 4 to a close. Treacherous weather conditions, two dismastings and a home winner made it a leg nobody will forget in a hurry...

‘Pretty amazing!’ – Watch the arrivals in Newport after Leg 4 of the Ocean Race

11:00

After yesterday's postponement, the In-Port Race will effectively be the inshore component of the Leg 5 start on Sunday.

Racing is scheduled to begin at 2:15pm local time - follow it all live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com.

SATURDAY MAY 20

17:30

The update we had all feared has dropped in, and sadly there will be no In-Port Race for us today. The weather in Newport, Rhode Island is not safe enough for the organisers to proceed with confidence.

The official statement reads: "Due to deteriorating weather, Saturday's In-Port Race in Newport has been postponed and will take place on Sunday, ahead of the start of Leg 5.

"Safety is a top priority for The Ocean Race. With a forecast for increasing winds, deteriorating visibility and rain squalls with very strong gusts, it has been decided to postpone the In Port Race until Sunday.

"The weather forecast is for good racing conditions on Sunday and the In Port Race will be incorporated into the race course for the Leg 5 start."

15:00

There has been no indication yet, officially, that the race in-port will be called off. That could change abruptly but for now it's business as usual.

8:20

There's a potential cancellation that needs to be considered this morning. There is a significant storm expected, at the same time as the In-Port race.

We'll expect a decision early today about whether the race should go ahead, but it is not expected to start the departure of Leg 5 proper on May 21.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to Eurosport's live coverage of Leg 5 of The Ocean race 2022-23.

This is the penultimate stage of the race and is going to be a particularly important one because points will count double on this leg. All eyes will be on the tense battle at the top where leaders Team Holcim-PRB have had to speed through emergency repairs to their boat after a dismasting on Leg 4. Can 11th Hour Racing Team or Team Malizia, both just one point behind the leaders, make a move?

Before all that starts on Sunday though we have the In-Port race later today!