Ocean Globe Race: Translated 9 takes Leg 2

Katy Stickland

The Italian Ocean Globe Race team, Translated 9, have done it again and taken the top spot in Leg 2 of the retro round the world yacht race

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Translated 9 has taken line honours on Leg 2 of the retro Ocean Globe Race.

The Italian team, which is racing aboard the Swan 65, crossed the line at Auckland, New Zealand with a corrected elapsed time of 41 days, 7 hours, 50 minutes and 22 seconds, having crossed the start line off Cape Town, South Africa on 3 November 2023.

It wasn’t an easy finish though; the yacht ran aground 150m before the finish line, but the crew managed to start sailing again after a few minutes.

The crew of Translated 9 celebrate winning Leg 2 of the Ocean Globe Race

The crew celebrate their win. Leg 3 of the Ocean Globe Race will start on 14 January 2024. Credit: Aïda Valceanu/Ocean Globe Race

Translated 9 took first place in the IRC ranking for Leg 1 from Southampton to Cape Town.

Provisionally, the team has also taken first in the IRC rankings for Leg 2, although the French team, Triana could take this honour if the crew arrives in Auckland by Thursday; Triana is currently 527nm from the finish line and is expected to arrive early Friday morning.

The next arrivals in New Zealand are expected to be the French 73ft Bermudan ketch, Pen Duick VI, which has just 17nm to go, and the Finnish crew of the Swan 651 sloop, Spirit of Helsinki, which is 15nm behind Pen Duick VI.

Continues below…

Spirit of Helsinki took first place in the IRC rankings for Leg 1.

On arrival in Auckland, Translated 9 was welcomed by two of Sir Peter’s Blake’s Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race boats, Lion New Zealand and Steinlager 2. Sir Peter won the 1989-90 Whitbread aboard Steinlager 2 after the team won all six legs of the race – the only time a Whitbread team has completed this feat.

Sir Peter Blake's Whitbread winning Steinlager 2 sails alongside Translated 9. Credit: Ocean Globe Race

Sir Peter Blake’s Whitbread winning Steinlager 2 sails alongside Translated 9. Credit: Ocean Globe Race

The Swan 65, which was raced by Clare Frances in the 1977 Whitbread Race as ADC Accutrac, is co-skippered by Vendée Globe veteran, Vittorio Malingri, Vittorio’s son, Nico is First Mate.

“It feels so good. It was a long leg and pretty tricky but it is like a dream come true because it was a technical one [leg] and we were lucky not to have very big, big storms and a lot of high pressure and we managed to push when it was the time and keep cool when we had to. The crew performed amazingly,” said Nico.

Vittorio Malingri added: “We are now looking forward to having fun, drinking beers and taking a rest.”

Unlike Pen Duick VI which took the northerly route approaching Australia, sailing through the Bass Strait between Tasmania and Australia, Translated 9 took the traditional route, keeping Tasmania to port, a tactic which has paid off.

All of the remaining Ocean Globe Race teams are expected to arrive in Auckland before Christmas, except Sterna and Explorer.

Both of the crews are disqualified from the Leg 2 rankings, having returned to South Africa to complete essential repairs; Explorer suffered a damaged furler and lost a genoa, while Sterna was hauled out in Mossel Bay for rudder maintenance.

The teams have faced heavy winds and storms, and still have 5,500nm to sail to reach Auckland, and should arrive at the start of Leg 3 on 14 January 2024.

Sterna’s crew have also had to deal with a broken steering cable in 50 knot south-westerly winds and 5 metre seas. The team continued sailing under bare poles and emergency tiller until the wind and weather eased, where they were able to fit their new Dyneema steering cable.

Positions of the 2023 Ocean Globe Race fleet – Leg 2: Cape Town to Auckland at 1130UTC on 12 December 2023. These positions will change under the IRC rating. Line honours are shown below. 

First to cross the line: Translated 9 (Italy)

Pen Duick VI (France)
Spirit of Helsinki (Finland)
Maiden (UK)
Triana (France)
L’Esprit d’Equipe (France)
Neptune (France)
Evrika (France)
Outlaw (Australia)
Galiana with Secure (Finland)
White Shadow (Spain)

Disqualified from rankings for Leg 2

Explorer (Australia)
Sterna (South Africa)

Retired:
Godspeed (USA)

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