The Ocean Race has returned to Europe. After travelling around the world, the flotilla arrived in Aarhus, Denmark last week with Monaco’s Team Malizia within touching distance of the overall lead.

Monaco Yacht Club’s (YCM) Team Malizia are just four points off first-placed 11th Hour Racing, the current leaders of The Ocean Race. But it could have been even better for skipper Boris Herrmann and his team.

The Malizia-Seaexplorer closed the gap on second-placed Team Holcim-PRB from 40 nautical miles to just one in the dying stages as the flotilla approached the Danish shore, but ultimately, the Monegasque team couldn’t sufficiently close the gap and therefore finished third in the fifth leg of the prestigious sailing tournament.

However, it was nonetheless a leg to remember for Herrmann and all the crew. During the trip from Newport, US, Team Malizia sailed 641.13 nautical miles in 24 hours, setting the world record for covering the most distance in a monohull over a 24-hour period.

Fourth in an in-port race in Aarhus

Team Malizia are now third in the overall standings. They are three points behind Holcim-PRB and just four points off 11th Hour Racing. Everything is still to play for as the flotilla embarks on the sixth – and shortest – leg on Thursday, which runs from Aarhus to The Hague, The Netherlands.

“The fight is on,” said Herrmann. “We can still win this race. It will never be over, the final result will be decided at the finish in Genoa and we will fight until 1st July.”

However, in the meantime, the teams were involved in an in-port race in Aarhus. Team Malizia came fourth and therefore remains second in the in-port standings, behind the dominant 11th Hour Racing. Whilst the points accrued in the competition don’t count towards the overall rankings, they can be used to separate the teams in the case of a tie.

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Photo source: Yacht Club de Monaco