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We review the best waterproof cameras designed for underwater photography, from digital compact cameras to GoPro gadgets. Being on board a yacht offers access to some of the planet’s most bountiful waters. And whether you’re scuba diving, swimming or snorkelling, a waterproof camera is a key piece of equipment for photographing marine life or wrecks. If you’re looking for the best underwater cameras, there are three main types to consider: Digital compacts – much like a regular digital camera, compact cameras have a single fixed lens, often with a zoom option and a display screen. They’re usually produced in colourful shades to avoid being lost if dropped on the seabed. Action cameras – developed by brands like GoPro and DJI, action cameras are smaller and often don’t have a zoom function but can record much higher quality video. Easy to attach to clothing or helmets, they’re good for recording water sports. Disposable cameras – if you’re looking for something that’ll do a decent job on a low budget, you can also opt for a disposable underwater camera. The disadvantage is that you’ll need to take these to a store to have the photos developed afterwards. More advanced equipment such as mirrorless or DLSR cameras will produce higher quality optics, but are far more expensive and require specialised waterproof housing in order to be submerged. Compact, disposable or action cameras are easy to use for underwater photography beginners and can be in themselves waterproof to as deep as 25 metres, making them suitable for dive excursions. Their smaller size also means they create less drag in the water, are more travel-friendly and are affordable while still being able to capture images that can rival those taken by the latest iPhone. 6 of the best underwater cameras Fujifilm Finepix XP140 Reasons to buy – Waterproof to 25 metres – Wireless connectivity – Remote control option Reasons to avoid – No Raw support – “Old-school” design – Reduced 4K video quality compared to other models This FujiFilm underwater camera is reliably hardy. It offers the greatest depth for water submersion straight out of the box (down to 25 metres) while still providing 5x

Following the huge controversy surrounding the dropping of their skipper Clairsse Cremer, Banque Populaire has decided not to compete in the next Vendée Globe Cremer onboard the previous Banque Populaire IMOCA. Photo: IMOCA.org In early February Clarisse Cremer broke the news she had been dropped as skipper for the 2024 Vendée Globe by her sponsor Banque Populaire. Now, following a month of terrible coverage in the press the French bank, and long time sailing sponsor, has announced they will not participate in the forthcoming Vendée. In a statement on their website and on their social media channels the French banking giant stated: Banque Populaire now considers that the conditions are no longer met to be able to calmly approach the Vendée Globe and announces its withdrawal from the 2024 edition. Banque Populaire regrets the current situation and understands the emotion it has aroused in the public. Committed to the world of sailing for more than 30 years, Banque Populaire will continue to support clubs, schools, French sailing teams and its offshore racing team all over the world’s oceans throughout France. Banque Populaire will actively continue its involvement in work that helps advance the role of women in sport, particularly in ocean racing. IMOCA 60 skipper Clarisse Cremer, who has recently given birth to her first child, and who currently holds the record for being the fastest woman to sail solo around the world, raced for Banque Populaire in the last Vendée Globe, and was due to take the helm of the former Apivia for the same backers in the 2024 race. In a post on her Facebook page in early February Cremer announced she had been dropped and explained that, although she wasn’t obligated to, she had told her sponsors in February 2021 that she planned to start a family. Article continues below… The ‘motherhood penalty’? Controversy as Vendée Globe skipper Clarisse Cremer loses sponsor IMOCA skipper Clarisse Cremer, who has recently given birth to her first child, has been controversially dropped by her sponsor… “They still chose me for this new Vendée Globe and communicated our mutual commitment in autumn 2021. “I learned last Friday that Banque Populaire had finally

Whether you’re stepping aboard someone else’s yacht, or want a co-skipper’s support on yours, Elaine Bunting has key advice on how to be a valuable first mate Our image of the lone sailor as the hero of the high seas, battling the elements in isolation, does all the second-in-commands of the world a disservice. Every skipper needs a dependable first mate. Even solo sailors rely on someone ashore, somewhere, and those professional solo racing skippers that make the front covers usually have a whole technical team on call 24/7 to support and help them when equipment malfunctions or things go wrong. With a full crew, a first mate or second in command (call them what you will) may run the watch system, share in the decision making process, and help with repairs or problem solving. They can act as a co-skipper, making independent decisions on their watch, or have a specialised role such as navigation or weather routing. There is no template for this position. Ideally, a first mate brings complementary skills, but most importantly they are someone competent to take over should something happen to the skipper. A good first mate allows the skipper to sleep properly and be fully rested should something unforeseen happen. They have the skipper’s back. If that’s to be your role, what’s the best way to play it? If you are a couple sailing two-handed, how do you divide up the tasks, and who should be in charge of what? And if you are a skipper in your own right, perhaps with a yacht you are used to running your way, what is the most effective way of working cooperatively with another owner-skipper? First mate areas of responsibility German skipper Torsten Jonas is a very experienced offshore sailor. He has lived on his Hanse 575 Seaside on and off since 2013. He crossed the Atlantic in 2015, sailed back to Europe via the Azores in 2016, took part in the ARC in 2018 and crossed most of the Pacific with the World ARC in 2019. His intention was to sail as far as Fiji and stay there for a year. Then the pandemic happened.

This year’s RORC Caribbean 600 should feature a number of tight battles across a range for classes with four Volvo 70s and two MOD70s set to fight for monohull and multihull line honours Over 70 teams from 16 different nations are expected for the the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600 the 14th edition of the event, which will, start on Monday 20th February. The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Caribbean 600 is one of the great ‘600 mile’ ocean race challenges, along with such epics as the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. The Caribbean 600’s tropical setting might lull you into the false belief that this race t is not such a hardcore event as other offshore classics, but that would be misleading. The Caribbean 600 features a tortuous course between islands, that requires crews to work with currents, beat into tradewinds and coax their boats through wind shadows in the lee of islands on one of the most interesting offshore courses to be found anywhere in the world. The 600nm course circumnavigates 11 Caribbean islands starting from Fort Charlotte, English Harbour, Antigua and heads north as far as St Martin and south to Guadeloupe taking in Barbuda, Nevis, St Kitts, Saba and St Barth’s. Unlike previous years, the 2023 Caribbean 600 will not see any super-maxis competing. Last year we were treated to a battle between Comanche and Skorpios but with the former in Australia and the latter currently out of the water in Europe neither will be on the startline. Regular entrant, Rambler 88 is also not set to take the startline having competed in the Rolex Sydney Hobart race in Australia in late December 2022. This means the line honours win is likely to go to one of the four Volvo 70s set to take to the startline in the IRC Zero fleet. Maserati powering towards A Caribbean 600 finish. Photo: Arthur Daniel/RORC Multihull battle Two 70ft racing trimarans are readying for a multihull showdown; Giovanni Soldini’s foiling  Multi70 returns having missed out in 2022 to Jason Carroll’s Argo for Multihull Line Honours by just two minutes. Argo is in the Pacific and not taking

We take a look at some of the best new boat accessories that will be making its way to a shop near you in 2023 When it comes to picking the best boat accessories of any year, the Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) is the place to be, where many brands launch their latest gadgets and tech due to hit the market. Every year the Yachting World team attends this event to get the inside line on the newest gadgets coming to the boating world. METS is also the location of the illustrious DAME awards with one overall winner, five category winners and lots of special mentions, all of which form a good list of the best boat accessories and tech for 2023. We’ve picked out our favourite award winners and looked at some of the other eye-catching innovations to bring you our list of the best boating kit for 2023. Ocean Signal rescueMe PLB3 What is it? The first compact MOB beacon to combine AIS and satellite technology Who’s it for? Each and every person who puts to sea, particularly leisure sailors This new personal beacon arguably presents the best possible chance for a MOB casualty to be rescued, even if they are incapacitated. Ocean Signal has specialised in making compact antennae and personal beacons over the last decade. And, while you’ll have to forgive the barrage of acronyms, this rescueME PLB3 is very much the product many of us have been waiting for since personal MOB AIS beacons first started coming on the market. By integrating Cospas Sarsat beacon technology, as used by global rescue services, with AIS, it has created the most powerful means of alerting others to a MOB or distress situation. For those in VHF proximity to other vessels, the AIS MOB signal offers the most likely chance of a quick rescue. If this signal is not received by a vessel within range, then the 406MHz global satellite system will trigger a response suitable for the location. The PLB3 combines GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) positioning, 406MHz and 121.5MHz signals, plus the new Galileo Return Link Service (RLS) technology, which alerts users that their signal has

It was very close for the top three boats at the finish of The Ocean Race leg 2, which saw Kevin Escoffier’s Team Holcim – PRB take a second win Skipper Kevin Escoffier and his Team Holcim – PRB have won Leg 2 of The Ocean Race from Cabo Verde to Cape Town after a tense battle through the final miles of the race. At sunrise on Sunday 12 February, four teams were in the fight for the leg win, with Biotherm, 11th Hour Racing Team and the Holcim – PRB crews racing in lockstep in light and changeable conditions. Team Malizia was some 20 miles to the south, but then spent the next three hours just about sailing around the leading trio. But the light and fickle winds didn’t hold for them and in the end it was a three boat race among the northern trio. Just three hours before the finish, Escoffier and his team finally popped up at the head of the rankings, having been able to sail a slightly better angle at a similar speed towards Cape Town, creating the narrow separation necessary to eke out a winning position. This is the second consecutive leg win for Escoffier and his team, who maintain a perfect record, and will extend their advantage on the race leaderboard. “Biotherm had a huge night last night but for us, we knew we had to find the leeward (northern position) before the Cape Town coast,” Escoffier said. “We did a lot of sail changes and work to get this position. It took until about 40 miles from the finish line to get where we wanted to be and hold it to the end.” This is the second consecutive leg win for Escoffier and his team, who maintain a perfect record, and extend their advantage on the race leaderboard. Just 16 minutes behind came Paul Meilhat‘s Biotherm. This is a team that looks to be fast in the light conditions that were such a big factor in the last 36 hours of the race. “We know that our boat and crew have good potential and we can race [competitively] against the others,”

The World Cruising Club and Cruising Association have a busy programme of in-person cruising seminars to help you plan your sailing adventures this spring P2DNJ5 Sailing boats on the Kiel canal, Baltic Coast, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany World Cruising Club’s popular Ocean Cruising Seminar returns on March 25-26 2023 in Guildford, UK. The weekend seminar is suitable for any sailors considering the transition from coastal cruising to bluewater passage making. Industry experts will cover topics including refitting a yacht for offshore cruising, choosing communications equipment, sourcing and interpreting weather forecasts and heavy weather sailing techniques.  The WCC will also be hosting their ‘ARC Bluewater Open Boat’ event in Lymington on 10 June. The open day is designed for those looking for their first yacht, or to upgrade to an ocean-going yacht, with advice on what to look for in a bluewater cruising boat, how to plan a refit, and what it is like to sail across oceans as a couple. Speakers include industry experts, experienced and former ARC skippers and other cruisers. There is also the chance to meet other future ARC sailors. ARC sailors’ yachts and brokerage boats will be on display, with discussions on how to start the process of turning a weekend cruiser into an offshore boat, and key things to know about the process of buying a boat. For tickets and further information see worldcruising.com/training  Which yacht to choose for a bluewater adventure? The World Cruising Club open boat day and Ocean Cruising seminars can help you decide. Credit: James Mitchell/WCC The Cruising Association is also running a series of one-day in-person cruising seminars on popular sailing grounds which are open to non-members this spring. These are an opportunity to learn more about a cruising ground which may be new, or for those who want to extend their knowledge, from sailors who have recently sailed there. Saturday 28 January – Channel Seminar – https://www.theca.org.uk/channel-seminar-2023 Saturday 4 February – Round Britain Seminar – https://www.theca.org.uk/node/56482 Sunday 5 February – Blue Water Winter Seminar – https://www.theca.org.uk/events/bluewater-winter-seminar-050223 Saturday 18 February – Baltic Seminar – https://www.theca.org.uk/node/56482 Saturday 4 March – European Inland Waterways Seminar – https://www.theca.org.uk/events/eiws-seminar-040323 Saturday 11 March – Iceland, Greenland and Faroes Information Day – https://www.theca.org.uk/node/56484 Saturday 18

Sebastian Barrett and Xiara Scott shared a memorable expedition exploring the mountains of and sailing to Greenland aboard a Gunboat 68 It’s hard to imagine what life is like beyond the borders of our imagination. Sometimes, when you’re lucky enough, life presents itself with opportunities that take you into the realm of the unknown. That’s what our voyage to Greenland was. The trip came about through the combination of one man’s imagination, a crew hungry for adventure, and a remarkable boat to take them there. Sea Tilt’s owner had a dream to explore the wilderness of Greenland, and we – skipper Sebastian and chef/crew Xiara – were excited to make it happen. The first things that come to mind when thinking of Greenland are impenetrable ice sheets, towering mountains and the vast unknown. To this day parts of Greenland’s borders remain undefined due to constant shifts along its fluid coastline. Moored at Aappilattoq next to the only other cruiser we saw in Greenland. Photo: Sebastian Barrett In order for us to even begin planning for this endeavour, Sebastian began cross-referencing navigation charts with ice charts from previous years, looking for correlating patterns of ice-flow in June and July, so we could get a sense of what to expect. With little available in the ways of traditional cruising guides we had to get inventive, and our most valuable information came from getting in touch with people who’d made similar trips before, and hearing their first-hand experiences. As well as sharing practical information that wasn’t available elsewhere, they reassured us that it wasn’t as daunting as it seemed. The route around Greenland We originally considered the east coast of Greenland, but soon came to the realisation that a 68ft carbon hull versus the volume of ice in those waters would not be a good match. Eyebrows were raised, plans were changed, but everyone involved was happy to discuss what would be both possible and safest for boat, crew and guests. We set off from Halifax, Nova Scotia, then sailed to Newfoundland. Gradually the landscapes became more remote, and the temperatures started to drop. We made our final preparations before departing for Greenland

In the third of this new series on double handed sailing skills, Pip Hare explains outside gybes with an asymmetric spinnaker with two onboard Outside gybing an asymmetric spinnaker is an under-utilised technique by the average sailor – either as a double handed sailing skill or in a fully crewed environment. It can be trickier to learn than other techniques, and may require a little adaptation of your boat, but the outside gybe has some significant advantages over the inside gybe, particularly when trying to avoid the spinnaker ‘wine-glassing’ in a bigger breeze. A ‘wine glass’ happens when the clew of the spinnaker is eased, reducing leech tension and creating depth in the centre of the sail. This depth allows instability in the head and if a leech collapses inwards, wind can get onto the front surface of the spinnaker and will spin the head around to fill it from the wrong side. In severe cases this can escalate to multiple twists, or even wrap the spinnaker around the forestay. This is often a problem for short-handed crews without the luxury of many hands to help pull the spinnaker around quickly. A well performed outside gybe will keep the sail streaming to leeward so wind cannot get behind it. These techniques are designed for double handed crews sailing a yacht with an autopilot, and an asymmetric spinnaker. We’re sailing a J/99, which has a fixed bowsprit and hanked-on jib. Thanks to Key Yachting for their support. Ready for an outside gybe, main centred, spinnaker flaked and sheet in hand. Photo: Richard Langdon/Pip Hare Ocean Racing I find outside gybing physically easier to manage than the inside version on big boats with soft sails (rather than laminate gennakers) and in higher winds. It’s also well adapted for boats where the distance between the luff of the spinnaker and the forestay is very small – those with short bowsprits or cruising chutes that are flown from the stem head. Outside gybing will not work well in light airs, however. To best understand a successful outside gybe, you need to visualise the manoeuvre from a bird’s eye view. Start the gybe sailing at full power with

Flo, formerly Pierre 1er, is the iconic 60ft trimaran which Florence Arthaud sailed to win the 1990 Route du Rhum, now returned to its golden glory and racing again There are many iconic raceboats, but few capture the feeling of an era as much as the 60ft trimaran in which Florence Arthaud won the 1990 Route du Rhum. She beat Philippe Poupon, winner of the previous edition, by eight hours to become the first woman to win a major offshore race, inspiring a new generation of young women to follow in her footsteps. Arthaud had already broken the west to east transatlantic record earlier that year, taking a whopping 20% off Bruno Peyron’s existing time. She also became the first sailor to be awarded the title ‘Champion des Champions français de L’Équipe’. It was a remarkable turnaround for someone who, only four years before her first Route du Rhum, had been gravely injured in a car accident that left her in coma and hospitalised for six months. The pace of change in yacht design in the 1980s was as breathtakingly fast as it is today. Although they’re separated by only 12 years, this boat could hardly be more different to Mike Birch’s 39ft plywood Walter Green trimaran Olympus Photo in which he won the inaugural Route du Rhum in 1978. Birch’s boat, for example, had little more than half the beam of Arthaud’s. The ORMA 60 trimarans that quickly came to dominate the scene from the mid-1980s were huge vessels by comparison, built of the most hi-tech materials available, while their creators pressed hard against the boundaries of design and engineering knowledge. Pierre 1er, as the boat was originally named, was built to a VPLP design of fibreglass and Kevlar by Jeanneau’s former JTA (Jeanneau Techniques Avancées) division. iconic image of Arthaud at the finish of the 1990 Route du Rhum in Martinique. Photo: Thierry Martinez/ Sea&Co These boats had an unprecedented power to weight ratio that, despite their enormous inherent stability, led to a number of capsizes. This came to a head in the stormy 2002 Route du Rhum in which five boats capsized and only three of the

Unless you know you will be spending a considerable amount of time in severe weather conditions, then the coastal style range of sailing jacket will be more than sufficient. Let’s look at the best costal sailing jackets. The best coastal sailing jackets are more than able to deal with almost all conditions and races which the majority of us will ever experience. For this comparison we will look at sailing jackets which can deal with overnight races and short passages – but importantly they must be able to qualify for safety regulations of mid distance races with a built in hood and reflective patches. All manufacturers have a different labelling system but for all intense purposes this gear is a level down from the “all singing” full noise style of extreme offshore sailing jackets. Fastnets, Hobart’s, Bermuda races to less extreme trade wind ocean passages – the jackets are more than tough enough to keep you operating at 100%, and are a step up from the entry-level lightweight sailing jackets. These jackets always share the technology and lessons learnt from their slightly tougher ocean stablemates – but in a slightly lighter form. More than able to keep the elements at bay these jackets will serve you well, and if you are anything like me, they must essentially be up to those really wet dog walks. Let’s look at the best buys. Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. 6 of the best coastal sailing jackets Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore jacket Good all-round coastal sailing jacket Reasons to buy – Shares knowledge gained from front line racing experience – Good hood and storm face shield – Good price Reasons to avoid – Not the levels of Gore-Tex for protection – but not far off Helly Hansen have been involved with sailing for many years, from singlehanded to multi crew round the world racing they really have learned a lot about what is needed for the longer races. The Skagen jacket borrows a lot of what has worked well from their ocean range

As The Ocean Race is now effectively an “indoor” sailing event, where its legends concentrate on their slipper choice, us mere mortals still have to rely on gear that will protect us from the harshest elements our sport has to offer – here are the best offshore sailing jackets. With the ocean trying to enter at every possible opening, combined with the moisture produced within, there is a lot of attention to detail required to keep you dry. Whatever your position onboard, if you are comfortable then you can concentrate on the task in hand a lot better than if your kit is causing some rubbing, or damp issues to the skin. Even tacticians can get a little sweaty from driving and have been known to help out onboard in a crisis – yes honestly! – so a good offshore sailing jacket is essential kit for all, a your standard workaday sailing jacket just won’t cut it. As the only line of defence and the seriousness of protecting the wearer against the worst of elements, the best offshore sailing jackets can be relatively expensive. But when it’s 4am and you are huddled on the rail with your hood up, waves washing over you, how much would you pay to be warm and dry? So to avoid you setting up your own fully kitted up game of twister whilst someone points the garden hose at you, we have looked at what’s on the market and picked out what we believe to be the best offshore jackets available right now. Note: The current Ocean Race crews closer to slippers on this edition than in any previous race, (except the legendary tales of the old “traditional” navigators who were rumoured to finish a Whitbread leg with their wet weather gear still sealed in the wrapper). Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. 4 of the best offshore sailing jackets and smocks North Sails Southern Ocean Jacket and smock The best offshore sailing jacket you can get Reasons to buy – No stone unturned in

From winter series to mid-season overnight races, having a decent mid-layer is an important part of layering your clothing for maximum warmth, plus allowing for bodily produced moisture to wick away from the skin. Let’s look at 6 of the best mid-layer sailing jackets. Many of you will be lucky enough to live in tropical climes where the word thermal is only associated with a way to keep your Mai Tai cold on the way to the beach. But for the rest of us a decent mid-layer sailing jacket is used in well over 50% of the season. All-year-round sailing is now commonplace at all levels of the sport – and why not? With decent a mid-layer sailing jacket the “too cold for me” excuse sadly doesn’t work anymore, and many a rewarding day can be sailed in the off-season. So what is important when shopping for a mid-layer sailing jacket? Well obviously they need to keep you warm. They need to be comfortable enough to operate the various physical tasks in sailing without building up a reservoir of perspiration, so more often than not the outer layer of the mid-layer jacket won’t be a full waterproof shell, to avoid the full greenhouse effect and help the mid-layer to wick the moisture away from the skin. But that doesn’t mean that this type of sailing jackets can’t resist a small shower as they need to be up to that all-important impromptu visit to the club bar after sailing. Whilst on the latter, they do need a little style so as not to make you look like a poor homemade version of your local team’s mascot, or an amateur taxidermist’s experiment. The mid-layer sailing jacket is almost the most versatile piece of the layer system. If it’s really cold you can add a multitude of thin thermal base layers below. For a midsummer overnight sail, the thermal layer can be left ashore with the mid-layer sailing jacket thrown on “to take the egde off”. So let’s take a look at what’s new and the best available options at the moment. Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links

Whether to keep up with the changeable conditions of summer afloat or something to wear whilst ashore, the most essential piece of kit for any person with an interest in sailing is the lightweight sailing jacket. Let’s look at the best buys. As important a fashion piece as a barrier against the sudden and changeable conditions of summer, the choices of a lightweight sailing jacket are vast. Many companies devote more effort into the lightweight sailing jacket than into the full noise offshore kit. For this buyers guide we shall look at the lighter weight sailing jackets, the ones suited to warmer summer days afloat and so not to concentrate on the offshore jackets with a deeper thermal lining, although there are a lot of similarities and crossovers to these warmer versions. Our playground, even during the warmest seasons is changeable, so having an item of clothing which can protect against irritating weather is essential. They can be cumbersome to carry – so choosing a light and easily packable garment is important. But whilst protection against those showers and annoying waves is paramount, the fashion element is equally as important, so they must be as good on the rail as on the way to the restaurant. Let’s take a look at what is great for the season ahead. Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. North Sails – Inshore race Jacket Best all-round lightweight sailing jacket Reasons to buy Gore-tex pro – the best External adjustable cuffs Removable hood Uncluttered Reasons to avoid Higher end price (but best materials) Not the colour range of other brands North Sails have really hit the ground running with their full-on assault on the performance sailing clothing market, and yet again they have come into their field on top. One of the only brands to have chosen to go with Gore Tex at this level, you know you’ll be wearing the best, with many hours of experience from the many pro teams they have access to and the unmatched knowledge of Nigel Musto at the

The rankings have flipped over the weekend with 11th Hour Racing Team jumping into the lead of The Ocean Race as teams fight to get east After an extended doldrums crossing and a larger than usual St Helena high forcing the fleet way to the west of the Atlantic The Ocean Race fleet are finally back up to speed in the South Atlantic and are now locked in a drag race towards the finish of leg 2 in Cape Town, South Africa. The American-flagged 11th Hour Racing Team have pushed into the lead over the weekend as skipper Charlie Enright and his crew held their nerve over an early decision to take a westerly routing on the descent down the Atlantic and the choice paid dividends on Saturday afternoon and overnight into Sunday. Amory Ross reports from 11th Hour Racing Team: “From here it’s a bit of a zig zag course trying to gybe in the shifts and continue to use the windy features rolling west to east across the South Atlantic to get down, and to get east, quickly. We’ll keep zigging and we’ll keep zagging until we’re far enough south that we can skirt around the southern boundary of the St Helena High. At that point it’s just east, and eventually back north to Cape Town. We’re coming up on a relatively fast part of the course so the pedal is down and if the winds cooperate there should be some nice 24 hour runs in our future.” The team wakes up on Monday morning at the top of the rankings as the closest boat to Cape Town, just bow forward on Team Holcim-PRB and Team Malizia, who was the other big gainer over the weekend. Malizia skipper Will Harris and his team had also subscribed to the ‘west is best’ theory and went from a fifth place ranking, over 220 miles behind the leader, to being right back in the thick of things with the tight group of 11th Hour Racing Team, Holcim-PRB and Biotherm. “It’s so cool… We were 200 miles behind and now we’ve just gybed and crossed in front (of Biotherm),” said Rosalin Kuiper