Team Holcim-PRB Wins Tight Finish to Take Leg 2 of The Ocean Race into Cape Town

After more than 4,600 nautical miles of ocean racing from the Cape Verde Islands, threading down the Atlantic and through the fierce latitudes of the Roaring Forties, Skipper Kevin Escoffier and Team Holcim-PRB edged out a dramatic victory in Leg 2 of The Ocean Race. The win came on Sunday after an intense final-day duel with Biotherm and 11th Hour Racing Team, when the three leaders closed on Cape Town in near-sight of one another.

The final hours of a long ocean leg saw the top IMOCAs locked in close company. At sunrise, the three boats were sailing in light, tactical conditions and were within visual range of each other as they approached the Mother City. Light winds at the finish demanded precise sail trim and course choice; small differences in angle and timing determined the result after weeks of racing.

Three hours before the line, Escoffier and his crew found a slightly better angle toward Cape Town, allowing Team Holcim-PRB to slip ahead. That move proved decisive. After more than 17 days at sea, only three miles and roughly 25 minutes separated the top three boats at the finish — a remarkably small margin in a mixed-fleet ocean race where boats are not one-design and performance differences can be significant.

This result marks the second consecutive leg victory for Escoffier and Holcim-PRB, consolidating their position at the front of the leaderboard and reinforcing their credentials as one of the strongest contenders in the IMOCA60 class. The win highlights the importance of steady strategy, seamanship and timing across a long and varied ocean passage.

The Ocean Race Leg 2 showcased the complexity of modern ocean racing. IMOCAs are high-performance offshore yachts designed for demanding conditions, and this leg tested boats and crews with a mix of long ocean miles, variable winds and the powerful systems of the Southern Ocean. Throughout the leg, teams managed navigation through strong weather systems, shifting wind bands and the tactical choices that accompany racing in a mixed fleet.

Following the Cape Town finish, race organizers will stage an in-port race to give local fans a chance to see the boats close to shore and for teams to shake out systems before the next offshore test. Leg 3 is scheduled to begin on February 26, with the fleet sailing from Cape Town to Itajaí, Brazil.

For those tracking the competition and standings, the shortened gaps at the end of this leg underline how every decision at sea — sail configuration, routing, weather interpretation and crew work — can alter outcomes in long-distance sailing. The narrow margin of victory here will keep the leaderboard tight and the tactical battles intense as The Ocean Race moves on to its next stage.

Leg Two IMOCA60 Results

1. Team Holcim-PRB — winner
2. Biotherm — distance to finish: 3.4 miles
3. 11th Hour Racing Team — distance to lead: 0.7 miles
4. Team Malizia — distance to lead: 11.6 miles
5. GUYOT environnement – Team Europe — distance to lead: 53.2 miles

Read more on The Ocean Race website for full race coverage, team reports and updated standings.