The fleet in The Ocean Race Atlantic has turned east, straight into a low-pressure system that promises a pure test of speed across much of the remaining course.
Four days after leaving New York, and three days after a start that sent boats south-east before swinging them north, the competitors are now pointed towards Lorient, still a long way off. But the tack they're on could, according to Samantha Davies of DMG MORI Sailing Team, "be the last one for quite some time."
Team Malizia remains out front, though the top five are separated by very little. All five have turned east and put the foot down.
"The wind has filled in, we've started putting reefs in the mainsail, and now we're absolutely flying," says Benjamin Ferré, sailing with United by the Ocean.
This is what the forecasts have been promising for days: a pure speed test that has now properly begun.
Where each boat has chosen to sit within the fleet is worth watching. Malizia, which has led since the start, is running slightly further north than its rivals, a tactical call that seems to be paying off early.
Boris Herrmann's crew is quicker for it, averaging 18 knots over the past four hours. At 0700 CEST they had 19 knots of wind on the dial, against 17 knots for United by the Ocean in second and 11th Hour Racing in third, both sitting further south.
DMG MORI, currently fifth, is tracking behind the two chasing boats. Embrace The Challenge, in fourth, sits somewhere in between.
"The key challenge over the next few hours is choosing where to position ourselves relative to the low-pressure system that will accompany us across a large part of the Atlantic," Ferré explains. "Although we can still adjust our course slightly, the die has already largely been cast."
Staying ahead of the system's warm front should bring even more pace. There's a real prize on offer too: the crewed 24-hour distance record for The Ocean Race, held by Malizia since 2003 at 641.13 nautical miles, is within reach, a notable storyline for this first edition of the race.
There's also the daily "Super Sprint" to chase, a 20-minute timed dash each day that hands out points on a separate leaderboard, though it has no bearing on the overall race winner. Think of it as an intermediate sprint, cycling-style. Malizia won the first one; Team Francesca Clapcich powered by 11th Hour Racing took yesterday's. The third round runs Friday, streamed live on The Ocean Race's YouTube channel from 1700 to 1730 CEST.
Amid the grind, Ferré offered a small window into life aboard.
"There was no more water coming over the deck, so we stayed outside for a little while, looking at the moon and the stars. It was beautiful."
A brief calm. It didn't last.
"As soon as we start going fast, life on board becomes nearly unbearable," he continues. "The first hour is hell, but then gradually, you get used to it."
He finishes with a smile: "You get used to living in hell surprisingly easily."
