NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island native Charlie Enright sailed the 11th Hour Racing team to victory in Leg 4 of the around-the-world Ocean Race, arriving in his home port of Newport on Wednesday about a half-hour in front of Team Malizia.
Race officials reported that Enright was welcomed to port by the bellowing of ship’s horns.
“In theory, almost all legs are worth the same points, but some legs mean more than others,” Enright said while en route to Newport. “There’s an anticipation mounting, and everyone has visions of what sailing into Newport will be like.”
11th Hour Racing moved into second place in the overall standings with 18 points, one behind the Team Holcim-PRB boat that dismasted shortly after leaving Itajai, Brazil, on April 23 and shipped its boat to Newport, earning zero points on the leg. Team Malizia is tied for second after finishing 31 minutes, 41 seconds behind 11th Hour Racing.
The GUYOT environnement — Team Europe boat also dismasted on the way to Newport and jury rigged the boat to travel the last 600 miles. The other boats overcame doldrums, gale force winds and a giant flotilla of seaweed to complete the 5,550-nautical-mile (6,387-mile, 10,279-kilometer) leg.
The six-month, seven-leg, 32,000 nautical mile Ocean Race began in Spain on January 15 and finishes in Genoa, Italy, on July 1. After an in-port race, the boats will leave Newport on May 21 for Aarhus, the Netherlands.
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