Since departing Lanzarote on Sunday, the fleet initially compressed along the North African shoreline, bows edging steadily southwest as the wind gradient strengthened. By Day 3, that compression had eased. Courses opened, spacing increased, and the race slipped into its first true offshore phase — long miles, systems checks, watch routines and the steady accumulation of distance across open water. This is where the RORC Transatlantic Race begins to reveal its character.