Biotherm wins Ocean Race Europe Leg 3 after going neck-and-neck with Team Holcim-PRB

Catch up on all the action from the Ocean Race Europe Leg 3, including an exhilarating face-off between Biotherm and Holcim-PRB and the challenging, unstable conditions in the Mediterranean.

In the latest from the Ocean Race Europe Leg 3, Biotherm is still defending its perfect streak from Leg 1 and Leg 2.

The race leader arrived in Nice just before dawn on 29 August, with Holcim-PRB following just twenty-seven minutes later. Both foiling IMOCAs averaged over 20 knots of boatspeed as they raced towards the finish line.

In third, Ambrogio Beccaria’s Allagrande Mapei, finishing just 53 minutets after Holcim-PRB.

“We didn’t make all good choices,” said Beccaria. “But we are improving so much as a team. Our boat is not designed to sail in light unstable winds like here, but as soon as we have wind we are flying. We love the boat and we love the team.”

Yoann Richomme’s Team Paprec Arkéa (FRA) – skippered on this leg by Corentin Horeau (FRA) for this leg followed in 4th, despite sustaining damage after a broken halyard sent the J0 headsail into the water.

The rest of the Ocean Race Europe fleet soon finished their 3-day, 680 nautical mile passage. The Mediterranean challenged sailors right up until the end, with unpredictable weather conditions, low pressure fronts, and sudden squalls of up to 70 knots.

“In the light winds it can be more work than in the strong winds,” said Malizia’s Boris Hermann. “We had all conditions – from reefed and small headsails to spinnakers. We used all the sails which is not normally the case on most legs. It was all-the-time full-on action and enjoyable racing. It was so motivating to have our competition in sight all the time.”

“It was an incredible leg,” added Holcim – PRB skipper Rosalin Kuiper. “I have never experienced something like this: so many manoeuvres, all the weather models were different to what we saw on the water. We had to be super flexible and dynamic and we didn’t sleep much – the crew is exhausted.”

Ocean Race Leg 3 at a glance

• Uncertainty over Mediterranean conditions, long nights of light airs and frequent sail changes along the Spanish coast
• Neck-and-neck race between Biotherm and Holcim-PRB before Biotherm regained the lead
• Unstable forecasts prompt a race course adjustment away from Ille de Giraglia to a virtual waypoint
• Team Amaala, trailing behind the fleet, is hit with gusts surpassing 70 knots

Leaderboard

1. Biotherm (Skipper: Paul Meilhat)
2. Team Holcim-PRB (Skipper: Rosalin Kuiper)
3. Allagrande Mapei Racing (Skipper: Ambrogio Beccaria)
4. Paprec Arkéa Team (Skipper: Corentin Horeau)
5. Team Malizia (Skiper: Boris Hermann)
6. Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive (Skipper Scott Shawyer)
7. (Still to finish) Team Amaala (Skipper: Alan Roura)

The start of Ocean Race Europe Leg 3

The fleet left Cartagena on the afternoon of 26 August in 12-17 knots of fresh north-easterly. Crews sailed upwind, braiding a neat line of tacks up the Spanish coastline.

Biotherm was again first through the scoring gate at Cabo de Palos, making the most of the ideal conditions and confirming their as-yet untarnished score.

All teams reported feeling unsettled by the incoming low pressure and the general meteorological instability of the Mediterranean.

Paul Meilhat of Biotherm commented before setting off, “There is low pressure on the way. We don’t really know what will happen but it will change the timings a lot – so we don’t really know what the course will be.”

“It’s going to be super challenging,” said Team Holcim-PRB’s Rosalin Kuiper. “We will prepare for every scenario and we will see when we are out there.”

Boris Hermann, who replaced Leg 2 skipper Will Harris onboard Malizia, says “The centre of that low might coincide with our biggest obstacle – which is the beautiful island of Mallorca. We might sneak very close past the northern coast of Mallorca, but other scenarios yield different routes. There will be surprises up until the end.”

Biotherm also made some crew changes for the Ocean Race Europe Leg 3, replacing Jack Boutel with fellow frenchman and Vendee Globe alum Benjamin Ferré.

First night of Ocean Race Europe Leg 3

Heading into the night, teams had to chose between preserving an ideal heading with less wind, or chasing stronger breezes offshore.

“It’s been breeze versus angle pretty much the whole night,” explained Team Malizia’s Cole Brauer. “You get a nicer angle going into the shore, but less breeze, so you kind of have to play both sides to find a little happy middle ground.”

The upwind conditions came with an intense workload for crews, demanding frequent tacks and constant trimming.

Italian sailor Ambrogio Beccaria of Allagrande Mapei was unfazed by the unpredictable conditions.

“I love Mediterranean sailing,” he commented. “I was born here and it is what made me love the sea. I hope she loves me too, but sometimes it is a difficult relationship and it is hard to understand what she wants.”

His team was considering several possible routing options. “We need to use our instincts,” he said of deciding tactics. “We like that.”

Biotherm and Holcim-PRB race neck-to-neck

The pace picked up after a long night of light, humid airs. Holcim-PRB’s Carolijn Brouwer described the conditions as: “Hot, sticky, sweaty – but fun.”

“I don’t know how many times we changed headsail – maybe five or six times – so it is a lot of work for the crew,” said Mielhat.

The middle of the second day saw 16 knots of northerly breeze, and Biotherm and Holcim-PRB locked in a close battle for first place. In some points, the two contenders were separated by just a half mile. Team Paprec Arkéa, closely followed by the rest of the fleet, fell another 12 miles behind.

Biotherm pulled ahead after a close battle, but the leading team never rested on its laurels.

Biotherm sailor Sam Goodchild (GBR) commented, “All night we felt like they were going quicker than us behind us and we were going into lighter winds – so we felt like they were catching up. The forecast was saying that we were going to park in front of Nice for a few hours to wait for the wind. All of that was not for relaxing.”

“The only moment we felt ‘we have got this’ was about half a mile from the finish line, when we could see wind between us and the finish.”

Holcim – PRB helmsman Franck Cammas commented, “We fought against Biotherm from the beginning to the end. Even two hours before the finish we hoped to overtake them. The battle is very nice. It’s what we love in The Ocean Race: to fight against the very best crew in the world and to be able to see them all the time.”

Brutal last day of the Ocean Race Europe Leg 3

Stronger winds arrived as the fleet approached the French coast, close to the island of Poquerolles.

In light of the meteorological instability, Race Control issued a course amendment that shifted the final turning mark of Leg 3 from the Ile De La Giraglia to a virtual waypoint 20 miles further to the northwest. The switch kept the fleet from having to round the island in potentially treacherous conditions, which are forecast to include thunderstorms and gale force winds.

The dismal forecast kept its promise when a sudden wind squall with winds reaching 70 knots sent Team Amaala skipper Alan Roura on deck to reduce sail (in his underpants!).

Roura commented that he has never experienced such heavy swells in the Mediterranean Sea before, and that maintaining the speed of the boat was of a lower priority than securing the sails to prevent them from being displaced from the deck of the boat.

“It was beautiful. We really enjoyed it so much,” he said after the finish, in typical good humour. “We love it when it’s stormy like this. Until the end we were in the game and that’s a good feeling. We were last, but not by so much!”

When is the Ocean Race Europe Leg 4?

The fleet will set off for Ocean Race Europe Leg 4 on 31 August for a 600 nautical mile spring to Genoa, Italy, which hosted the Grand Finale of the first inaugural Ocean Race Europe in 2021.

If you enjoyed this recap of the Ocean Race Europe Leg 3….

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