Biotherm: 'It could have gone either way'

Skipper Paul Meilhat says his Biotherm crew could just as easily have finished first or fourth on leg 2 and he's satisfied to grab a second place. 

On the final morning of the leg, with about nine hours of racing left, Biotherm, Team Holcim-PRB and 11th Hour Racing Team were in a tight cluster matching wits and manouevres as they raced towards the coast.

Just to the south, and in better breeze, was Team Malizia. And for a little while that morning, it even appeard as though the German team might sail around the other trip and take the win. 

In the event, it was too far around and the fight would be between the tightly packed trio. And it wasn't until the final hour that it was clear Kevin Escoffier's Team Holcim-PRB had stolen in front. That left the fight between Meilhat's Biotherm crew and Charlie Enright's 11th Hour Racing Team for second place.

"It was a scenario that we expected three days ago but you think, ok the forecast says we will finish at the same time, but you don't really trust it," Meilhat said. 

"Today was perfect with 11th Hour Racing Team and Holcim-PRB... It was so tricky and crazy. But at the end the finish line was perfect with the spinnaker, 20 knots of speed, sun, Cape Town. It was perfect.

"We are lucky to be in front of 11th Hour Racing Team and with Holcim-PRB. It could have been 11th Hour Racing Team in first. It's a good story tell."

"It shows that offshore racing is amazing," said Amelie Grasse, sailor on Biotherm. "After 18 days of offshore racing we crossed the line within minutes of two other boats. It's crazy!"