Biotherm leads the fleet around the top of Denmark

Skipper Paul Meilhat and his crew have settled in following the excitement of the start from Kiel yesterday.

After leading the fleet through the Kiel Lighthouse scoring gate to earn the first two points of The Ocean Race Europe, Meilhat and his team on Biotherm have kept the pressure on, sailing fast and smart through the first night, with Yoann Richomme's PaprecArkéa a constant companion.

“The start was super intense, and we definitely burned a lot of energy,” said Richomme last night. “It’s true that the evening and night unfolded at a really relentless pace,” added Biotherm’s Amélie Grassi this morning.

“With the coastline so close, heavy traffic, small buoys and the wind being pretty unstable, we got very little rest. For a long time, all four of us were in the cockpit working!” Amélie admitted that she “only started resting in the middle of the night,” and even then only in “very short naps.” They frequently had to adjust the course or fine-tune their trajectory.

In that game since the start, Biotherm has handled things best and continues to lead the pack.  “We got off to a great start, with good sensations right from the beginning,” Amélie pointed out. “We had a clear plan for onboard organization and sail trim to make sure we were fast. So far, it’s gone without a hitch.”

But the fun, fast, flat reaching conditions are long past. Since turning left at Skagen at the top of Denmark, the top five teams in the race have been short tacking upwind, into the teeth of a 15-20 knot westerly wind - it will be bumpy, loud and unpleasant onboard.

The wind is forecast to build slightly throughout the day before easing overnight, meaning rest will be hard to come by during this first full day at sea. 

Across the crews, everyone is thinking of the sailors of Holcim-PRB and Allagrande MAPEI Racing, who had to turn back after their collision. “We all saw the footage – it was shocking,” said Yoann.

“It was a blow to morale; it’s tough to lose two competitors like that,” added Amélie. “We all hope they’ll find a way to get back in the race.”

Back in Kiel, as Monday dawns, both Team Holcim PRB and Allagrande MAPEI Racing continue their damage assessment and repair process as the first step to being able to continue in the race. More details are expected throughout the day Monday.