A close, tight, battle

After their second night at sea, the seven crews are continuing their crossing of the Bay of Biscay. This afternoon they are expected to cross Cape Finisterre, a decisive passage before arriving tomorrow in Matosinhos-Porto for a three-hour stopover. The gaps remain razor-thin: the top five are within less than 6 miles. Several times, Holcim-PRB has sitched places with Biotherm at the head of the fleet - the tension is high.

At a time when many Europeans are on holiday, enjoying long summer days, leisure, and putting off the return to routine, the contrast with these men and women, far from shore, who are battling so fiercely to give their very best, is stark. The seven crews of The Ocean Race Europe are giving it their all once again. And even if the weather is offering only light to moderate conditions, it has the merit of keeping the suspense alive.

This second stage is particularly important: it’s the longest, and the points on offer are doubled, with half being assigned on Wednesday in Matosinhos-Porto at this unique-format Fly By.

The three-hour, rolling stop at the Fly-by in Matosinhos-Porto, scheduled for Wednesday morning, allows teams to score equal points to leg one, so no one wants to ease off the big push right now.

The weather has played its part: yesterday, the windless zone off Ushant acted as a 'new starting line'.

As Nicolas Lunven (Holcim-PRB) explains: “It wasn’t easy because the current was strong, and it forced us to regroup, restart together, and avoid having some friends slip away ahead.”

Sébastien Marsset (Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive), whose team made a nice gain at Ushant said:

"We were really very happy with our choice at Ushant yesterday. It was a decision we had anticipated for quite a while. The fact that we stuck with it and owned it, was satisfying, especially as it allowed us to get back in touch with the pack. It was interesting because it kept us in the game. And right after that, we were able to really race, stay in contact. It was great fun, and we love that! The atmosphere on board is excellent, everyone is very focused. The only discussion between us is over who gets the best bunk at the end of each watch!"

There’s a lot of game left to play
Next came the Bay of Biscay, a very familiar playing field in offshore racing. This time, no autumn storms or exhausting conditions. “It was a superb day,” says “Nico.

“We were sailing on flat seas, reaching. There was little wind, but as soon as you pass 13 knots, the boat accelerates sharply.”

The conditions didn’t really allow a clear hierarchy to form, as the crews remain within close range of one another.

While Team AMAALA (7th) and Allagrande Mapei Racing (6th) have fallen slightly behind, the battle at the front is intense, especially between Biotherm and Team Holcim PRB, who have been trading the lead since yesterday afternoon.

“It’s true that the fleet is very tight and there’s a lot of the game left to play,” says Paul Meilhat. “We managed to get a small advantage last night, but the night was tougher: the wind suddenly dropped, and Holcim PRB took advantage.”

The weather is expected to remain similar in the coming hours. “We’re continuing down the Bay of Biscay in light to medium conditions,” explains Nicolas Lunven. “You can have between 8 and 12 knots of wind with some angle variations. Basically, it’s straight ahead with a few small adjustments.”

All attention now turns to Cape Finisterre, which the crews should reach by late afternoon. “We’ll have a westerly wind to approach it, but the question is whether or not to tack to get past. Strategically, that’s very interesting,” says Paul Meilhat.

Once Cape Finisterre is behind them, it should be more of a speed race down to Matosinhos-Porto, where the first arrivals are expected late Wednesday morning.

“This stopover is a bit unusual; we won’t have much time to enjoy it,” Meilhat reminds us. But the skipper keeps smiling: “I hope we’ll get to meet some people and maybe receive some small gifts—sardines and Pastéis de nata. That would really please the whole crew!”

Race coverage is available on www.theoceanrace.com as well as via media partner Warner Bros. Discovery and their Eurosport, TNT Sports, HBO Max and Discovery+ platforms. See our How to Follow guide here.