In the Mediterranean, the suspense is just beginning

Biotherm on top, in a league of its own

Before the start in Kiel, Paul Meilhat had never won a leg of The Ocean Race. His Biotherm team had come close during the 2023 round-the-world edition (2nd in Cape Town, 2nd in Genoa) but had never claimed victory.

That is now history: Meilhat and his team have won the opening two stages of The Ocean Race Europe. Even more impressively, Biotherm has scored the maximum possible points (25), by also leading at both Scoring Gates and the Fly By in Matosinhos-Porto.

“I still can’t quite believe we finished first every time,” said Amélie Grassi last night. “Everything flows really well onboard, there’s a great working energy, and you can feel a real friendship is forming.”

Biotherm has been able to capitalize in light airs, medium winds, and upwind conditions — areas where their rivals seem less comfortable — while also improving downwind in stronger breezes. But as Pascal Bidégorry (Paprec Arkéa) points out:

“Since the start, Biotherm has been a step above. They sail well, cleanly — there’s nothing to criticize!”

“They don’t seem to have a weakness,” adds Franck Cammas (Holcim-PRB).

The question now: can they keep control all the way to Boka Bay?

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The battle among the chasing pack

At both Matosinhos-Porto and Cartagena, the fight went right down to the wire. In Portugal, a sail configuration issue for Holcim-PRB the night before arrival allowed Paprec Arkéa to grab second place. By Spain, the situation had reversed: Holcim-PRB gained the upper hand after a “small positioning error” from its direct rival, according to Yoann Richomme.

“Of course we’re disappointed with the result, but not with our performance in the leg,” said the Paprec Arkéa skipper at the finish.

Holcim-PRB has been steadily collecting points since leading through the gate in Portugal.

“We’re in the fight, with the best boats and crews in the fleet,” said Franck Cammas.

With 11 points, skipper Rosalin Kuiper’s team is now close behind Team Malizia (13 points). The German crew, briefly delayed after snagging a fishing net, slipped back slightly in this leg — but that is no indication of what lies ahead.

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Holcim-PRB and Allagrande Mapei Racing: contrasting fortunes

Both teams have already pulled off remarkable feats. Just a week after their dramatic collision in Kiel, Holcim-PRB and Allagrande Mapei Racing managed to repair their boats and line up for Leg 2 in Portsmouth.

As Ambrogio Beccaria put noted:

“We put the incident completely behind us, we didn’t even think about it.”

The jury will announce its decision on Sunday regarding the collision, but both crews have already helped close the gaps in the fleet and raise the level of suspense. Right from the start, both were at the front until regrouping at Ouessant.

Holcim-PRB kept pace with the leaders, while the Italian boat lost ground along Portugal before yo-yoing with Team Malizia. Still, Ambrogio’s crew never gave up, securing 4th place.

“At the beginning it wasn’t easy, we were too far from the fight, but we found the opportunity to come back on Team Malizia,” smiled Beccaria.

He also stressed that he is “just starting out in IMOCA” and “learning every day” alongside experts Thomas Ruyant and Morgan Lagravière.

Meanwhile, Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, with Pip Hare on board as the person in charge in the absence of skipper Scott Shawyer, impressed early in the leg, even leading for a brief moment off Ouessant. They pulled into Cartagena to secure 6th place and are, sitting 5th overall.

Finally, Team Amaala, skippered by Alan Roura, was slowed in windless patches south of Portugal and is expected into Cartagena only later in the day.

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A demanding, dramatic race format  

After the longest stage of this edition, skippers praised both the challenge and the scenery. **Pascal Bidégorry** put it best:

“Passing Cape St. Vincent, Gibraltar, Cabo de Gata… these are magical moments you don’t get in other races.”

The experienced sailor also highlighted the format:

“The format of The Ocean Race Europe is brilliant — these few-day stages suit the IMOCA boats really well!”

But beauty does not mean ease.

“The level is very high and it’s always intense,” confirmed Yoann Richomme.

The Paprec Arkéa skipper also noted:

“There are still more than half the points to play for — 25 have been distributed, but 35 remain.

That awareness fuels fierce battles for every Scoring Gate. More are coming: firstly about 14 miles after the start at Cabo de Palos on Tuesday, in Monaco following the start in Nice, and at Santo Stefano on the flnal offshore leg, following the Genova departure. Each reset brings fresh tension. The key question now: can anyone stop Biotherm’s relentless scoring run?

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The Mediterranean: unpredictable as ever

To win in this environment, the sailors must continue adapting to the Mediterranean’s unique challenges. While most have sailed here before, all could echo Socrates’ maxim: "The only thing I know is that I know nothing.”

The reason? Conditions change suddenly and are often invisible in weather forecasts. After Gibraltar, for example, the fleet went from nearly 30 knots of breeze to total calm within seconds.

Yoann Richomme** summed it up: “The fan just completely switched off.”

Pascal Bidégorry described it like this: “We spent 24 hours stuck in a dead calm, totally stopped, there was nothing we could do!”

And Franck Cammas put it another way: “That’s the Mediterranean game. One day you’re the attacker, the next you’re being attacked… It’s wide open, and it’s never over!”

Which is fitting — with the Mediterranean as the stage all the way to the finish, the dramatic performances are guaranteed to continue.