Leg 3 is far from over

On Thursday morning, the leaders (Biotherm and Team Holcim PRB) were more than 20 miles clear of the chasing pack.

After passing Ibiza and then Mallorca, the fleet is now heading towards a waypoint off Porquerolles, known as “Waypoint Charlie”. The wind is set to strengthen progressively, upwind, with unstable conditions that could allow the pack to close in again. With the finish in Nice just a day away, everything is still to play for.

Since leaving Cartagena on Tuesday, the IMOCA crews have been sailing past sun-soaked holiday destinations – the Costa Blanca, Ibiza, Majorca – but life on board is anything but relaxed.

“We don’t really have much time for an apéro or a barbecue on the back deck,” joked Nicolas Lunven, on Holcim-PRB. “Since the beginning, every time we try to sleep, we’re woken up after fifteen minutes for manoeuvres.”

“There have been so many sail changes, course adjustments, tacks, gybes – we’ve been really busy over the last 24 hours,” said Loïs Berrehar (Team Malizia). “We’re stringing manoeuvres together and starting to feel pretty worn out,” added Ambrogio Beccaria (Allagrande Mapei Racing), who also described the conditions on board as “very hot and heavy… we’re drinking four to five litres of water per day, it’s not very comfortable!”

Biotherm / Holcim-PRB move into the lead

The intensity of racing remains unrelenting, with the fleet pushing hard. “It feels like the Solitaire du Figaro,” said Lunven. On Wednesday morning, west of Ibiza, only five miles separated the top five boats. From there, the leaders headed to Majorca, gybing repeatedly throughout the day.

It was Biotherm and Holcim-PRB who came out on top, carving out a small advantage. By late afternoon, as they skirted the southwest coast of Mallorca, they were 10 miles ahead, extending their lead to over 20 miles during the night. Chasing hard behind are Allagrande Mapei Racing, Team Malizia and Paprec Arkéa, refusing to let the leaders escape.

Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive (5th) and Team Amaala (6th) follow further back, 40 and 50 miles off the pace.

“We’ve been racing in sight of each other for a long time, it’s been really intense,” said Berrehar. “It puts on pressure but it’s fun – proper close-quarters racing.” Beccaria agreed: “We’re happy we managed to catch Paprec Arkéa and Team Malizia. We pulled off a nice move that brought us back together. Hopefully we can catch the two leaders by Porquerolles!”

A tricky final stretch ahead

With less than 24 hours to the finish, nothing is guaranteed. “Here, everything can change very quickly,” Beccaria noted. The fleet faces a long leg towards Porquerolles before the final sprint past the Giraglia, off the northeast tip of Corsica, and on to Nice.

“Today the conditions are changing,” explained Lunven. “The wind will build significantly, upwind in 25 to 30 knots.”

“It’s going to be windy, the calm will give way to a strong breeze,” said Beccaria. “But the Mediterranean can always surprise us. Near Porquerolles, we might get calm again – or not at all. This depression we’re sailing behind is influencing both the direction and the strength of the wind. Here, everything can change very fast!”

Even with Biotherm and Holcim-PRB out in front, the chasing pack remains optimistic. “There will probably be regrouping, options to take, and opportunities to play,” said Berrehar. Lunven agreed: “The weather is very tricky, complicated and variable right up to the finish. We’ll need to stay focused and avoid mistakes… The leg is far from over.”