Holcim PRB are back in the game

After taking advantage of a transition zone throughout the day yesterday, the crew on Team Holcim-PRB has caught back up with the leading quartet made up of Paprec Arkéa, Allagrande Mapei Racing, Biotherm, and Team Malizia.

As they passed the eastern coast of Sicily in light winds and with minimal gaps (just 10 miles), Rosalin Kuiper’s crew even took the lead in the race at one point this morning. “We’re all back on the same starting line,” said a relieved Nicolas Lunven.

The question that constantly runs through the minds of The Ocean Race Europe skippers is basic but fundemental: “What kind of conditions will we encounter in the Mediterranean today?”

And now, they’ve all become experts on the subject. Just a quick look at what they’ve been through recently is enough to understand. Two days ago, south of Sardinia and up to the west of Sicily, the leading boats went through heavy storm zones.

Nicolas Lunven tells the story: “Despite a short and choppy sea where we buried the bow quite a bit, there was a downwind leg with 20 knots of wind, and then we found ourselves becalmed. And when we get out of it, we’ll have to deal with upwind and reaching in changing conditions.”

In short, they’ve experienced every point of sail in just a few days, thanks to the whims of the weather.

After the storms, ‘a wall with no wind’

Yesterday, the front runners faced particularly intense storms. Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) spoke of “hundreds of lightning bolts,” some of which “struck less than two kilometers from the boat. We weren’t feeling very good about it,” he admits.

After that, the leading quartet sped toward the southeast of Sicily and blasted through a gate “at full speed, averaging 25 knots,” according to Richomme, before “hitting a wall with no wind.”

By late morning, speeds had dropped from 25 knots down to just 7 to 8 knots. Apart from a brief acceleration during the night, the leading boats then crept slowly along Sicily’s coast from west to east.

While the leading group — including Allagrande Mapei Racing, Biotherm, and Team Malizia — had to be patient once again, Team Holcim-PRB took full advantage.

Once more than 150 miles behind the leaders, the green-and-blue boat has clawed its way back into contention. It's an incredible comeback - a true 'restart' of sorts - that naturally delights Nicolas Lunven: “It’s a nice combination of circumstances in our favour. The top four got stuck in a transition zone, and we reached them with wind from behind. They were kind enough to wait for us!”

The great shake-up at the front

The satisfaction is immense for Rosalin Kuiper’s crew. Since the start, circumstances had not really been on their side. Off the Porquerolles and then near the Balearic Islands, the leading group managed to break away and widen the gap without Holcim-PRB being able to stay on the train.

Now, it’s time for a big shake-up. The quartet has become a quintet, and Paprec Arkéa must share the throne, with less than 10 miles separaing them all.

Friday morning, by taking a slightly more southerly route than their rivals, Holcim-PRB even managed to grab the lead. Although the gaps are far too small to draw any firm conclusions, it almost feels like a brand-new start.

“We’re all back on the same starting line,” is the assessment of Nicolas Lunven. Now, the crews are expected to progress “upwind and reaching in changing conditions,” he adds. In short, an ideal situation to keep the suspense high with an expected finish in Boka Bay on Monday.

Meanwhile, Canada Ocean Racing - Be Water Positive and Team Amaala are sailing their own races, with the Canadian team 170 miles behind and Alan Roura's Team Amaala squad a further 100 miles in arrears.