Biotherm perfect in The Ocean Race Europe

Caragena, Spain (August 23, 2025) – Paul Meilhat and his team on Biotherm remain perfect on The Ocean Race Europe 2025 scoreboard after collecting all the points available over three different scoring opportunities on Leg 2, the longest stage of the event.

Biotherm swept up 16 points (two at the Needles Scoring Gate, seven at the Matosinhos Fly By, and seven more at the finish in Cartagena) on this leg, and are now firmly atop the leaderboard ahead of Paprec Arkéa and Holcim PRB, their running mates on the Leg 2 podium.

“This one was really hard, it was a long leg. We are very tired,” Meilhat said dockside after finishing at 04:53am. “Most of this leg was in heavy, downwind conditions which aren’t the best for us, so we just tried to limit the losses to the leader (Paprec Arkéa at the stage) during these times…

“We were also very, very fast downwind after Gibraltar and one minute we were doing 30 knots average on flat water, just incredible sailing, and then within one minute we come down to nearly zero (as the wind dies). These transitions are very hard to manage… But our boat is quite fast upwind in light and medium wind so it’s probably easier for us to sail in these Mediterranean conditions.”

For Team Holcim PRB, which missed the first leg due to a collision after the start, the second place finish is their best showing after a third place score at the Fly By stop in Matosinhos.

“It’s amazing to be here in second place… A week ago we couldn’t imagine being on the starting line and now we have fought back as a team and we’re super proud to be here today,” said skipper Rosalin Kuiper.

“It was a very challenging and difficult leg, the weather models didn’t always match what we were seeing. But the spirit is really good on board, it’s a lot of good teamwork. It’s fun, we work hard and play hard and the vibe is very positive.”

On Papred Arkéa, the third place finish is a respectable result, but skipper Yoann Richomme will rue the missed opportunity after leading the fleet during the early, big-wind, high-speed miles in the Mediterranean after Gibraltar.

“Intense racing and very happy with how we sailed, one little mistake had a huge cost for us,” skipper Yoann Richomme said. “That’s the way it’s played but it’s still a good result for us, puts us into second place. I’d say we’re not super-happy with the result, but happy with how we sailed… sometimes the Mediterranean is a bit harsh and it didn’t play out for us this time but you have to accept it and look ahead to the next leg…

“It’s a long race, there’s still another month of sailing to go,” he continued. “We’re tired, it’s intense but it’s super racing, the level is really high and it’s so enjoyable. We’re really happy to be here.”

As of mid-morning, four boats remain on the race course, with Allagrande Mapei Racing projected to be the next boat to finish, early in the afternoon and just ahead of Team Malizia. The separation is small enough that this could change before the finish. Further back is the Canadian team, Be Water Positive, and Team Amaala.

A protest hearing tomorrow will determine the outcome following the collision between Team Holcim-PRB and Allagrande Mapei Racing after the Leg 1 start.

Leg 2 Finish Position (updated):
1. Biotherm, Paul Meilhat
2. Team Holcim PRB, Rosalin Kuiper
3. Papred Arkéa, Yoann Richomme,
4. Allagrande Mapei Racing, Ambrogio Beccaria
5. Team Malizia, Boris Herrmann
6. Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, Scott Shawyer
7. Team AMAALA, Alan Roura

Overall Results:

Race details – Tracker – YouTube

Details: https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/

The entrants feature a team of five, representing at least two nationalities, with at least one female crew member, bringing together solo round‑the‑world veterans, rising offshore talent, and onboard reporters to share the experience.

The 5-leg race started August 10 from Kiel, Germany with the 850-nautical mile opening Leg to Portsmouth, England. Leg 2 sees the fleet race 1,400 nautical miles to Caragena, Spain – via a fly-by in Matosinhos / Porto in Portugal. The 650-nautical mile third Leg through the Mediterranean finishes in Nice, France, before the fleet sets off on the planned-to-be 600-nautical mile fourth Leg to Genova, Italy. The approximately 1,000-nautical mile fifth and final Leg takes the crews into the Adriatic to the Race finish in Boka Bay in Montenegro.

Entry list:
Team Malizia (GER) – Boris Herrmann (GER)
Team Holcim – PRB (SUI) – Rosalin Kuiper (NED)
Team Paprec Arkéa (FRA) – Yoann Richomme (FRA)
Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive (CAN) – Scott Shawyer (CAN)
Allagrande Mapei Racing (ITA) – Ambrogio Beccaria (ITA)
Biotherm (FRA) – Paul Meilhat (FRA)
Team AMAALA (SUI/KSA) – Alan Roura (SUI)

Race facts:
• Distance: 4,500 nautical miles across five Legs.
• Yacht-Type: High-speed IMOCA 60s, capable of reaching 25+ knots.
• Crews: 4 sailors per boat, representing at least two nationalities and with at least one female crew member. And 1 onboard reporter.
• Nations represented: Germany, Switzerland, France, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Great Britain, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Brazil, Portugal.
• Historic firsts: First time racing into the Adriatic Sea and Montenegro finish.
• Tracking: Live GPS race tracker powered by ‘PredictWind’, with weather overlays and real-time routing.

The Ocean Race will begin again in 2027 using the IMOCA class boat, with two earlier events providing training and exposure to prospective teams. In 2025, The Ocean Race Europe will start on August 10 from Kiel, Germany and take a route south around the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean Sea. In 2026, The Ocean Race Atlantic will start in New York, USA and finish in Barcelona, Spain.