Catch up on all the action from the Ocean Race Europe Leg 2, the race’s longest, including Biotherm taking back its lead, unexpected overtakes and weather changes, and the International Jury’s ruling on the dramatic collision that derailed two teams at the start of Leg 1. Photo: Gauthier Lebec \/ The Ocean Race.Paul Meilhat\u2018s Biotherm continues to defend its undisputed lead in The Ocean Race Europe Leg 2.
\nAfter recovering from a brief overtake by Yoan Richomme\u2018s Paprec Ark\u00e9a, Team Biotherm came into Cartagena at 04:53am early on Saturday morning, closing out the fleet\u2019s longest haul, 1,400 NM from Portsmouth to Cartagena, with an unblemished score and the maximum available points.
\nHolcim PRB, one of two IMOCA 60s involved in the dramatic collision at the start of the Ocean Race Europe 2025, finished second after its recovery.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s amazing to be here in second place\u2026 A week ago we couldn\u2019t imagine being on the starting line,\u201d said skipper Rosalin Kuiper.
\nHolcim-PRB was awarded redress after the collision in Kiel, putting the team firmly back in the running.
\nIn a hearing that took place during the stopover in Cartagena, The International Jury ruled that neither Allagrande mapei nor Holcim-PRB would sustain further penalties, and that Holcim-PRB\u2019s finishing position in Leg 1 will be equal to its average finishing position at the finish of legs 2 to 5.
\nTeam Allagrande Mapei was not granted redress.
\n\u201cWe respect their ruling, even if it\u2019s not the outcome we were hoping for. That\u2019s part of our sport, and we accept it,\u201d said skipper Ambrogio Beccaria.
\nThe Ocean Race Europe Leg 2 at a glance<\/p>\n
Team Holcim-PRB granted redress by the International Jury after the collision at the start of Leg 1
\nSmooth downwind sailing at the Start of Leg 2, with all seven boats finally back in the race
\nThe fleet compresses in a windless patch off of Brittany, Paprec Ark\u00e9a falls behind
\nTeams catch their breath in a brief fly-by stop-over in Matosinhos-Porto
\nHeavy downwind conditions off the coast of Portugal allow Paprec Ark\u00e9a to gain a momentary lead
\nEntrance into the Mediterranean brings patchy, unpredictable conditions and lighter winds
\nThe fleet catches up to Paprec, with Biotherm regaining the lead in time to win Leg 2<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBiotherm wins Ocean Race Europe Leg 1, 2 boats still racing to finish repairs before Leg 2<\/p>\n
Paul Meilhat\u2018s Biotherm was the first IMOCA 60\u00a0into Portsmouth on 14 August, closing out The Ocean Race Europe Leg 1\u2026<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart Disaster as Two Boats Collide and Return Home In The Ocean Race Europe Leg One<\/p>\n
The opening leg of The Ocean Race Europe was rocked by drama within moments of the starting gun as two\u2026<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Ocean Race Europe 2025: Everything you need to know<\/p>\n
Seven teams, six weeks, five legs, one unforgettable race. For its 2025 edition, the Ocean Race Europe will bring together\u2026<\/p>\n
Start of Leg 2, two boats recovered after the collision in Leg 1
\nPhoto: Pierre Bouras \/ The Ocean Race.
\nThe Ocean Race Europe Leg 2 kicked off on 17 August in Portsmouth. The fleet was once again 7-strong, with Holcim-PRB and Allagrande Mapei recovered after the collision in Leg 1.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s amazing we\u2019re back in the race,\u201d said Alan Roberts of team Holcim-PRB. \u201cWe\u2019re not just back, we\u2019re a boat that\u2019s at 100%, even more ambitious and motivated than before to get out there and perform.\u201d
\n\u201cAdversity either splits or unites you,\u201d he added. \u201cIn this case it has united us.\u201d
\nWith 10-14 knots of wind and a favourable current, the conditions made for perfect downwind sailing.\u00a0The fleet charged down the Solent under spinnaker.
\nPaul Meilhat\u2019s Biotherm was again first through the scoring gate at the Needles, overtaking Paprec Ark\u00e9a\u2019s initial lead.
\nTo follow was the newly-recovered Team Holcim PRB, then Team Malizia and Canada Ocean Racing \u2013 Be Water Positive, and Allagrande Mapei and Team Amaala in sixth and seventh.
\nPhoto: Jean-Louis Carli \/ The Ocean Race.
\nStrong conditions soon after the start of Leg 2 proved divisive.
\n\u201cOur boat is especially made for strong winds, so we love to see these conditions,\u201d said skipper Allagrande Mapei\u2019s skipper Ambrogio Beccaria.
\nMalizia\u2019s co-skipper Will Harris, who is taking over from Boris Hermann for Leg 2, was just as positive.
\n\u201cHigh speeds and high wind \u2013 we really love that onboard Malizia. Those are our conditions, so we\u2019ve got to make the most of it,\u201d he said.
\nBiotherm\u2019s Paul Meilhat was less enthusiastic, commenting that although his team\u2019s boat isn\u2019t at its best in strong conditions, they only stand to gain by the lighter winds predicted for their entrance into the Mediterranean.
\nFirst night of Ocean Race Europe Leg 2
\nPhoto: Flore Hartout \/ The Ocean Race.
\nAfter hurtling out of Portsmouth, the fleet fell to a windless patch off the northwest tip of Brittany. As forecast, the easterlies gave way to a transition zone with just a few knots of breeze.
\nThe fleet compressed as the breeze collapsed, shrinking a 40 mile gap into just a few miles between head and tail and levelling the playing field.
\n\u201cAll the boats are together, so it\u2019s another new start for everybody,\u201d said skipper Alan Roura of Team Amaala, which has so far held 7th place.
\nA gamble from Yoann Richomme\u2019s Paprec Ark\u00e9a dropped the team from the front to the end of the group. , Paprec attempted a shortcut, intending to slip inside Ushant through the narrow tidal channel and jump 15-20 miles.
\nInstead, they missed their window by less than an hour and were forced to turn back and reroute.
\n\u201cWe struggled all night trying to get past it. Instead of the current helping us down to the south, it was pushing us back north. In the end we had to do the same as the others and go around. Now we\u2019re about five miles behind the leader,\u201d says Richomme.
\nThe northern route favoured by Biotherm, Team Malizia, and Canada Ocean Racing proved a safer call.
\nSpeed games at Cap Finisterre
\nPhoto: Pierre Bouras \/ The Ocean Race.
\nThe fleet spread out again around Cap Finisterre, though still remaining in sight of each other. The pace picked up into a speed test, requiring constant trimming, tweaking, and hand steering from every crew.
\n\u201cEvery minute counts here \u2013 there\u2019s no room for mistakes,\u201d said Holcim PRB skipper Rosalin Kuiper.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s pretty much a straight line, so it\u2019s really working more on the setup of the boat, on the speed more than anything else,\u201d said Team Malizia co-skipper Francesca Clapcich.
\nAm\u00e9lie Grassi (Biotherm) enjoyed a friendly head-to-head with her husband Alan Roberts (Holcim-PRB).
\n\u201cI slept half the time and I worked the other half. At the start of the day, I was overtaken by my husband and at the end, I overtook him again. So overall it\u2019s been a great day!\u201d
\nThe Ocean Race Europe fleet pauses at Porto-Matosinhos
\nPhoto: Jean \u2013 Louis Carli \/ The Ocean Race.
\nThe fleet paused for a three hour fly-by in Porto-Matosinhos before continuing on for Cartagena.
\nPaprec Ark\u00e9a pulled back into second place after falling to the back of the pack in the tidal gate off Brittany. A newly-recovered team Holcim-PRB came third.
\nSkipper Rosalin Kuiper comments, \u201cWe\u2019re very happy to be back in the race and especially after what happened in the first leg. We actually finished, and we finished third. Of course there\u2019s room for improvement, but we\u2019re happy so far.\u201d
\n\u201cIt was an intense leg. Especially last night it was hard downwind, driving and changing sails,\u201d adds crew member Franck Cammas.
\nJostling for the lead off the Portuguese coast
\nAcross the fleet, crews opted for hand-steering over autopilot systems to maintain maximum precision as the wind picked up.
\nPhoto: Anne Beaug\u00e9 \/ The Ocean Race.
\nYoann Richomme\u2019s Paprec Ark\u00e9a, tipped as the fastest in heavy downwind conditions, finally had a chance to play to its strengths. The team broke Biotherm\u2019s lead as they flew past the Portuguese coast under the cover of night, in some stretches even hitting 30 knots.
\nA missed sail-change left Biotherm in the lurch, newly grappling with Holcim-PRB. Close behind were Team Malizia, Allagrande Mapei Racing, and Canada Ocean Water.
\nAt the back of the fleet, Team Amaala had fallen a full 400 miles behind the race leaders.
\nSkipper Alan Roura remained as cheerful as ever, joking, \u201cWe love to be in light winds because this way we spend more time together!\u201d
\nBiotherm expects to climb back up as they make their way into the Mediterranean, where lighter winds will play to Biotherm\u2019s strengths again.
\nOcean Race Europe Leg 2 Finishes in the Mediterranean
\nPhoto: Richard Marsden \/ The Ocean Race.
\n\u201cWe made a great move in the night from Wednesday to Thursday with a good sail configuration, hitting around 30 knots,\u201d Paprec Ark\u00e9a\u2019s Yoann Richomme said. But by dawn, \u201cThe fan just completely turned off! We went from 25 knots to 4 knots in 10 seconds.\u201d
\nLighter-than-forecast conditions gave the rest of the fleet a chance to catch up.
\nPaprec\u2019s choice to stay further offshore lost them their hard-earned advantage.\u00a0Biotherm slipped by on a thermal, sliding back into first place.
\nLike the fleet leaders, Team Malizia and Allagrande Mapei Racing hit over 30 knots in the night, then crashed into the same calm patch that had trapped Paprec.
\nCammas commented, \u201cThat\u2019s the joy of the Mediterranean\u2026 At least the game is wide open, and it\u2019s never over!\u201d
\nWhen is The Ocean Race Europe Leg 3?
\nThe Ocean Race Europe Leg 3 will kick off on Tuesday 26 August, with the fleet heading out of Cartagena (Scoring gate: Cabo de Palos) for a 650 nautical mile cruise to Nice, France.<\/p>\n
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\nThe post Holcim-PRB awarded redress after dramatic collision in Kiel, another perfect finish for Biotherm in Ocean Race Europe Leg 2 appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Catch up on all the action from the Ocean Race Europe Leg 2, the race’s longest, including Biotherm taking back its lead, unexpected overtakes and weather changes, and the International Jury’s ruling on the dramatic collision that derailed two teams … <\/p>\n