Paul Meilhat's Team Biotherm only had around 50 nautical miles to go to the finish harbour of Boka Bay late on Sunday afternoon. 50 nautical miles to the increasingly probable overall victory in the Ocean Race Europe 2025, but there were still a few flat fields between the blue and white boat and triumph. But something very unpredictable would have to happen to thwart the gala of Paul Meilhat and his crew.
Ocean Race Europe: Any podium place is enough for "Biotherm" to win
For "Biotherm, any podium finish on leg five would secure more than enough points to win the Ocean Race Europe 2025 before the final coastal race on 20 September. Meanwhile, the battles for the other podium places promise to be highly exciting - both in the overall standings and on the current fifth and final leg of the race around Europe, which began in Kiel on 10 August.
Boris Herrmann's Team Malizia may no longer be able to reach the Ocean Race Europe podium, but it can certainly fulfil the skipper's wish for a conciliatory podium finish on the final leg. "Malizia - Seaexplorer" was in third place late on Sunday afternoon. Around twelve nautical miles behind "Biotherm" and two and a half nautical miles behind "Holcim-PRB", the Malizians defended their chances. Click here for the tracker.
The "Battle of Boka Bay" is in full swing. The first boats are expected to arrive at the finish harbour in Montenegro very early Monday morning, perhaps in the middle of the night. The end of this eventful 1600 nautical mile leg from Genoa to the finish harbour of the second edition of the European race promises to be a thriller.
Adria premiere in the Ocean Race Europe
The leading group had reached the Adriatic overnight, having previously passed through the Strait of Otranto between Italy on the left and Albania on the right. This was the first time that boats had entered the Adriatic in an ocean race.
While the crews on the leading "Biotherm", the second-placed "Holcim-PRB" and "Malizia - Seaexplorer" in third place opted for a rather conservative approach to Boka Bay and the hunters mainly stayed together and stalked each other, Yoann Richomme and his crew on the eastern flank sought their luck on their own.
They did not find it at first. With a gap of more than 20 nautical miles to "Biotherm", it remained to be seen whether they would still find it during the course of Sunday evening or the night with the help of a private land breeze. In the duel between "Holcim-PRB" and "Malizia - Seaexplorer", however, it was a close race in mild conditions. Both crews had to work hard to gain the upper hand in their match race. Click here for the latest race blog by "Holcim PRB" skipper Rosalin Kuiper.
Duel between "Holcim-PRB" and "Malizia - Seaexplorer"
"You might think that the conditions are fairly stable and similar, but it's not easy," explained Carolijn Brouwer, who is often at the helm of "Holcim-PRB". "The wind blows at a speed of between nine and twelve knots. If we sail downwind and reach twelve knots, we're at the top end of the range of our big sail, the J0. The wind is incredibly fickle."
Carolijn Brouwer continued: "So you have to be really precise and keep an eye on everything the whole time in order to be able to react to the pressure differences and wind shifts. That requires a lot of concentration. The boat definitely doesn't sail itself. We have to work hard to keep it fast. And that's exactly what we're doing."
Boris Herrmann's co-skipper Will Harris said the same was true for Team Malizia, as the two crews kept a constant eye on each other's sail choice, boat speed and angle. "These are difficult conditions," said Will Harris, "it's very choppy and there's not much wind, so it's hard to keep the boat consistently fast - it takes a lot of work."
Boris Herrmann between battle and farewell
Boris Herrmann and his crew fought with everything they had on Sunday. On board "Malizia - Seaexplorer", Boris Herrmann was also moved by saying goodbye to his boat, which has taken him around the world twice and will be taken over by Francesca Clapcich after the Ocean Race Europe. Boris Herrmann said: "It will be hard to say goodbye to the boat. I'm already starting to miss her. We had a good voyage together. Many people have met on the deck of this boat."
