Paul Meilhat's Team Biotherm has won the Ocean Race Europe. The French team also came out on top in the fifth and final leg from Genoa to Boka Bay in Montenegro. After four out of five possible stage wins, they are now unbeatable with a total of 48 points ahead of the final coastal race on 20 September thanks to consistently outstanding performances from crew and boat.
Ocean Race Europe: "Biotherm" outstanding
After 7 days, 8 hours, 13 minutes and 33 seconds, the French team's masterpiece was complete. Since the start of the race in Kiel on 10 August, the points champions of this European marathon covering a total of around 4500 nautical miles have won four out of five legs, 40 points and eight bonus points at the additional scoring gates and were the outstanding team in this second edition of the Ocean Race Europe.
Paul Meilhat made only a few changes to his crew for the European dream run. Unlike the conductors of the other top teams, the skipper himself sailed all five legs. Always at his side was former Mini and Class40 helmswoman and co-skipper Amélie Grassi, with whom there will be a reunion from 10 January on leg four from Sydney to Valparaiso in the Globe40, which has already started, alongside top favourite Ian Lipinski.
After Team Biotherm took the first, second and third stages and the maximum number of bonus points at the classification gates, third place followed on stage four. Following the latest stage win, Paul Meilhat's team now has an unassailable lead ahead of the final coastal race on 20 September. Commenting on his victory in the Ocean Race Europe, Paul Meilhat said in Boka Bay: "There are many aspects. The organisation on land was incredible, the preparation of the boat was incredible."
We didn't break anything in a month and a half, so it was much easier to get the best performance out of the boat." Paul Meilhat
The basis for the success in the European race was also the participation in the Ocean Race around the world: "We gained knowledge and experience, because sailing around the world was not easy for us - we had many problems, but we learnt from them and now have many skills in the team."
Fast boat wins the Ocean Race Europe
When asked about the reasons for the win, Meilhat emphasised how important the team had taken the Ocean Race Europe this year. "It's been a really important goal for at least a year - so we've been preparing for this race since before the start of the Vendée Globe. I think it's really important to be fully focussed on it. This year, The Ocean Race Europe was our only goal."
Paul Meilhat also gave his boat "Biotherm" a decisive role in winning the Ocean Race Europe: "It turned out that 'Biotherm' is better suited to this type of race because she is very fast in transitions - in light winds and smooth water." Meilhat said of his harmonious crew: "I think we were all focussed, we were all concentrated and we all wanted to win the race - that was already the case in Kiel."
As the British Biotherm navigator Sam Goodchild was not on board for the last stage, Amélie Grassi took over the navigation. Her response: "I worked closely with Paul, but it was a big responsibility. I think I handled it pretty well, but also because I'd worked with Sam before and therefore had a good role model to emulate."
Comeback silver for "Holcim-PRB"
Holcim-PRB was the second boat to cross the finish line off Boka Bay, thus silvering a spectacular comeback. After serious setbacks at the start of the leg, the team led by skipper Rosalin Kuiper had made up over 100 nautical miles in 24 hours on the passage south of Sicily and rejoined the leading group of four teams.
"We are super happy to have finished in second place here," said Rosalin Kuiper in Boka Bay. She continued: "It was a tremendous comeback: we were already 150 miles behind, but were able to catch up again. We are very happy with this result and couldn't wish for anything better." Rosalin Kuiper described her team's rollercoaster ride through leg five in detail in her race blog for YACHT online on Sunday.
In the final sprint, however, the team on the Swiss Imoca still had to defend itself against Boris Herrmann's resolutely attacking Team Malizia. "Malizia - Seaexplorer" finished the last leg of the Ocean Race Europe, the longest at around 1600 nautical miles, in third place.
Stage bronze for "Malizia - Seaexplorer"
With their second podium finish after a strong second place on the opening leg from Kiel to Portsmouth, Team Malizia gave themselves a conciliatory happy ending after a challenging sailing marathon around Europe in their farewell race with Boris Herrmann's 2022 christened and heavily self-developed Imoca.
It's fantastic to finish the race around Europe with another podium finish, as we had hoped." Boris Herrmann
Team Malizia crossed the finish line ahead of Boka Bay at 1.26 a.m. early Monday morning. With a total of 23 points and fifth place after five legs, the team can no longer achieve a top-three position in the European race. However, the skipper from Hamburg and his crew will be fighting for fourth place in the coastal race next Saturday with Ambrogio Beccaria's Italian "Allagrande Mapei" (23 points), which is just one point ahead of them.
Already safely on the podium, the teams Paprec Arkéa (34 points) and Holcim-PRB (33.5 points) will duel for second place in the finale. Yoann Richomme's "Paprec Arkéa" had to make do with fifth place on the fifth stage. A solo run almost to the coast of Albania did not pay off in the final phase. Before that, "Allagrande Mapei" had also lost ground with a solo effort in the west near the Italian coast.
