Ocean Race Europe: "I reminded everyone where we come from"

Four legs have been sailed in the Ocean Race Europe, the fifth and the final coastal race are still to come. I took a break on the last leg. That was our plan from the start: Everyone in our five-person sailing team would take a break. Yes, it felt a bit difficult to wave to the boat as we set off.

Ocean Race Europe: the most important lesson

It felt a bit like my other baby had left me. Nevertheless, I knew it was the right decision. And I was very confident, because I trust the team and the people around me completely - that's actually the most important lesson I've learnt in my role as a skipper.

Firstly, I knew it was a good decision because it was time for a break. I believe that the team stays fresh if you keep people fresh, if they have the opportunity to rest and regenerate. Alan and Carolijn had that opportunity before. So now it was my turn. Secondly, I know that we have built a very strong team.

After the starting signal, it was nerve-wracking to watch the race in tracking. Especially at the start. I was actually surprised at how difficult it was to follow the race. I had to take out a "Sport+" subscription with HBO-Max. That was quite complicated. I thought, okay, 25 euros a month - why is it so difficult to watch? But we were able to watch it.

Focussed on the tracker when refuelling

I was also surprised how tricky it is to judge how the boats are in relation to each other. When you see SailGP or something else, it's easier to understand exactly where the boats are and how they are progressing in relation to each other. I think we can improve that. Yes, I was fixated on the tracker during the leg, but I was also able to spend time with my family and relax.

I found the tracker itself to be quite erratic at times. I found it a little difficult and sometimes the wind wasn't depicted so accurately. It wasn't always easy to follow the race. I also checked MarineTraffic to see if the wind was correct. And I have to say that it was a pretty funky race. I could hardly believe my eyes when our boat was still stuck "Mapei" first simply jettisoned. And then "Biotherm". I wondered if that was really happening. But it did.

The crew finished in fourth place. It wasn't the result we had hoped for, but I'm still proud of how hard we fought and how everyone gave their best. We will take the knowledge we have gained with us into the final leg starting today, which will take us from Genoa to Boka Bay over about eight days.

Stage 5 starts on 7 September at 3 p.m. - click here for the preview.

Start-study for the Ocean Race Europe final

At the debriefing after stage four, we paid a lot of attention to the start. Especially the pre-start phase, because Franck Cammas will not be on board with us for the stage ahead. Nicolas Lunven, Alan Roberts, Carolijn Brauer and I will be contesting the stage. Carolijn will take the wheel. So we took a close look at the approach and saw what we could learn from it. Where did we start? Where do we ideally want to be?

We also looked at "Biotherm" because it generally gets away well from the line. We discussed this in detail in the debriefing. Then we looked at a few more rounding buoys and the passage of the Strait of Bonifacio. We looked through the whole leg, reflected on the choice of sails and also considered how we could make gains downwind. We know that this is our weak point. Mapei, for example, is several knots faster. So what can we do to get closer to them in downwind conditions?

As for getting stuck in this windless field on the fourth stage: Yes, I think it also had a bit to do with luck. When you see how the wind has developed, it's very difficult to prepare for something like that. The most important thing at times like this is that the crew pushes right to the end. I'm really convinced that it was just bad luck.

The difference between "Holcim-PRB" and "Paprec Arkéa"

We are quite happy with where we are now. We will fight hard for second place. We have now seen that "Biotherm" is really, really good. We will come back stronger. I am convinced that the result on the last leg does not reflect the performance of our crew.

The duel with "Paprec Arkéa" for second place is on! If you compare "Paprec Arkéa" and "Holcim-PRB", the two are really different. We are less good downwind, but we are very good in medium and light winds. That, in turn, is the area where they sometimes struggle. I am absolutely convinced that we can fight for silver!

I've already been to the Montenegro area twice. It's really cool there, very pretty! Nico, our main navigator, hasn't been there yet. It's new to him. You have to deal with a lot of coastal effects on the last leg. And then there's the coastal race, which also counts towards the classification. It's a very difficult short race because points are awarded for a full stage.

Ocean Race Europe: intensive round-Europe sprint

We will have to sail quite a way south to reach the scoring gate and the bonus points that come with it on the fifth leg starting today. We expect to reach the gate on Monday evening. This is a different concept to the previous legs, where the scoring gate always came quickly.

The other crews have not yet been in the waters of Montenegro and the bay. We have obtained additional weather expertise and feel well prepared for the area. So far it looks like a rather light-winded race to Boka Bay. I think it could be good conditions for our boat. Click here to go directly to the tracker after the start.

After four legs so far, what I like about the Ocean Race Europe is that it is very intense. This European edition is a sprint. We have a lot of boats with very different strengths and very short stopovers. In the last circumnavigation in 2023, there was more time between legs in the Ocean Race - five days to three weeks in fact. Now it's tighter. So there are no late-night drinks for me at the moment. I try to be in bed by 10 pm.

Honoured and motivated by the fans

What I also like about this race is that the teams are open and it's like a small family travelling around Europe. We try to beat each other. On the other hand, we sail together, looking at familiar faces that we know well from the race, but also from the Ocean Race around the world and from Brittany. I like that!

And I also like the many enthusiastic people, the fans, who come to the stage harbours. That feels very special. Every time someone comes up to me for a chat, wants to take a photo with me or asks for my autograph, I feel very honoured.

I wish I could spend even more time with people, because I have a story to tell. And I love sharing them. But I would also like to hear people's stories, find out what their passions are. To do that, I'd like to have a bit more time to talk and be inspired by the stories of other people's lives. But I think that will come after the race.

The great keel crash: both a blessing and a curse

The best moment for me in this Ocean Race Europe so far? The way we got to grips with the major damage! The whole crash (ed.: the collision with "Allagrande Mapei" in Kiel) was a nightmare, but also a blessing. I'm so proud of how the team reacted on the water and on land. I think we did really well. It gave the team a lot of energy and strength.

Yesterday we met for drinks with the whole crew in the early evening. That's when I said it again. I reminded everyone where we came from. When I look at how the entire campaign has gone over the past year and a half - I've been involved for almost two years myself - it's about focussing on our strengths. That we are strong in all areas. That we have the best people together and can be proud of where we are.

But now the final push is coming in the 15 days ahead. Before deciding on the path of our project into the future, we know that we will fight hard for this second place. And that we deserve it. We want to inspire people to give their best. To give more than they take. To care about the people around them. Yes, we are the ones who make it happen on the water. But we can only do that with the whole team behind us. In doing so, we try to give our best.

Here are the intermediate results of the Ocean Race Europe after four of five legs plus the coastal race in Boka Bay.

"Against the silence". Team Holcim-PRB was in the lead for a long time on leg four, until the crew became "trapped" in a windless zone and had to watch the others pass them by. A look back at the penultimate leg before the fifth and longest leg of the European race over around 2000 nautical miles to Boka Bay begins this Sunday: