Ocean Race Europe: In the power play - European race before the decision
Tatjana Pokorny
· 13.09.2025
The Ocean Race is now heading north for stage five. In the leading Imoca quintet, "Biotherm", "Holcim-PRB", "Paprec Arkéa", "Malizia - Seaexplorer" and "Allagrande Mapei" are constantly battling for the best positions within sight of each other in the final sprint on the Boka Bay course. The last waypoint set by the race organisers was passed on Saturday morning. The course, which was slightly altered shortly before the start of the race with a total of 1600 nautical miles, now leads to the finish harbour in Montenegro on the ideal line.
Ocean Race Europe: Who will win the race?
Paul Meilhat's Team Biotherm passed the last virtual waypoint at around 8.30pm on Friday evening with a lead of ten nautical miles. The Frenchman was followed by Ambrogio Beccaria and his Allagrande Mapei Racing team, Boris Herrmann's Malizia team and Yoann Richomme's "Paprec Arkéa". Then came Rosalin Kuiper's Team Holcim-PRB as the fifth boat.
One day later - as is so often the case on this final stage - things look different again on this late Saturday afternoon. Although "Biotherm" remained in front in sometimes strongly shifting winds, it was followed by the re-emerging team Holcim-PRB. Earlier, "Holcim-PRB" helmswoman Carolijn Brouwer had said: "The conditions are very difficult because the wind fluctuates a lot and is still shifting left and right rather inconsistently. So it's difficult to get into the rhythm and, above all, to stay in it."
We try to be as consistent as possible and achieve the highest possible average speed." Carolijn Brouwer
The compatriot of "Holcim-PRB" skipper Rosalin Kuiper continued: "We are back in the leading group, so every little detail counts. We have to make the boat work really hard to keep up and get to the front. We have worked so hard to get here and now we feel we have to work even harder to stay here."
Ocean Race Europe final: northwards in the north wind
On Saturday, they headed north in medium northerly winds on fairly calm seas. "These are good biothermal conditions - flat water, medium wind - it's perfect," commented the understandably satisfied leader Paul Meilhat on the scenario. The fleet is now travelling upwind on its northerly course.
Meanwhile, the Azzurri have veered off course. As if he would rather be close to home, Ambrogio Beccaria and his French crew led by Thomas Ruyant have set off westwards on "Allagrande Mapei". Around 70 nautical miles separated them from the remaining leading quartet in the east. While Team Holcim-PRB followed "Biotherm" as the second boat at around 17.30 hrs, some twelve nautical miles behind, the crews on "Paprec Arkéa" and "Malizia - Seaexplorer" were fighting for third place less than three nautical miles behind "Holcim-PRB".
It's nice to see that we can still beat the machines sometimes." Frankie Clapcich
At this point, "Biotherm" still had a good 200 nautical miles to sail to Boka Bay. The pursuers were fighting tooth and nail to catch up again. On "Malizia - Seaexplorer", the future skipper Francesca Clapcich already stated: "There are times when manual steering is more effective than the autopilot."
The same distances as shortly after the start
A statement by Boris Herrmann also showed just how close the teams were out there in the Adriatic. The "Malizia - Seaexplorer" skipper said after rounding the last waypoint when he saw the lights of the following "Paprec Arkéa": "We can see 'Paprec Arkéa' a few boat lengths away. The distance to them is the same as four minutes after the start."
The organisers of the Ocean Race Europe have now announced next Monday between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. as the first target time for the arrival of the fastest boats in the fleet. The finish harbour is still gearing up for a thriller final due to the narrow gaps.
