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.
Paul Meilhat‘s Biotherm continues to defend its undisputed lead in The Ocean Race Europe Leg 2.
After recovering from a brief overtake by Yoan Richomme‘s Paprec Arkéa, Team Biotherm came into Cartagena at 04:53am early on Saturday morning, closing out the fleet’s longest haul, 1,400 NM from Portsmouth to Cartagena, with an unblemished score and the maximum available points.
Holcim 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.
“It’s amazing to be here in second place… A week ago we couldn’t imagine being on the starting line,” said skipper Rosalin Kuiper.
Holcim-PRB was awarded redress after the collision in Kiel, putting the team firmly back in the running.
In 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’s finishing position in Leg 1 will be equal to its average finishing position at the finish of legs 2 to 5.
Team Allagrande Mapei was not granted redress.
“We respect their ruling, even if it’s not the outcome we were hoping for. That’s part of our sport, and we accept it,” said skipper Ambrogio Beccaria.
The Ocean Race Europe Leg 2 at a glance
- Team Holcim-PRB granted redress by the International Jury after the collision at the start of Leg 1
- Smooth downwind sailing at the Start of Leg 2, with all seven boats finally back in the race
- The fleet compresses in a windless patch off of Brittany, Paprec Arkéa falls behind
- Teams catch their breath in a brief fly-by stop-over in Matosinhos-Porto
- Heavy downwind conditions off the coast of Portugal allow Paprec Arkéa to gain a momentary lead
- Entrance into the Mediterranean brings patchy, unpredictable conditions and lighter winds
- The fleet catches up to Paprec, with Biotherm regaining the lead in time to win Leg 2
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Start of Leg 2, two boats recovered after the collision in Leg 1
Photo: Pierre Bouras / The Ocean Race.
The 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.
“It’s amazing we’re back in the race,” said Alan Roberts of team Holcim-PRB. “We’re not just back, we’re a boat that’s at 100%, even more ambitious and motivated than before to get out there and perform.”
“Adversity either splits or unites you,” he added. “In this case it has united us.”
With 10-14 knots of wind and a favourable current, the conditions made for perfect downwind sailing. The fleet charged down the Solent under spinnaker.
Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm was again first through the scoring gate at the Needles, overtaking Paprec Arkéa’s initial lead.
To follow was the newly-recovered Team Holcim PRB, then Team Malizia and Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, and Allagrande Mapei and Team Amaala in sixth and seventh.
Photo: Jean-Louis Carli / The Ocean Race.
Strong conditions soon after the start of Leg 2 proved divisive.
“Our boat is especially made for strong winds, so we love to see these conditions,” said skipper Allagrande Mapei’s skipper Ambrogio Beccaria.
Malizia’s co-skipper Will Harris, who is taking over from Boris Hermann for Leg 2, was just as positive.
“High speeds and high wind – we really love that onboard Malizia. Those are our conditions, so we’ve got to make the most of it,” he said.
Biotherm’s Paul Meilhat was less enthusiastic, commenting that although his team’s boat isn’t at its best in strong conditions, they only stand to gain by the lighter winds predicted for their entrance into the Mediterranean.
First night of Ocean Race Europe Leg 2
Photo: Flore Hartout / The Ocean Race.
After 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.
The 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.
“All the boats are together, so it’s another new start for everybody,” said skipper Alan Roura of Team Amaala, which has so far held 7th place.
A gamble from Yoann Richomme’s Paprec Arkéa 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.
Instead, they missed their window by less than an hour and were forced to turn back and reroute.
“We 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’re about five miles behind the leader,” says Richomme.
The northern route favoured by Biotherm, Team Malizia, and Canada Ocean Racing proved a safer call.
Speed games at Cap Finisterre
Photo: Pierre Bouras / The Ocean Race.
The 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.
“Every minute counts here – there’s no room for mistakes,” said Holcim PRB skipper Rosalin Kuiper.
“It’s pretty much a straight line, so it’s really working more on the setup of the boat, on the speed more than anything else,” said Team Malizia co-skipper Francesca Clapcich.
Amélie Grassi (Biotherm) enjoyed a friendly head-to-head with her husband Alan Roberts (Holcim-PRB).
“I 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’s been a great day!”
The Ocean Race Europe fleet pauses at Porto-Matosinhos
Photo: Jean – Louis Carli / The Ocean Race.
The fleet paused for a three hour fly-by in Porto-Matosinhos before continuing on for Cartagena.
Paprec Arkéa 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.
Skipper Rosalin Kuiper comments, “We’re 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’s room for improvement, but we’re happy so far.”
“It was an intense leg. Especially last night it was hard downwind, driving and changing sails,” adds crew member Franck Cammas.
Jostling for the lead off the Portuguese coast
Across the fleet, crews opted for hand-steering over autopilot systems to maintain maximum precision as the wind picked up.
Photo: Anne Beaugé / The Ocean Race.
Yoann Richomme’s Paprec Arkéa, tipped as the fastest in heavy downwind conditions, finally had a chance to play to its strengths. The team broke Biotherm’s lead as they flew past the Portuguese coast under the cover of night, in some stretches even hitting 30 knots.
A 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.
At the back of the fleet, Team Amaala had fallen a full 400 miles behind the race leaders.
Skipper Alan Roura remained as cheerful as ever, joking, “We love to be in light winds because this way we spend more time together!”
Biotherm expects to climb back up as they make their way into the Mediterranean, where lighter winds will play to Biotherm’s strengths again.
Ocean Race Europe Leg 2 Finishes in the Mediterranean
Photo: Richard Marsden / The Ocean Race.
“We made a great move in the night from Wednesday to Thursday with a good sail configuration, hitting around 30 knots,” Paprec Arkéa’s Yoann Richomme said. But by dawn, “The fan just completely turned off! We went from 25 knots to 4 knots in 10 seconds.”
Lighter-than-forecast conditions gave the rest of the fleet a chance to catch up.
Paprec’s choice to stay further offshore lost them their hard-earned advantage. Biotherm slipped by on a thermal, sliding back into first place.
Like 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.
Cammas commented, “That’s the joy of the Mediterranean… At least the game is wide open, and it’s never over!”
When is The Ocean Race Europe Leg 3?
The 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.
If you enjoyed this recap of the Ocean Race Europe Leg 2….
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