'It's close': Biotherm pull ahead on points as competition heats up during Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe

Competition is close but it was Paul Meilhat's team Biotherm who dominated the on-water action during Sunday's race, taking the leg's first available points and continuing to hold the lead over the chasing seven-boat fleet in The Ocean Race Europe. You can follow the action on TNT Sports and discovery+.

The second leg of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 kicked off from Portsmouth in bright sunshine, with seven IMOCAs lining up off Cowes at 17:00 UK time on Sunday, August 17. The fleet will race 1,400 nautical miles to Cartagena, Spain, with a brief fly-by stopover in Matosinhos, Porto midweek.

The first target was the scoring gate at The Needles, with points up for grabs before the long run past Brittany and into the Bay of Biscay. Conditions were perfect at the start - downwind sailing in 10-14 knots of wind, with a favourable tidal current pushing the fleet down the Solent.

Yoann Richomme and his Paprec Arkea crew led the fleet across the historic Royal Yacht Squadron starting line - the same starting line used for the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race (the precursor to The Ocean Race).

Ocean Race Europe

Biotherm ends The Ocean Race Europe on a high as Paprec Arkea secure second place

20/09/2025 at 19:32

Team Paprec Arkea at the start of Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe

Image credit: The Ocean Race

However, by the time the fleet reached the scoring gate it was once again skipper Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm who collected the maximum two points on offer, followed in short order by Paprec Arkea picking up the single - the same duo who cashed in at the scoring gate in Kiel.

That leaves Biotherm with an impressive and unblemished scoring record having earned the maximum available points on the leaderboard to date in The Ocean Race Europe.

Team Holcim PRB was third to cross the gate, followed by Team Malizia and Canada Ocean Racing - Be Water Positive. Allagrande Mapei Racing was sixth with Team AMAALA seventh, but only the top two teams earn points at the gate.

For Team Holcim-PRB, just returning to the start would have felt like a victory in itself. "It’s amazing we’re back in the race," said Alan Roberts. "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."

The week-long repair effort has drawn the crew closer together. "Adversity either splits or unites you," Roberts said. "In this case it’s united us. When we go offshore, we're in a really focused, nothing-else-matters mindset, and that’s what this has been for the shore crew. They've been running shifts all through the night – they've thrived on it."

Alongside them, Allagrande Mapei Racing arrived in Portsmouth less than a day before the start, but skipper Ambrogio Beccaria was unfazed. "We are full on to start this second leg," he said, adding that the expected breeze during the first night is just what they want. "Our boat is especially made for strong winds, so we love to see these conditions."

For Biotherm, fresh off maximum points in Leg 1, the challenge now is to reset and defend their lead. "It’s true that we started well, but we’re putting that behind us," said Meilhat. "It’s better to get points in advance, but this leg will be really hard with different conditions. First we’ll focus on the scoring gate, and then it’s a long, long race."

Leaderboard (provisional):

Biotherm - 11 points
Paprec Arkéa - 7 points
Team Malizia - 6 points
Canada Ocean Race - Be Water Positive - 4 points
Team AMAALA - 3 points
Allagrande MAPEI Racing and Team Holcim PRB - 0 points

The fleet is expected in Porto by Wednesday for a short fly-by, before resuming racing immediately towards Cartagena.
----

How to follow The Ocean Race Europe

The new Onboard update show

With more onboard technology and access to the sailors than ever before, a brand-new show called Onboard has launched and is now available to stream on discovery+.

New episodes will air at 19:00 UK time every Tuesday and Friday on TNT Sports.

The official tracker

The brand-new official Ocean Race Europe tracker, allowing viewers to track the fleet in real time, is available on The Ocean Race website.

Sailing

GB crowned SailGP champions for first time after thrilling Grand Final showdown

30/11/2025 at 17:49

Sailing

'It's all about getting into that Grand Final' - Emirates GBR's Fletcher after Day 1 in Abu Dhabi

30/11/2025 at 09:34