Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm has taken the lead on the sixth day of the fifth leg of The Ocean Race Europe, with a course from Genova, Italy to Boka Bay in Montenegro. The leading group of five IMOCA yachts is pushing north after rounding the final waypoint of the approximately 1,600-nautical mile course on Saturday morning.
Biotherm tacked around the penultimate virtual waypoint shortly after 2030 CEST, holding a 10 nautical mile lead over Ambrogio Beccaria’s Allagrande Mapei Racing. The French team benefited from favourable wind conditions as they approached the turn. Following closely were Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia and Yoann Richomme’s Paprec Arkéa, with Rosalin Kuiper’s Team Holcim – PRB in fifth.
Herrmann expressed satisfaction with their position, stating, “We just passed the ‘India’ waypoint – closest to Greece – in a podium position. We lost a little bit on Biotherm, who are 10 miles ahead, and we can see a couple of boat lengths behind us is Paprec Arkéa, so the distance to them is the same as it was four minutes after the start.”
The teams experienced smooth and fast reaching conditions before making one last turn back towards Italy, gearing up for the final push to the finish line at Ocean Live Park in Tivat, Montenegro. Team Holcim – PRB’s Carolijn Brouwer noted the crew’s efforts to maintain speed amidst shifting winds, remarking, “These are very difficult conditions because the wind is up and down and it is still quite shifty left and right. We are trying to be as consistent and high average [speed] as possible.”
“Since the turn, the fleet has been sailing north in upwind conditions against a medium northerly breeze on a relatively smooth sea,” Brouwer added. Meilhat commented on the beneficial conditions for Biotherm: “These are good Biotherm conditions – flat water, medium wind – it’s perfect. And upwind… and we have a lot of upwind now as we head north.”
Conversely, Beccaria from Allagrande Mapei expressed a preference for downwind conditions as they entered the Adriatic Sea, stating, “I would really like to pass close to Apulia, maybe near Lecce or Brindisi. All that is maybe possible, but after that it’s upwind.” The top four crews were tacking in unison to optimise the shifting breeze, while Allagrande Mapei diverged to the west in search of better wind conditions.
As of 1300 CEST, Biotherm had less than 240 nautical miles remaining to Boka Bay, maintaining a 10 nautical mile lead over Team Holcim – PRB, with Paprec Arkéa and Team Malizia battling for third and fourth. The estimated arrival window for the leading boat is between 0500 and 1300 local time (CEST) on Monday, September 15, with only 21 nautical miles separating the first and fifth positions, indicating a thrilling conclusion ahead as the fleet approaches Boka Bay.
Meanwhile, Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive and Team Amaala are struggling to keep pace with the leading group. The Race Committee has provided an alternative Waypoint India at position 37° 35.000 N, 18° 00.000 E, which shortens the course for the sixth and seventh placed teams, but they will rank behind those who complete the original course around Waypoint India.
This option allows Canada and Amaala a shorter route to Boka Bay, potentially arriving on Tuesday, but would limit their finishing position to no higher than sixth place for the leg.
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