The third leg of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 commenced on 26 August 2025 in Cartagena, Spain. Under sunny skies, the fleet of seven IMOCA yachts, each crewed by mixed-gender teams of four, set sail on a 680-nautical mile journey to Nice, France.
The teams had spent four days in Cartagena after completing the previous leg from Portsmouth, UK, via a Fly-By at Matosinhos/Porto in Portugal. This marked the first visit of The Ocean Race to the historic Spanish city.
Race coverage is available on www.theoceanrace.com, as well as through media partner Warner Bros. Discovery and their platforms like Eurosport, TNT Sports, HBO Max, and Discovery+. For more details, visit the How to Follow guide.
After a successful stopover, the teams returned to competitive sailing, facing a complex leg ahead due to volatile weather conditions predicted for the next three days.
“The first 20 hours seems clear,” said Paul Meilhat (FRA), skipper of the leading team Biotherm. “But then a low pressure system is moving in. We don’t really know what will happen, but it will change the timings significantly.” Biotherm has achieved a perfect score so far, leading the overall standings with a refreshed crew, replacing Jack Boutell with Benjamin Ferré (FRA), a former Mini 6.50 sailor.
Rosalin Kuiper (NED), skipper of Holcim – PRB, currently in fourth overall, anticipated a very dynamic leg due to the incoming low-pressure system. “It really depends on how this system is moving and how fast the fleet is. We will prepare for every scenario,” she stated.
Italian skipper Ambrogio Beccaria of Allagrande Mapei Racing noted the unpredictable nature of Mediterranean weather, highlighting various routing options that the teams can take. “We need to rely on our instincts,” he remarked, expressing his love for Mediterranean sailing despite its challenges.
Corentin Horeau (FRA), co-skipper of Team Paprec Arkéa, noted the scenic beauty of the Mediterranean and the opportunity to showcase IMOCA ocean racing to new audiences in southern France.
Boris Herrmann, skipper of Team Malizia (GER), returning for this leg, expected surprises ahead, especially with potential obstacles like Mallorca due to the unpredictable low pressure.
With the race starting in 12-17 knots of north-easterly breeze, the crews immediately engaged in upwind sailing, aiming for the scoring gate at Cabo de Palos. An early split in the fleet saw Team Malizia and Allagrande Mapei Racing taking an offshore route, while the other five teams remained closer to the coast. As they closed in on the scoring gate, Team Holcim PRB held a narrow lead with the gate still eight miles away.
UPDATE: Biotherm won 2 points for leading through the Cabo de Palos scoring gate; Paprec Arkéa earned 1 point for second place.
The course for Leg 3 will take the fleet past the Balearic Islands and around the French island of Giraglia at the northern tip of Corsica, with the leaders expected to arrive in Nice around 29 August.
#TheOceanRace #SailingNews #OceanRacing #AustraliaSailing
More Offshore Sailing stories: Click here
