The seven international teams competing in The Ocean Race Europe 2025 have set off from Genova, Italy on the fifth and final leg of the race – a complicated 1600-nautical mile passage through the Mediterranean and into the Adriatic Sea on the way to Boka Bay, Montenegro.
Montenegro’s Minister of Maritime Affairs, Filip Radulović, was in Genova for the start of the leg, promising a warm welcome when the fleet arrives in Boka Bay.
But there is an estimated eight days of grueling racing ahead of them before the arrival in Montenegro and as soon as the start gun fired at 1500 CEST the four-person, mixed-gender crews were immediately faced with a critical decision: whether the first patch of breeze would be inshore or offshore.
Prior to leaving the dock this morning several of the skippers said they were still weighing up their options about this early key choice.
Boris Herrmann (GER) – skipper of the German entry Team Malizia – described the start scenario as ‘challenging’, but was smartly keeping his strategy cards close to his chest.
“After the start today [the question will be] whether we will get the wind patch along the shore or offshore. I suspect the leg could be decided nearly right at the start – between those who go offshore and those who stay inshore. We will see.”
Looking further ahead along the leg 5 race course – one that sees the fleet dive south from Genova, through a Scoring Gate at the latitude of Sardinia’s Santo Stefano, looping around a series of waypoints that take the yachts past the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, before rounding a waypoint west of Greece and turning north into the Adriatic on the way to the finish in Boka Bay – Herrmann said that there was plenty of complex weather ahead.
“It’s a long zig-zag of eight or nine days through the Med with a lot of curves and local effects and local winds – not a huge wind field but little patches here and there,” he explained.
Starting the final leg with a 12 point lead in the overall standings, Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm (FRA) are the clear favourites for overall victory. However, with 16 points still on the table – two at the Scoring Gate, seven for the stage win, and seven more for the Coastal Race in Boka Bay on September 20 – Meilhat and co-skipper Amélie Grassi (FRA) know all too well that they are far from home and dry.
And stepping in to replace Britain’s Sam Goodchild on board Biotherm is Spanish Mini sailor Carlos Manera.
“You don’t replace a Sam with another Sam!” Meilhat commented about the substitution. “Carlos has a different profile, but one that suits us perfectly. He ticks a lot of boxes: Mini sailor, foiling, experience both in crewed and solo sailing.
“The solo sailing aspect is essential, because with four people on an IMOCA, everyone needs a high level of autonomy. Carlos is very versatile, and the idea is also not to put pressure on him but to keep him confident.
“For this leg, it will therefore naturally be Amélie who takes on the responsibility for navigation and strategy.”
Behind Biotherm four teams – second-placed Paprec Arkéa, third placed Team Holcim – PRB (SUI), fourth-place Allagrande Mapei Racing, and Team Malizia (GER) – are all in a fierce battle to secure a podium place.
The fleet began Leg 5 in light winds that saw the fleet ghosting across the start line in a sub-five-knot breeze at speeds in the three to four-knot range. It was the Leg 4 winner Ambrogio Beccaria’s Allagrande Mapei Racing who made the early running immediately after the start, leading the fleet across flat waters.
Genova a perfect host for The Ocean Race Europe
For leg 5 the Italian yacht is carrying The Ocean Race’s Nature’s Baton on board after it was presented to the Italian skipper by the Mayor of Genova, Silvia Salis, who spoke with enthusiasm about hosting The Ocean Race Europe.
“These events are fundamental for promoting the city. With The Ocean Race we share the values of sustainability, of protecting and respecting our seas and, of course, all the values of sport, which are universal,” said Mayor Salis.
“When I meet the athletes, for me it’s like diving back into the past: I love their lifestyle, their way of facing the future, their strength. This is the power that sport transmits. To the athletes I wish fair winds, but I also want to tell them to have fun. Sport is a very important driver: these major events are fundamental to attracting quality tourism…”
Her positivity was matched by Marco Bucci, the President of Region of Liguria, who as the previous Mayor of Genova, first brought The Ocean Race to the city.
“Liguria is making a major effort to become the most important region in the Mediterranean for sailing sports. With The Ocean Race we have important development plans for the future, and therefore The Ocean Race will be part of our sporting events in the coming years and will involve all of Liguria, even if Genova will continue to play the main role. We are working to ensure that the event has even greater importance and reach across our territory, because we want sailing, which is extremely important for our region, to be one of the main sports practiced here.”
Richard Brisius, the Race Chairman of The Ocean Race, said: “Genova has again proved to be the ideal home for our teams, welcoming us with warmth and enthusiasm. On behalf of The Ocean Race, I thank the city for its incredible hospitality.
“Before this final leg of The Ocean Race Europe, Mayor Silvia Salis inspired us with her vision for Genova’s future. We’re excited to support her and the city in building on our shared values: a passion for sport, an international outlook, and a commitment to sustainability, solidarity, and protecting the Ocean.
“These are the same principles that have guided The Ocean Race for over 50 years. Genova and Liguria are true partners who share our forward-thinking vision. This partnership will continue in November with The Ocean Race Summit Youth Genova, dedicated to the ocean and youth. It will be an opportunity to reinforce that sport can be a platform for change to create a more sustainable tomorrow.”
Can Allagrande Racing repeat its Leg 4 performance?
Before leaving the dock, Beccaria said he and his crew were hoping to build on their Leg 4 victory to deliver a good showing in Boka Bay, but acknowledged that The Ocean Race Europe 2025’s final and longest leg was likely to be a tricky and unpredictable affair.
“This is a Mediterranean race and we have proved that we are good at it, so we just have to stick to the plan and see what is going to happen,” he said.
“There are always a lot of tactics in this race because the weather in the Mediterranean is so unstable and unpredictable that you can’t be 100 per cent sure of your options.
“So it is very important to watch the other boats but then also I think it is very important to be sure of your plan: to try to have a strategy and then have the tactics to apply that; to try to not do only what the other boats are doing – because then you have no strategy and that is not always good.”
Early indications are that Beccaria and his team are playing the Mediterranean game well.
Provisional leaderboard – The Ocean Race Europe
1 – Biotherm — 41 pts
2 – Paprec Arkéa — 29 pts
3 – Team Holcim PRB — 27,3 pts
4 – Allagrande Mapei Racing — 19 pts
5 – Team Malizia — 18 pts
6 – Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive –13 pts
7 – Team Amaala — 7 pts
