This Sunday, the seven crews in The Ocean Race Europe will line up for the ultimate challenge: a 2,000-mile showdown from Genoa, Italy to Boka Bay, Montenegro.
The route promises to be as demanding as it is dramatic, with the fleet expected to arrive in Montenegro on Monday 15 September. After five action-packed stages filled with twists and turns, the grand finale is set to deliver even more excitement.
The course, revealed on Friday morning, is nothing short of spectacular. The fleet will leave Genova and race south, rounding Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily, before heading down to the south of Greece and turning north into the Adriatic Sea. To make things even more interesting, the Race Control team has added a series of waypoints along the way.
A grand tour of the Mediterranean
“The fleet is going to spend at least eight days at sea, arriving on Monday 15 September,” explains Race Control’s Max Gallais. “We needed a course that can adapt to the unpredictable Mediterranean weather, so we’ve built in flexibility with movable waypoints.”
Among the unique challenges, the crews will sail close to four lighthouses and four islands around Sicily, including Ustica, Pantelleria, and Gozo. They’ll also need to pass through an 11-mile gate southeast of Sicily, which could compress the fleet. From there, they’ll head for a new waypoint off Greece before the final push up the Adriatic into Boka Bay.
“It’s a proper Mediterranean lap – really interesting,” says Alan Roberts (Holcim-PRB). “You can expect every type of condition. It’s going to be full of surprises.”
“The weather systems are always unpredictable here – the Med can sometimes be a lottery,” adds Gautier Levisse (Paprec Arkéa). “You need to keep your eyes on the sky and take every opportunity.”
Another factor is rest. “It’s easy to burn out,” admits Roberts. Amélie Grassi (Biotherm) agrees: “This isn’t a three-day sprint. We’ll need to manage ourselves with a more ocean-style rhythm to get the right recovery.”
Biotherm is firmly in control
With points still on the line, the stakes remain high. In total, 16 points are available – two at the scoring gate, seven for the stage win, and seven more for the In-Port Race in Boka Bay on 20 September.
Biotherm tops the leaderboard with 41 points, 12 ahead of Paprec Arkéa, and remains the clear favourite.
“We’re in a very strong position,” says Grassi. “The key is not to make mistakes. We don’t need to do anything spectacular.”
Levisse acknowledges the challenge: “With a lot of ‘ifs’, we could still win, but Biotherm have been so consistent. They’ve been impressive.”
Battles across the fleet
Behind the leader, the fight for the podium is wide open. Paprec Arkéa (29 pts) and Holcim-PRB (27.3 pts) are locked in a duel for second place, while Allagrande Mapei Racing (19 pts) and Team Malizia (18 pts) are close behind, looking to climb.
“Our goal is to win the stage and take second overall,” says Roberts.
“We’re optimistic,” counters Levisse. “It may come down to strategy – we’re stronger upwind and in the light, they’re quicker downwind – so it could split the fleet.”
Several teams are also making crew changes for the final push. Holcim-PRB welcomes back skipper Rosalin Kuiper, and Will Harris returns to Team Malizia, while Biotherm adds rising Spanish talent Carlos Menara, second of the 2023 Mini Transat.
On Paprec Arkéa, Levisse himself will step aboard for his first stage, as will Hugo Feydit on Allagrande Mapei Racing. Team Amaala sees Swiss sailors Jessica Berthoud and Yann Burkhalter join Alan Roura and Conrad Colman.
With Allagrande Mapei Racing (19 pts) and Team Malizia (18 pts) separated by a single point in the fight for fourth, and Canada Ocean Racing (13 pts) battling Team Amaala (7 pts) for sixth, the entire fleet has something left to play for. Expect fireworks all the way to Boka Bay.
