Kiel’s harbour was alive with noise and colour on Sunday afternoon. Fans lined the Kiellinie promenade, a flotilla of spectator boats crowded the fjord, and the roar of applause carried across the water. After days of sailor parades, speed runs, and warm summer weather, the seven-boat IMOCA fleet was finally on the start line for Leg One to Portsmouth.
Commentators had predicted a tactical opening — dodging wind farms, rocky coasts, and tricky tidal gates. Few thought the first hazard would be the fleet itself.
With seconds to go, Team Holcim PRB, skippered for the first time by Rosalin Kuiper, sat slow but perfectly timed near the line, rights on starboard as they bore down toward the fleet. Just above, Allagrande Mapei Racing, with Ambrogio Beccaria on the helm, powered in under a big masthead sail. The breeze built. Holcim PRB dug in, foils biting. Mapei heeled hard.
And then — too close.
Holcim PRB broached, momentarily losing control. Mapei’s big headsail ripped, possibly on Holcim PRB’s rigging.
Worse still, Holcim PRB’s port hull took a blow, leaving a gash in the topsides. Onboard footage later showed crew members glancing down in disbelief as water hissed through the fractured laminate.
“I don’t have any answer. I’m sad to be back here now,” Beccaria said after returning to Kiel. “Especially because the team made a huge effort to be here and we only did one mile of the race. It’s super sad for our competitor also… We’re not alone in this story. We’re checking the boat. For sure we will not drop out until there is no chance. It doesn’t seem easy but we will see.”
Kuiper’s own reaction was equally blunt: “We had to retire from the race because of damage to our hull. It is very disappointing for our entire team, and for Allagrande Mapei and for The Ocean Race as well. We are going to assess the situation, see what can happen and make a plan from there. At the moment we are focused to get the boat ready, repair the boat ASAP and be on the starting line, hopefully, in Portsmouth… We will overcome this. We have a very strong team. I wish I wasn’t here now but that’s the situation.”
Phil Lawrence, Race Director for The Ocean Race Europe, confirmed both teams had suspended racing to assess the damage. “At this stage we understand both teams are hoping to rejoin the race and we should know more about this on Monday,” he said. “A formal protest has been filed by Team Holcim PRB against Allagrande Mapei Racing and this matter will be handled by the International Jury at a time to be determined.”
Social media turns into the dockside
Word spread instantly. Within minutes, Holcim PRB’s Facebook page carried the headline: FLASH NEWS — both crews safe, boats heading back.
Hours later, a calmer update confirmed the IMOCA had been moved to another berth “to best assess the next steps,” signed off with a plaster-heart and flexed-arm emoji.
Beccaria’s own post was even shorter — just a photo and a sad face.
Supporters responded in force. “Tonight it gets repaired, tomorrow you set off again. Courage,” wrote one. “Never give up… the start is always uphill,” said another. Many sent four-leaf clovers and prayers; one fan admitted, “It took my breath away.” Others were more pointed, questioning how such an incident could happen in the opening mile.
The race goes on
While Holcim PRB and Allagrande Mapei were back alongside with shore crews swarming over the damage, the rest of the fleet pressed on. Biotherm was first through the Kiel Lighthouse scoring gate, claiming two bonus points, followed by Paprec Arkéa for one point, with Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive in third ahead of Malizia and Team Amaala.
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Out in the Danish straits, Paprec Arkéa was topping 25 knots on sustained foiling runs — a reminder of the speed and skill that would be needed over the next 4,500 nautical miles. Leg One would take three to four days to Portsmouth, where the teams will regroup before the longest stage of the race to Cartagena.
From celebration to challenge
The days before the start had been all about optimism. Race Chairman Richard Brisius called the route “one of the most challenging we’ve ever seen.” Skippers spoke of respecting their rivals and pacing themselves through the fast, six-week sprint across Europe.
Nobody expected the first headlines to be about damage control. Yet this is offshore racing — unpredictable, unforgiving, and just as capable of delivering heartbreak as glory.
For Holcim PRB and Allagrande Mapei, the fight now is to rejoin in Portsmouth. For the rest, the lesson from day one is clear: in The Ocean Race Europe, fortunes can change in a mile.
