Boating New Zealand Boat Reviews
Reviews
Boating New Zealand News
News
Boating New Zealand Sports
Sport
Boating New Zealand Lifestyle
Lifestyle
advertise
Boating New Zealand Boat Reviews
Reviews
Boating New Zealand News
News
Boating New Zealand Sports
Sport
Boating New Zealand Lifestyle
Lifestyle
BOAT-REVIEWS-MOBILE
Boat Reviews
BOAT-NEWS-MOBILE
News
BOAT-SPORTS-MOBILE
Sports
BOAT-LIFESTYLE-MOBILE
Lifestyle
HomeNewsBiotherm stays perfect as fleet battles stormy finish into Nice

Biotherm stays perfect as fleet battles stormy finish into Nice

Published

Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm win again in The Ocean Race Europe 2025 after a brutal Mediterranean leg, with Holcim-PRB second and Allagrande Mapei claiming their first podium.

Bookmark post
Bookmarked
Bookmark post
Bookmarked
KEYPOINTS
  • Biotherm won Leg 3 into Nice, completing a clean sweep so far.
  • Holcim-PRB finished 27 minutes behind after a fierce overnight duel.
  • Allagrande Mapei claimed a first Ocean Race Europe podium in third.
  • Storms up to 70 knots tested crews to their limits in the final 24 hours.
  • Paprec Arkéa and Malizia finished just minutes apart in fourth and fifth.
  • Canada Ocean Racing held off Team Amaala for sixth place.
  • Provisional leaderboard: Biotherm 34 points; Holcim-PRB & Paprec Arkéa tied on 23.

Biotherm unstoppable

Paul Meilhat’s

// The Ocean Race

(FRA) arrived in Nice at dawn this morning, completing Leg 3 from Cartagena in 2 days, 16 hours, 12 minutes and 14 seconds. Their third consecutive victory in The Ocean Race Europe 2025 extends a flawless record — maximum points from every leg and scoring gate to date.

 

- Advertisement, article continues below -
Busfield Marine Logo
Nautitech Open 40 -2015
Nautitech Open 40 -2015
$ 595 000 NZD
12 m | This Nautitech Open 40 catamaran is a fast and comfortable blue water cruiser, well equipped with a spacious interior. Call for a viewing at Westhaven Marina.

This leg was anything but straightforward. After sticky light airs around Mallorca, the fleet endured a violent Mediterranean storm that unleashed winds up to 70 knots. It was, in the words of Meilhat, “100 per cent Mediterranean – unpredictable, exhausting, and full of surprises.”

Holcim-PRB (SUI), skippered by Rosalin Kuiper, finished just 27 minutes later after pushing Biotherm to the wire. For hours, the gap was less than three miles, with both crews averaging over 20 knots through the darkness.

“It was a fantastic battle with Holcim-PRB from the start,” Meilhat said. “We are really tired because we did so many sail changes and manoeuvres. Only half a mile from the finish did we finally feel secure.”

Team Holcim – PRB, skippered by Rosalin Kuiper, second of Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 in Cartagena, Portugal, on August 23, 2025. (Photo by Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe 2025)

Co-skipper Sam Goodchild added: “This was the first full Mediterranean leg and it was really intense. Storm clouds, shifting winds, forecasts that didn’t line up – it was full-on.”

Holcim-PRB keep the pressure on

For Kuiper and her Swiss crew, second place was another step forward after missing Leg 1 due to their collision with Allagrande Mapei.

- Advertisement, article continues below -

“I am really happy with second place,” Kuiper said. “It was incredible racing – so many manoeuvres, no sleep, constant changes. We could smell Biotherm at times, but in the end they held us off.”

Holcim helmsman Franck Cammas summed it up: “Even two hours before the finish we hoped to overtake them. This is what we love about The Ocean Race – to fight all the way against the best.”

A podium for Italy

Ambrogio Beccaria’s Allagrande Mapei claimed third, 53 minutes behind Holcim. It was a milestone moment for the Italian entry in their first major campaign.

“This is super-hard racing and this is why we love it,” Beccaria said. “We didn’t make all the right choices, but we are improving so much as a team. Our boat flies when the breeze is up, and today I’m proud of what we achieved.”

Battles down the order

Paprec Arkéa, skippered this leg by Corentin Horeau, finished fourth just 49 minutes ahead of Team Malizia (GER). What looked like a comfortable cushion evaporated in the final hours as Boris Herrmann’s crew closed to within a mile of the French boat.

- Advertisement, article continues below -
Team Malizia, skippered by Boris Herrmann, at the start of Leg 3 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 in Cartagena, Spain on August 26, 2025. Photo credit: by Jean-Louis Carli / The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Herrmann later laughed: “From the outside it might have looked like a family summer cruise, but it was full-on all the time. In light winds you sometimes work harder than in storms.”

Canada Ocean Racing held off Team Amaala for sixth place. Skipper Scott Shawyer admitted the leg was “brutally hard”, while Pip Hare described it as “the very top of crewed offshore racing – physically and mentally demanding, but the reason we love this sport.”

Team Amaala, skippered by Swiss sailor Alan Roura, reported the heaviest conditions of the leg with gusts to 70 knots. Exhausted but upbeat, Roura laughed: “We had no option – it was really windy but the boat was fantastic. We love it when it’s stormy like this.”

Leaderboard after Leg 3

Biotherm – 34 points

Holcim-PRB – 23 points

Paprec Arkéa – 23 points

Team Malizia – 16 points

Allagrande Mapei – 12 points

Be Water Positive (Canada) – 10 points

Team Amaala – 6 points

With Biotherm perfect so far and Holcim-PRB and Paprec Arkéa tied behind them, The Ocean Race Europe is shaping into a fight for the minor placings. For the sailors, though, Leg 3 will be remembered less for the scoreboard and more for the storm, the sweat, and the sheer intensity of racing the Med at its wildest.

SHARE:

Article
Article

Biotherm and Holcim-PRB break away north of the Balearic Islands

News
The Ocean Race Europe fleet battles shifting breezes and relentless tacking as Biotherm and Holcim-P...
Article
Article

Antifoul and hull prep: keeping your boat efficient and protected

News
Brought to you by:
Antifoul and hull prep made simple. Learn how to strip, choose, and apply antifoul with product tips...
Article
Article

Solo ocean crossing prep and survival

News
The other week, Sea People Live welcomed Lauren Landers for an uncut hour of questions and stories a...

Comments

This conversation is moderated by Boating New Zealand. Subscribe to view comments and join the conversation. Choose your plan →

This conversation is moderated by Boating New Zealand.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Chris Woodhams
Chris Woodhams
Adventurer. Explorer. Sailor.

So-Pac Marine

So-Pac Marine is not your ordinary marine equipment wholesaler.  So-Pac is dedicated to quality products and quality service.......we have been for over 30 years". So-Pac Marine h...
Dixon Stainless logo

Dixon Stainless

A Breakthrough in Custom Stanchions At the forefront of Dixon Stainless’ offerings is their ability to produce custom stanchions, a significant milestone for New Zealand’s marine industry. These stan...

LATEST NEWS

Astender AST 400 Centre Console

Introducing the AST 400, the pinnacle of dinghy tenders. Meticulously designed and crafted, this all-new model, unveiled in 2024, offers unparalleled performance and versatility for the modern boater.

1946 Jack Guard 35

Step aboard Gipsy and step into a living legacy. At 35 feet, built from heart kauri in 1946, this classic launch isn’t just another pretty hull – she’s a rare survivor from a golden era of Kiwi boatbuilding, and a direct link to one of New Zealand’s most storied maritime families.