MADRID, 14 (EUROPA PRESS)
Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 concluded Thursday in sunny but changeable conditions off the Isle of Wight, England, with Biotherm taking a convincing victory and Team Malizia snatching second place from Paprec Arkéa thanks to a bold tactical move in the Strait of Dover.
The fleet was preparing for a direct finish in Portsmouth, but on Wednesday night, race management extended the course by 60 nautical miles, adding a two-lap circuit off Bembridge Ledge. This forced the top three teams to face another upwind and downwind leg before they could cross the finish line.
For Paul Meilhat's team, the extension was a mere formality, and they controlled everything from the start in Kiel, Germany, staying out of trouble and well ahead of their rivals. Not even Wednesday's nighttime squall, when 25 knots blew in from all directions and forced the sails to be lowered and re-hoisted, endangered Biotherm.
Arriving in Bembridge on Thursday, she had such a lead that she completed the laps without any threat. With the next boat a distant glimmer on the horizon, Meilhat's crew could have sailed calmly to the finish, but they continued trimming and adjusting until the finish. At 11:50 a.m., she confirmed her stage victory with nine points, adding seven for winning and two for passing through the Kiel gate.
Behind them, Malizia and Paprec Arkéa were still battling for second place. For most of the leg, Paprec Arkéa had held onto third place against attacks from its rival, but Boris Herrmann's crew took advantage of it on Wednesday afternoon.
As she approached Dover, she abandoned the mid-channel route and hugged the coast to avoid the full force of the opposing current. It was risky because the current is weaker closer to the coast, but the risk of running out of wind is also greater. The move paid off immediately. In the hour after turning toward the cliffs, the Malizia made up five miles, and by nightfall they were only half a mile away.
Paprec Arkéa responded with a strong defense, matching Malizia's every tack throughout the night. For several hours, they remained separated by just a mile, covering each other until the start of the Bembridge circuit, until a single decision changed everything.
Detecting a roll at the leeward mark, Malizia gybed, and Paprec Arkéa allowed the breakaway, believing it was safe. But the maneuver favored the German team, which moved ahead and slowly began to increase its advantage. At the finish, Malizia secured a decisive second place, and Paprec Arkéa suffered the consequences of this oversight.
With the first leg completed, Biotherm has 9 points and is in a strong position in the championship. Malizia's comeback gives them 6 points, tying them with Paprec Arkéa, who added 1 point thanks to the scoring gate in Kiel to their 5 points for third place.
