After six weeks of racing, it all came down to a single day for four of the seven teams competing in The Ocean Race Europe. After five offshore legs stretching from Kiel, Germany to Montenegro’s Boka Bay, Biotherm had secured victory, winning all but one of the legs. However, the rest of the podium as well as fourth and fifth places were up for grabs, and teams had one last chance to score points in Saturday’s coastal finale.
Going into the race, Paprec Arkéa and Holcim-PRB were just half a point away from each other on the scoreboard, meaning whoever crossed the line first in Boka Bay would take the second place spot overall. Similarly, Malizia and Allagrande Mapei Racing were also a point apart on the scoreboard, battling for fourth and fifth places.
Despite an early lead from Paprec Arkéa and having already scored enough points for an overall win, Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm did not take their foot off the gas, overtaking Paprec Arkéa and securing one final victory. “We’re so happy. We’ve lived together for two months with this goal in mind,” said Meilhat. “This victory is all bonus and pure happiness.”
Paprec Arkéa stayed focused on the match-up that mattered and bested Holcim-PRB to secure second place overall. “That was a really great race,” said Yoann Richomme, skipper of Paprec Arkéa. “It feels so good to show the potential of the boats here. We had a great start on the foils, which I didn’t expect.”
“It was tight with Holcim-PRB from the very beginning, so we had to be focused straight away,” added Corentin Horeau. “We stuck to our game plan and tried to sail the cleanest race possible. It was a fantastic course.”
Rosalin Kuiper, skipper of Holcim-PRB, was disappointed with their finish, but reflected positively on their trajectory throughout the race, which began with a collision and a protest. “It wasn’t the position we had hoped for, but we worked so hard,” said Kuiper. “Looking back at everything we’ve been through, I’m incredibly proud of my team. I’m happy with how far we’ve come, what we’ve learned, and what we’ve achieved.”
The other hotly contested pairing of Malizia and Allagrande Mapei Racing was ultimately won by Malizia, landing them fourth on Saturday and fourth overall.
If the end of The Ocean Race Europe has you already missing the IMOCA fleet, don’t worry. You won’t have to wait for the next Vendée Globe to see them again. The Ocean Race will be back in 2026 with The Ocean Race Atlantic, a new crewed offshore race from New York to Barcelona.
For more on The Ocean Race Europe, visit theoceanrace.com/en/europe/2025
The Boka Bay Coastal Race results:
1. Biotherm
2. Paprec Arkéa
3. Team Holcim-PRB
4. Team Malizia
5. Be Water Positive
6. Allagrande Mapei Racing
7. Team Amaala
The Ocean Race Europe overall leaderboard (provisional):
1. Biotherm – 55 points
2. Paprec Arkéa – 40 points
3. Team Holcim-PRB – 38.5 points
4. Team Malizia – 27 points
5. Allagrande Mapei Racing – 26 points
6. Be Water Positive – 18 points
7. Team Amaala – 9 points
