Fleet Departs Nice in Glamour Conditions as Leg 4 of The Ocean Race Europe Gets Underway

By 1700 local time, the yachts were stacked along the Royal Yacht Squadron–style line just off the Promenade des Anglais. A light but steady eight-knot breeze carried the salt tang across the crowded shoreline as the race horns sounded. Out came the big sails, crews grinding hard to squeeze every ounce of pace as they vied for clear air on the short reach toward Monaco and the first points on offer.

Holcim Strike First

It was Holcim-PRB (SUI) — this time with Nico Lunven wearing the skipper’s cap while Rosalin Kuiper takes a break — who judged it best, nailing the pin end and stretching away in clean breeze. At the other end, Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm (FRA), race leader on the overall table, punched out a strong start of their own, while Team AMAALA (SUI/KSA) rolled the dice, starting on port tack and breaking offshore in search of an early tactical edge.

From the very first tack, the stage was set: the fleet would fight tooth and nail for the Monaco scoring gate — just eight miles from the start, but carrying precious leaderboard points that could prove decisive by Genova.

The Course: Corsica, Bonifacio and Beyond

The Mediterranean may look benign under blue skies, but the course the sailors face is nothing short of brutal. The fleet must skirt the entire island of Corsica, with its towering granite mountains and notorious wind shadows, before threading the needle through the Strait of Bonifacio. This eleven-kilometre stretch between Corsica and Sardinia is infamous for its funnelled gusts, eddies, and razor-sharp shoals. Crews will have to dance between strategy and survival before turning north for the final sprint to Genova, Italy’s proud maritime city and host of the 2021 inaugural Ocean Race Europe finale.

For Yoann Richomme (FRA), back at the helm of Paprec Arkéa after sitting out Leg 3, the challenge could be won or lost in the first 24 hours. “We’ve got breeze to get to Monaco, so that’s a great way to open. But tonight it’ll be light — tricky patches as we cross to Corsica. Tomorrow should bring new pressure, but around the island it’s going to be about patience and precision,” he said dockside, looking both eager and wary.

Corsican Mountains, Corsican Shadows

Richomme wasn’t exaggerating. Corsica rises like a fortress from the sea, mountains topping 2,700 metres that cast massive shadows over the water. Too close inshore and you risk parking up in a dead patch; too far offshore and you may miss the chance to exploit a thermal shift. “The wind shadows are huge,” Richomme warned. “We’ll have to stay sharp the whole way.”

The Return of Paprec Arkéa

Paprec’s campaign has been full of fight this season. Sitting tied for second overall with Holcim, the French team know they must take points here if they want a shot at the overall title. Richomme was quick to credit his crew for a solid Leg 3, led in his absence by Corentin Horeau: “They had a tough one but kept us in the game. Now, I want us back on the podium. Of course, we always want to win, but with this leg? It’ll come down to the final miles.”

Canada’s Grit, Hare’s Caution

For Pip Hare (GBR), racing aboard Scott Shawyer’s Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, the Mediterranean remains as unpredictable as ever. “We’re still waiting for a pattern. The models don’t agree. Under Corsica, depending on timing, you could get hammered with a gale or parked with nothing. And Genova? Thunderstorms, waterspouts, flat calms — it’s the full menu. Expect the unexpected.”

Hare has form here. She raced into Genova in the 2021 edition and knows how messy it can get: “Don’t bet the farm on anything until you see the finish line. This place rewrites its own script.”

Beccaria’s Homecoming Push

For Ambrogio Beccaria (ITA) and Allagrande Mapei Racing, this leg carries extra fire. Genova is effectively his home waters; his Class 40 was built and launched there. After losing Leg 1 to that bruising collision in Kiel with Holcim, the Italian team are buried mid-table, but Beccaria has eyes only for redemption. “Our goal is simple — win the leg, win in Genova,” he said with trademark bluntness. “The Monaco gate? Yes, points are nice, but we’re chasing the big one.”

Classic Rivalries, Close Quarters

As the sun began to slide behind the Alpes-Maritimes, the fleet remained locked together, five boats spread within a quarter-mile. Biotherm, intent on defending their overall lead. Holcim-PRB, reborn and resurgent after early setbacks. Paprec Arkéa, looking to prove their steel. Malizia, Allagrande, Canada, AMAALA — all with scores to settle and reputations to defend.

The Mediterranean was benign at the start — eight knots, flat seas, glamour racing for the crowds onshore. But everyone knows what awaits. A long night of sail changes, hydration battles, sweat dripping below decks in the August heat. A Strait that chews boats and breaks nerves. And a final charge toward a finish that has history written all over it.

A Leg Balanced on a Knife Edge

No one pretends to know how it will play out. Forecasts call for light patches, transition zones, and breeze bending around Corsica’s cliffs. The only certainty is work — relentless trimming, gybes in the dark, and no real rest until Genova’s breakwaters appear on the horizon.

As Holcim’s Franck Cammas summed it up with a wry grin: “Biotherm is ahead now, but in the Med, nothing is ever certain. There’s a long, long way to go.”