Paprec Arkéa edges ahead in a dramatic dash past Sardinia.

From a crawl to a sprint

The seven mixed-gender IMOCA crews had endured a frustrating opening to the 1,600-nautical mile passage from Genova to Boka Bay, Montenegro. Since leaving the Ligurian coast on Sunday afternoon, they had tiptoed east in ultra-light winds, hugging the shoreline past Nice and St. Tropez. Crews sweated in the late-summer Mediterranean heat, trimming, re-trimming, and searching for the faintest puff of air to keep their foiling machines moving.

Then, in the small hours of Monday morning, everything changed. A northwesterly breeze, eight to ten knots strong, swept into the racecourse at around 0230 CEST. At last, the leaders could bear away, hoist bigger sails, and turn their bows south. For Richomme’s Paprec Arkéa, Paul Meilhat’s overall race leader Biotherm, Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia, and Ambrogio Beccaria’s Italian-flagged Allagrande Mapei Racing, the breeze was like a green light — a signal to unleash their 60-foot foiling IMOCAs. Boat speeds leapt into the thirties as the front pack tore towards Sardinia.

Scoring Gate drama

By sunrise, it was clear that the sprint to the Santo Stefano Scoring Gate would be tight. Four boats hammered south in lockstep, with barely a mile between them. In the end, it was Paprec Arkéa that squeezed across first at 07:33:24 CEST, just 57 seconds ahead of Allagrande Mapei. Those precious two points extend the French team’s cushion in the overall standings, giving them breathing space over their Swiss rivals Holcim – PRB.

Richomme, ever the pragmatist, downplayed the advantage but admitted it was a satisfying milestone:

“Two points at the Santa Stefano Scoring Gate – that was really good. We have put in a lot of effort since the start to be ahead and that paid off. It’s not much of a lead, but every point counts. Being four points ahead of Holcim overall is a nice little margin to have.”

Behind them, Holcim – PRB, Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive led by Pip Hare, and Alan Roura’s Team AMAALA were caught short. They missed the first bite of the new wind and could only watch as the tracker showed the leaders vanishing over the horizon.

“It’s frustrating,” admitted Lincoln Dews aboard Canada Ocean Racing. “We were just a few miles behind yesterday, and that turned into 30 miles so fast. These boats are weapons when they get going.”

Leaders separated by a whisper

At 1330 CEST, the tracker painted a picture of classic Mediterranean knife-fight racing: only six miles covered the top four. Paprec Arkéa, Allagrande Mapei, Biotherm, and Malizia were clustered west of Menorca, charging south, while Holcim trailed 12 miles back in fifth. Canada’s Be Water Positive sat 82 miles off the pace, with Team AMAALA a further 61 back.

Even so, nobody is counting themselves out. Rosalin Kuiper, back at the helm of Holcim – PRB, was candid about the challenge ahead:

“It’s nice to be fast again – we’re doing 27 knots – but the fleet is far ahead, so we have to catch up a lot. There’s still six days of racing left. We’ll work hard, keep positive, and keep hunting.”

Dews on Be Water Positive was equally bullish:

“We’ve finally got back into the pressure that the others had earlier. If they park up tonight, we’ll be right there to pounce.”

All eyes on the weather

For now, the Mediterranean is playing nice, but the forecasts suggest storm systems, lulls, and sharp transitions lie ahead. That’s music to the ears of those chasing, who will hope the leaders trip in the next patch of light air.

Allagrande Mapei skipper Ambrogio Beccaria, running second at the gate, is under no illusions:

“Finally, we have some wind and the miles are starting to decrease. But it’s not going to last. We expect stormy patches, big waves, then no wind at all. It will be very complicated.”

For the Italian, the pressure is double-edged. A podium in Montenegro would be a huge result for his home team, but the conditions promise a rollercoaster finish.

Points, pride, and pressure

With 16 points still on the table — two for the gate, seven for the Leg 5 win, and seven more for the In-Port Race in Boka Bay — the stakes are sky-high. Biotherm may lead the overall standings comfortably, but one mistake in the fickle Med could rewrite the script. Behind them, Paprec Arkéa and Holcim are locked in a fight for second, while Allagrande Mapei and Malizia lurk with intent.

This is The Ocean Race Europe at its best: high speeds, thin margins, and no certainty until the line is crossed.