The Ocean Race Europe – Biotherm holding the cards

Two days into the 900-mile slog from Kiel to Portsmouth, the Franco-British crew have wrung every ounce out of their foiler, holding first place ahead of Yoann Richomme’s Paprec Arkéa. The lead was built during a bruising tacking duel off Denmark’s north coast, where Biotherm seemed to find an extra gear in the breeze and chop.

Jack Bouttell – sharing duties with Meilhat, Sam Goodchild, and France’s Amélie Grassi – summed it up: “We matched them reaching up the coast, but when the wind went more upwind, we could sail just a bit faster and tack in the right spots. It paid off.”

The start in Kiel had all the theatre: seven IMOCAs launching off the line in foiling mode, crowds crammed into the race village, and then – drama. Just minutes in, Allagrande MAPEI Racing and Holcim-PRB locked hulls in a high-speed collision, sending both back to Kiel with serious damage. No injuries, but no more racing for now.

Biotherm, unfased, hit Kiel Lighthouse first to bag the two-point bonus, with Paprec Arkéa taking one. Since then, they’ve been running clean – no breakdowns, decent sleep after the first night’s chaos, and a crew that’s clearly enjoying itself. “It’s a happy boat,” Bouttell said. “We’re still learning her ways, but she’s quick and fun to sail.”

By mid-morning, Biotherm was clocking nine knots in a light easterly with 653 miles to go, the forecast pointing to a sticky, low-wind crawl into Portsmouth. Paprec Arkéa sat eight miles back, Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia twelve, and Scott Shawyer’s Be Water Positive trailing in fourth. At the rear, Alan Roura’s Team Amaala was plugging away in an older design – slower on paper, but holding on well in the trickier phases.

“It’s getting more tactical every hour,” Roura said. “We’ll have transitions, no wind, then a headwind and current at the finish. You never really know how you’ll get there, or when.”

For Biotherm, the risk now is losing that hard-earned cushion as the chasing pack rides into their wind shadow. Bouttell’s keeping it in perspective: “They’ve closed a bit because we sailed into the light first, but we’re still ahead. Now it’s about seeing who comes out best at the other side.”