Biotherm Clinches Final Leg in Montenegro to Seal Dominant Victory in The Ocean Race Europe 2025
Crossing the line in Boka Bay at 21:13:33 local time, Biotherm completed the 1,600-mile passage from Genova, Italy in seven days, eight hours, 33 minutes, and 13 seconds, collecting another seven points to cement their dominance. With three earlier leg wins, maximum Scoring Gate bonuses, and a solid third place in Leg 4, the French entry’s total of 48 points left them untouchable at the top of the leaderboard.
A Route to Remember
The final stage was anything but straightforward. From the light-air chess match along the Ligurian and French coasts to the thundery bottlenecks off Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, the IMOCA fleet endured everything the Mediterranean could throw. Boatspeed touched 34 knots in flat-water foiling bursts, only to be followed by lightning storms, torrential rain, and dead-calm patches that shredded nerves and tested stamina.
While Biotherm played the percentages, keeping rivals in check tack for tack, their closest challengers sought bolder gambits. Yoann Richomme’s Paprec Arkéa peeled east toward Albania in search of leverage, while Ambrogio Beccaria’s Allagrande Mapei pressed hard along the Italian coast. But Meilhat and his crew — Amélie Grassi, Benjamin Ferré, and Carlos Manera — stuck to their guns, their boat optimised for Mediterranean transitions and their team drilled for patience as much as speed.
“I’m just happy to share this with the crew and shore team,” Meilhat said ashore. “We prepared for this race for more than a year, and every detail counted. From boat reliability to strategy, it was about focus — and today it’s all paid off.”
Swiss Resurgence
The standout subplot of the final leg came from Rosalin Kuiper’s Team Holcim – PRB. After languishing more than 150 miles behind south of Sicily, the Swiss entry staged a sensational comeback, clawing back over 100 miles in 24 hours to rejoin the leaders. At 23:32:13 local time, they finished second — a result that keeps them in podium contention heading into the final in-port race.
“A massive comeback,” Kuiper said. “We kept pushing when the fleet parked, and when we got the new breeze it was a restart. To finish second from that position is incredible.”
Malizia’s Grit, Mapei’s Firepower, Arkéa’s Gamble
Third place went to Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia, finishing at 01:26:09 after a rollercoaster of gains and losses. “It was emotional — big highs when we caught miles, big lows when we lost them,” navigator Will Harris admitted. “But to secure a podium in light conditions that don’t suit us is a real win.”
Beccaria’s Allagrande Mapei placed fourth at 03:25:37, having thrilled fans with bursts of 35-knot speeds through flat-water surfs off Ustica. But their daring final-stage move stalled in lighter coastal winds. Paprec Arkéa, long a frontrunner, paid the price for their eastern gamble, crossing fifth at 04:06:45.
Richomme reflected: “We thought we could control the others from Albania, but it didn’t pay. That’s racing — sometimes brave moves fall short.”
A Season of Supremacy
For Biotherm, this win is the capstone of a campaign that was years in the making. Their overall supremacy stems not from a single leg but from an unrelenting consistency across all five. Built on lessons from the grueling 2022-23 Ocean Race, the team refined both boat and crew to thrive in the light-air transitions and tactical traps that defined the 2025 European edition.
Co-skipper Amélie Grassi, who took on navigation duties for the final leg, summed it up:
“We never set out to win every leg, but we kept making smart choices. Sometimes it wasn’t flashy — just enough risk to stay ahead. To close the season with a win is unbelievable.”
Final Podium Battle Still Alive
While Biotherm have secured the championship crown, the fight for second remains razor thin. Paprec Arkéa hold a half-point edge over Team Holcim – PRB, with the final coastal race in Boka Bay on Saturday set to decide silver or bronze. Team Malizia and Allagrande Mapei remain close behind, proof of just how competitive the 2025 fleet has been.
Why It Matters
The Ocean Race Europe 2025 has reaffirmed its status as one of sailing’s premier tests: short enough to be relentless, long enough to be brutal, and always demanding total commitment. From light-air duels in the Gulf of Genova to storm-driven foiling south of Sardinia, the event showcased the IMOCA class at its tactical and physical limit.
For Meilhat and his crew, the numbers are clear: five legs, four victories, 48 points, one trophy. Dominant.