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.