Upwind pace isn’t usually the party trick of an IMOCA, but Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm has been proving otherwise in Leg One of The Ocean Race Europe – and it’s giving them the edge.

Marstrand woke to a restless sea. A heavy swell rolled in from the open water, big enough to keep the fleets ashore while the race officers watched and waited. By late morning, the waves had eased to a more manageable two metres, and between 11:30 and noon the sailors slipped their moorings and headed out.

Cowes Week began under a light north‑westerly breeze, with all eyes on the forecast: Storm Floris, emerging from Iceland, promised a dramatic shift in wind direction and intensity later in the day Due to the lighter airs and anticipated changes, race officials postponed the start for two hours and shifted larger Black‑Group yachts off the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) line to a committee‑boat start off Beaulieu, while smaller keelboats and one‑design fleets, including the J/70s, SB20s, Etchells, Dragons, Flying 15s and others, were held offshore near Thorness before any gun was fired

Beau Geste and Nola Strike as Light Airs Test the Best in the Solent Soft breeze, strong tide, and no margin for error. A classic light-wind shootout, where every shift mattered and boat speed had to be earned, not expected.