The closing act of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 delivered the kind of finish that offshore sailing fans dream about, with Paul Meilhat's Biotherm crossing the line off Boka Bay, Montenegro, in the early hours of Monday morning to claim both Leg 5 victory and the overall title. The conclusion to a gruelling 1,600-nautical mile passage from Genova, Italy, kept spectators on edge right to the final miles.
*A tense build up through the Adriatic*
Racing into the Adriatic Sea overnight after passing through the Strait of Otranto, with Italy to port and Albania to starboard, the fleet made history as the first Ocean Race boats ever to compete in those waters. From that point it became a five-way battle heading north, with Biotherm holding a narrow lead over Paprec Arkéa, Team Holcim-PRB, Team Malizia, and Allagrande Mapei.
Light, unpredictable winds made the upwind work anything but straightforward. "You would think these are pretty steady conditions, but it is not easy," said Holcim-PRB sailor Carolijn Brouwer, pointing to wind shifts of twenty to twenty-five degrees that demanded relentless trimming. Malizia's Will Harris captured the same frustration: "It is hard to keep the boat consistently fast. Very bouncy and not very much wind, so it's hard to keep the boat consistently fast, it takes a lot of work."
Yoann Richomme chose a completely different path. Rather than hugging the Italian coast alongside the other frontrunners, Paprec Arkéa struck out on a bold easterly route along the Albanian shoreline in search of stronger breeze. The move split the fleet dramatically, but the gamble never paid off.
*The final sprint to Boka Bay*
As Sunday evening drew in, the shape of the race became clearer. Biotherm led by roughly 15 miles with around 85 miles remaining, while Holcim-PRB and Malizia were engaged in a tense cat-and-mouse duel with just a single mile separating them. Paprec Arkéa's eastern detour had cost them ground, and Ambrogio Beccaria's Allagrande Mapei was working hard from fifth.
Through shifting winds and fading light, every crew pushed flat out. At 21:13 UTC, Biotherm crossed the finish line, completing the leg in seven days, eight hours, thirteen minutes, and thirty-three seconds. That win delivered maximum leg points and, with them, the 2025 Ocean Race Europe overall title.
Rosalin Kuiper's Holcim-PRB followed at 22:32 UTC, a vital second place that kept their overall podium hopes alive. Team Malizia rounded out the leg podium less than an hour after that, crossing at 23:27 UTC.
*Leaderboard at the finish*
| # | Team | Status / speed | Finish / DTF | DTL | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biotherm | Finished | Sep 14 21:13 UTC | – | Overall race winner |
| 2 | Team Holcim-PRB | Finished, 5.7 kt | Sep 14 22:32 UTC | – | Critical second place |
| 3 | Team Malizia | Finished, 5.5 kt | Sep 14 23:27 UTC | – | Less than an hour behind |
| 4 | Allagrande Mapei Racing | 24.0 kt | 13.9 nm DTF | 0.0 nm | Still racing |
| 5 | Team Paprec Arkéa | 14.5 kt | 19.6 nm DTF | 5.6 nm | Eastern gamble cost places |
| 6 | Be Water Positive | 9.9 kt | 270.8 nm DTF | 256.9 nm | Under pressure from AMAALA |
| 7 | Team AMAALA | 10.4 kt | 276.8 nm DTF | – | Closed more than 100 nm |
*Podium joy and hard-fought battles*
Further back, Allagrande Mapei and Paprec Arkéa were still scrapping for fourth in the closing miles. Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive found themselves under late pressure from Team Amaala, which had clawed back a deficit of more than one hundred miles to close to within thirteen miles over a twenty-four hour period.
For Biotherm, any podium finish on the final leg would have been enough to seal the overall trophy. Winning it outright was something more. "It has been the full Mediterranean package," said co-skipper Benjamin Ferré. "Light winds, strong winds, transitions, but we believed in our strategy, and it paid off."
*A fitting finale*
Dawn over Montenegro brought celebration to Boka Bay. The Ocean Live Park in Tivat filled with cheers as the fleet arrived, drawing a line under a month-long campaign that had begun in Kiel, Germany. The 2025 edition of The Ocean Race Europe served up the full range of offshore drama, from bold tactical gambles and fleet-splitting decisions to close-quarters duels and sleepless nights at sea. Through all of it, Biotherm kept their composure and took the title in Boka Bay.
