Paul Meilhat's Biotherm crossed the finish line at Nice just after dawn, completing Leg 3 from Cartagena in 2 days, 16 hours, 12 minutes and 14 seconds to claim a third consecutive victory in The Ocean Race Europe 2025. The French boat now holds a flawless record, having taken maximum points from every leg and every scoring gate so far.
The leg itself was far from a routine passage. Sticky light airs around Mallorca gave way to a ferocious Mediterranean storm, with winds reaching 70 knots. Meilhat described it as "100 per cent Mediterranean – unpredictable, exhausting, and full of surprises," and the racing reflected exactly that.
Holcim-PRB, skippered by Rosalin Kuiper, crossed just 27 minutes later in one of the closest finishes of the race so far. For long stretches through the night, fewer than three miles separated the two boats as both crews drove at over 20 knots in the dark. "It was a fantastic battle with Holcim-PRB from the start," Meilhat said. "We are really tired because we did so many sail changes and manoeuvres. Only half a mile from the finish did we finally feel secure."
Co-skipper Sam Goodchild was equally candid about the demands of the leg. "This was the first full Mediterranean leg and it was really intense," he said. "Storm clouds, shifting winds, forecasts that didn't line up – it was full-on."
For Kuiper and her crew, second place continued a strong recovery after missing Leg 1 following their collision with Allagrande Mapei. "I am really happy with second place," Kuiper said. "It was incredible racing – so many manoeuvres, no sleep, constant changes. We could smell Biotherm at times, but in the end they held us off." Holcim helmsman Franck Cammas captured the spirit of the contest: "Even two hours before the finish we hoped to overtake them. This is what we love about The Ocean Race – to fight all the way against the best."
Third place went to Ambrogio Beccaria's Allagrande Mapei, finishing 53 minutes behind Holcim-PRB, a significant milestone for the Italian entry in their first major campaign. "This is super-hard racing and this is why we love it," Beccaria said. "We didn't make all the right choices, but we are improving so much as a team. Our boat flies when the breeze is up, and today I'm proud of what we achieved."
Further down the fleet, the battles were equally absorbing. Paprec Arkéa, with Corentin Horeau at the helm for this leg, finished fourth, 49 minutes ahead of Team Malizia. The margin had appeared comfortable earlier, but Boris Herrmann's crew closed to within a mile of the French boat in the final hours. Herrmann was philosophical afterwards: "From the outside it might have looked like a family summer cruise, but it was full-on all the time. In light winds you sometimes work harder than in storms."
Canada Ocean Racing edged out Team Amaala for sixth place. Skipper Scott Shawyer described the leg as "brutally hard", while Pip Hare placed it in broader context: "the very top of crewed offshore racing – physically and mentally demanding, but the reason we love this sport." Team Amaala, under Swiss skipper Alan Roura, reported gusts reaching 70 knots at the height of the storm. Far from downcast, Roura laughed: "We had no option – it was really windy but the boat was fantastic. We love it when it's stormy like this."
The leaderboard after three legs shows Biotherm clear on 34 points, with Holcim-PRB and Paprec Arkéa locked together on 23 points each, Team Malizia on 16, Allagrande Mapei on 12, Be Water Positive (Canada) on 10, and Team Amaala on 6.
With Biotherm yet to drop a point and two boats sharing second on the overall standings, The Ocean Race Europe is shaping into a compelling contest for everything below the top step. After Leg 3, the scoreboard feels almost secondary. What crews will carry with them is the memory of a Mediterranean at its most violent, racing that demanded everything they had, and a finish so close that the outcome remained uncertain until the final half-mile.
