Seven crews will line up in Genoa this Sunday for the most demanding chapter of The Ocean Race Europe: a 2,000-mile final stage to Boka Bay, Montenegro. After five eventful stages packed with drama and reversals, the grand finale looks set to deliver the sharpest racing yet.
The course, unveiled on Friday morning, sends the fleet on a sweeping tour of the Mediterranean. From Genova, the boats head south, rounding Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, before pushing down toward the south of Greece and then turning north into the Adriatic for the run to Boka Bay. Race Control has woven a series of movable waypoints throughout the route, building in flexibility to account for the notoriously unpredictable Mediterranean weather.
"The fleet is going to spend at least eight days at sea, arriving on Monday 15 September," says Race Control's Max Gallais. "We needed a course that can adapt to the unpredictable Mediterranean weather, so we've built in flexibility with movable waypoints."
Among the distinctive challenges baked into the course, crews must sail close to four lighthouses and four islands around Sicily, including Ustica, Pantelleria, and Gozo. An 11-mile gate southeast of Sicily has the potential to bunch the fleet together before the boats push on to a new waypoint off Greece, setting up the final charge north into Boka Bay.
"It's a proper Mediterranean lap, really interesting," says Alan Roberts of Holcim-PRB. "You can expect every type of condition. It's going to be full of surprises."
Gautier Levisse of Paprec Arkéa is equally candid about what lies ahead. "The weather systems are always unpredictable here, the Med can sometimes be a lottery," he says. "You need to keep your eyes on the sky and take every opportunity."
Managing fatigue across more than a week at sea will be just as important as reading the weather. "It's easy to burn out," admits Roberts. Amélie Grassi of Biotherm echoes that view: "This isn't a three-day sprint. We'll need to manage ourselves with a more ocean-style rhythm to get the right recovery."
Going into the final stage, Biotherm holds a commanding lead in the overall standings with 41 points, 12 clear of Paprec Arkéa. With 16 points still available across the stage, including two at the scoring gate, seven for the stage win, and a further seven for the In-Port Race in Boka Bay on 20 September, the maths remains technically open, but Biotherm's lead is substantial.
"We're in a very strong position," says Grassi. "The key is not to make mistakes. We don't need to do anything spectacular."
Levisse is realistic about the task of overhauling them. "With a lot of 'ifs', we could still win, but Biotherm have been so consistent. They've been impressive."
The contest behind the leader is far tighter. Paprec Arkéa on 29 points and Holcim-PRB on 27.3 points are locked in a close duel for second overall, with Roberts clear about his team's ambitions. "Our goal is to win the stage and take second overall," he says.
Levisse sees a tactical battle shaping up between the two sides. "We're optimistic. It may come down to strategy, we're stronger upwind and in the light, they're quicker downwind, so it could split the fleet." Allagrande Mapei Racing on 19 points and Team Malizia on 18 points are pushing hard for positions further up the order, separated by just a single point in the fight for fourth.
Several crews are refreshed by new additions for the final push. Holcim-PRB welcomes back skipper Rosalin Kuiper, while Will Harris returns to Team Malizia. Biotherm adds rising Spanish talent Carlos Menara, second in the 2023 Mini Transat. Levisse himself steps aboard Paprec Arkéa for his first stage of the series, and Hugo Feydit joins Allagrande Mapei Racing. On Team Amaala, Swiss sailors Jessica Berthoud and Yann Burkhalter come aboard alongside Alan Roura and Conrad Colman.
At the back of the fleet, Canada Ocean Racing on 13 points and Team Amaala on 7 points still have their own battle to resolve for sixth place. With every crew having something to race for, the run to Boka Bay is shaping up to be a finish worth watching.
