Image: Crews face sleepless hours ahead as Porto’s mid-leg scoring gate fast approaches... © Pierre Bouras / The Ocean Race
Two days into Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe and the Bay of Biscay has delivered exactly what was promised: tension, exhaustion, and a fleet locked together in a dead heat. Less than five miles cover the top five boats as they approach Cape Finisterre, with no one able to break free.
From the reset off Ushant yesterday – where the fleet compressed into a handful of miles after the leaders were blocked by tide and light winds – the race has turned into a speed test. Flat seas and light to medium breeze have left no hiding places, just hours of trimming, tweaking, and hand steering within sight of their rivals.
“It’s pretty much a straight line, so it’s really working more on the setup of the boat, on the speed more than anything else,” said Team Malizia co-skipper Francesca Clapcich. “This part could have been so much more painful than what it ended up being for us, so we’ll take it!”
The battle at the front remains knife-edge. Team Holcim PRB and Biotherm have exchanged the lead repeatedly since yesterday afternoon, while Team Malizia, Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, and Paprec Arkéa are right there in striking distance.
“It was satisfying that our choice at Ushant kept us in the game,” said Sébastien Marsset (Canada). “After that, we could really race, stay in contact. It was great fun, and we love that! The atmosphere on board is excellent, everyone is very focused.”
Team Holcim PRB are bringing the fight to Biotherm, who so far have collected the maximum points. “The fleet is very tight and there’s a lot of the game left to play,” said skipper Paul Meilhat (Biotherm). “We managed to get a small advantage last night, but the night was tougher: the wind suddenly dropped, and Holcim PRB took advantage.”
“Every minute counts here – there’s no room for mistakes,” said Holcim PRB skipper Rosalin Kuiper. “Biotherm are quick, very difficult to keep up with. Their boat is super similar, and they have the same setup too, so it's very close competition.”
Her teammate Alan Roberts described the drag race across the Bay of Biscay as a test of detail: “The wind’s been up and down a little bit, but the boat is very stable. I think it’s kind of similar for everyone. The sea is really flat. So we were just able to play with all the different variables we have and try to make the boat go really quick. Which is fun when you go quicker than everyone else, and frustrating when you go slower.”
On Biotherm, Amélie Grassi enjoyed her own battle with Roberts, her husband on the rival Holcim boat. “I slept half the time and I worked the other half. At the start of the day, I was overtaken by my husband and at the end, I overtook him again. So overall it’s been a great day!”
If the leaders have been glued together, one team has been willing to show something different. Allagrande Mapei split from the fleet this morning, tacking earlier than the rest in a bid to line up for Cape Finisterre in stronger wind. Co-skipper Thomas Ruyant summed it up: “There’s wind everywhere except exactly at Cape Finisterre.”
For now, their move leaves them out of sync with the front group – a gamble that may only pay if the wind hole at Cape Finisterre traps the others. “There aren’t many options on the bottom of the course,” said Ruyant. “It’s not going to be easy to come back. We might have to wait for the second part of the leg.”
ETA at Porto-Matosinhos - mid-morning local time on Wedensday morning
The fleet is expected to round Finisterre late this afternoon, after which the leaders will push to Porto-Matosinhos for the mid-leg fly-by. The Porto-Matosinhos stop is unusual: the boats will cross the points gate, earning seven points for first place, six for second place, etc. which is equal to the Leg 1 scoring. Then they are held for exactly three hours to come ashore before restarting from the same line toward Cartagena.
On board Biotherm – currently [as of 12:20 UTC] neck and neck with Holcim PRB – Meilhat knows the fleet faces a big hurdle before they reach Porto-Matosinhos: “As we approach Cape Finisterre, there’s probably going to be tricky wind between the coast and the TSS. So there may be a lot of change during the next hours.”
These next 24 hours into Porto-Matosinhos will set the tone for the rest of the leg as the fleet heads further south into the Med. With the points on offer, the close pack, and the light winds at Finisterre, no one can afford to relax. Even after the scoring gate, there will be little chance of respite.
“Sometimes stopovers don’t actually help you rest, because they’re not long enough!” laughed Biotherm’s Jack Bouttell. “But that’s all part of the game.”
Race coverage is available on www.theoceanrace.com