Biotherm wins The Ocean Race Europe Leg 1, Malizia snatches 2nd, Allagrande Mapei set for Kiel Canal

Biotherm raced into Portsmouth,UK this morning with maximum points and a commanding early lead, while Malizia's daring inshore gamble at Dover stole second place in The Ocean Race Europe Leg 1. In Kiel, Allagrande Mapei is ready to rejoin the race having repaired their boat, with the goal now of reaching Portsmouth in time for the start of the second leg. Thomas Ruyant said, "The chainplate repair was completed today. The outrigger will be reinstalled this evening, and the team will finish prepping the boat for a Friday morning departure. Our preferred option is to go through the Kiel Canal, which should save us a lot of time, especially given the current weather (light winds along Denmark). We'd arrive tomorrow afternoon at the canal's exit to head up the Elbe estuary. Sailing the Kiel Canal requires a pilot on board since we draw more than 3 meters; for safety, we'll be accompanied by a RIB, and for the two locks, we'll use a large inflatable fender, which we'll keep all the way to Portsmouth. After that, the weather is in our favour for a fast downwind run to the Solent, which we hope to reach between Saturday evening and Sunday midday. That scenario is fantastic news and would allow us to start the second leg. We really hope Holcim-PRB can do the same. We're following their repairs closely—they've been our partners in misfortune at the start of this European tour, and we'd love to have the full fleet back together to continue The Ocean Race Europe." Thumbnail photo (c) Lloyd Images / The Ocean Race Europe 2025 #imoca #vendeeglobe #theoceanrace #offshoresailing