Paul Meilhat and Biotherm competing in The Ocean Race Europe: A genuine Odyssey as a final leg

Team Biotherm, skippered by Paul Meilhat in the Ocean Race Europe © Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe

On Sunday 7 September at 15:00 hours, Biotherm and her six rivals will head back out to sea for a 5th and final epic leg bound for Montenegro. 2,000 miles and 8 days of racing amidst the islands, headlands and straits of the Mare Nostrum.

For this last offshore opus, Spanish sailor Carlos Manera Pascual is teaming up with Paul, Amélie and Benjamin aboard the blue monohull. Topping the provisional scoreboard, the team has racked up a 12-point lead with which they can calmly but not casually consider the next stage of hostilities.

After nearly a month of roaming around the routes and seas between Kiel, Portsmouth, Porto, Cartagena, Nice and Genoa, The Ocean Race Europe has taken on a hypnotic rhythm. The sailors' bodies have taken a pummelling, whilst the list of repairs for the technicians gets steadily longer. However, the irresistible passion and desire to continue the voyage remains strong.

The four-day stopover in Genoa has brought a touch of gentleness to what has been a frenetic pace in the race programme: a spot of culture, some wonderful receptions in venues steeped in history, rest and a short break.

Ulysses's voyage

This gentle easing was a prerequisite before the teams tackle the last leg to Boka Bay in Montenegro, which promises to be the most epic of them all. Indeed, this 2,000-mile course with its 8 days of close-contact racing around some of the most iconic places in the Mediterranean is reminiscent of Ulysses' Odyssey. On the way: Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, a mark off southern Greece, a climb along the Ionian Sea, before tackling the boot of Italy and the Adriatic Sea. On their journey, will the men and women of Biotherm be able to resist the Sirens' call? Will they encounter the Cyclops, the sorceress Circe or the goddess Calypso? Come what may, like Homer's hero, they're preparing for a wonderful voyage... albeit with a number of challenges to overcome en route.

Welcome Carlos!

To make landfall in Montenegro, a small Balkan state with an enchanting landscape, Biotherm has revised her crew list. Spanish sailor Carlos Manera Pascual, 27, is stepping aboard to replace Sam Goodchild, who has a very busy agenda elsewhere this autumn. Paul Meilhat comments on this decision: "We're not replacing a Sam with a Sam! Carlos has a different profile but a profile that suits us to perfection.* He ticks a number of boxes: Mini sailing, foiling and a culture of crewed and solo sailing. The notion of singlehanded sailing is key because with four of us sailing an IMOCA, everyone has to be highly autonomous. Carlos is someone who is versatile and the idea is not to put him under pressure and to ensure he feels confident. On this leg, Amélie will logically take charge of the navigation and strategy."

12-point lead

After securing three leg victories and being the first to reach each of the scoring gates, Paul Meilhat and his team have fashioned a fine suit of armour: a 12-point lead over their closest rival, Paprec Arkéa, and 13.7 over 3rd placed Holcim PRB. This is enough of a shield to enable them to calmly approach the upcoming clashes but there will be no strutting about or rejoicing. "We have a lead and it's a comfortable one but the battle is incredibly tight with the others. We'll continue to race hard. We're really keen to finish this thing off in style," admits Paul. From this Sunday and throughout the coming week, the challenge will be to keep up the great momentum we've been building on since the start, with one distinctive feature: the duration of this leg. "It's the equivalent of a transatlantic passage with all the added complexity associated with the variety of places we'll be passing through, explains Paul. We'll need to manage life aboard over a long period. We'll have to ensure we hydrate well, eat well, sleep well and take care of the boat, which is beginning to suffer."

ETA in Boka Bay Monday 15 September.

Genoa - Montenegro (Bay of Kotor): a Mediterranean epic... with Dominic Vittet

"This is a fantastic course but it's no joke! warns Dominic Vittet, tasked with preparing Biotherm's navigation. The fleet will set sail from Genoa in a very light to non-existent breeze on a course to the south-west and a waypoint offshore of Corsica. The first goal after two and half days on the water at a moderate speed: the scoring gate, which takes the form of a long virtual line at the latitude of the Maddalena islands (northern Sardinia). The course calls for the competitors to leave Corsica and Sardinia to port before they head over to the east. After a foray into the Tyrrhenian Sea, Sicily must also be left to port, at which point the fleet will navigate the Strait of Sicily, a body of water between the Italian island and the Tunisian coast. Next, they will head to the south of Greece before climbing up the Ionian Sea and then the Adriatic Sea to a finale in the Bay of Kotor flanked by mountains. "At this stage of the race, in around a week's time, weather forecasts in the Mediterranean are a bit like trying to predict what state our pension fund will be in 50 years down the line!" jokes Dominic Vittet. The entire course, which may be modified along the way by Race Management, should remain punctuated by light to moderate winds, with the likely exception of a passage across a low-pressure system offshore of Sardinia.

"Out on the water, the name of the game will be to be responsive and opportunistic, expect some sudden moves and swift decision-making, continues Dominic. It'll be important not to get tangled up in certainties, which may turn out to be dead ends. This type of navigation is very formative, very exciting and very tiring!"

*Who is Carlos Manera Pascual?

The Born in Madrid on 11 June 1998, Carlos grew up in El Port de la Selva, a village on the Costa Brava, located very near to the famous Cap de Creus. It was in this tiny fishing port that Carlos learned to sail a dinghy at a very young age. At 21, drawn to offshore racing, he signed up for the Mini circuit. In 2023, for his second participation, he won the first leg of the Mini Transat and finished 2nd overall on a foiling prototype. From there he moved up to a Class40 and then an IMOCA alongside Xavier Macaire and Justine Mettraux, going on to compete with them in this year's Course des Caps and the Fastnet Race. Carlos will bring all the spiritedness and energy of youth to the crew of Biotherm - he will be the youngster aboard at 27 - along with great seamanship and extensive knowledge of the Mediterranean. "To be here, as part of a high-performing team with a competitive boat, is just a dream come true! There is a bit of pressure in terms of posting a good result but I promise to give it my very best shot!"

Biotherm:

• Paul Meilhat - skipper
• Amélie Grassi
• Benjamin Ferré
• Carlos Manera
• Gauthier Le Bec OBR

Provisonal overall ranking in The Ocean Race before the last leg:

1 - BIOTHERM, 41 pts
2 - PAPREC ARKÉA, 29 pts
3 - TEAM HOLCIM, PRB 27,3 pts
4 - ALLAGRANDE MAPEI RACING 19 pts
5 - TEAM MALIZIA 18 pts
6 - CANADA OCEAN RACING - BE WATER POSITIVE 13 pts
7 - TEAM AMAALAA, 7 pts