Biotherm has arrived in Kiel ahead of the Start of The Ocean Race Europe on 10th August
by Biotherm 6 Jul 06:50 BST
Biotherm has arrived in Kiel ahead of the start of The Ocean Race Europe © Olga Sarma
At 1:00 am on Saturday 5 July, Biotherm came alongside in Kiel's marina, north-east Germany, following a 48-hour delivery trip across the Baltic Sea.
On 10 August 2025, Paul Meilhat and his crew will take the start of the second edition of The Ocean Race Europe, a 5-leg, 40-day sprint to Montenegro. After a month of sea trials, delivery trips and competition, the sailors, the boat and the shore crew are match-fit and raring to go.
A swift Swedish social
In late June, following a week-long delivery trip from Lorient, Brittany, Paul Meilhat, his co-skipper Amélie Grassi, and part of the shore crew, made landfall in Sandhamm, Sweden, to take part in the Gotland Runt, an historic event gathering together over 200 yachts. A refreshing interlude (in more ways than one) in the idyllic setting of the Stockholm archipelago, it provided a great opportunity to exchange with the public, the media and Sweden's sailors, and the blue monohull made quite the impression in this sociable sporting event. Biotherm finished second in the sprint around the island of Gotland after 24-hours of racing amidst the islets and rocks, jockeying for the top spot with the 100-foot Maxi Black Jack. "It was a fantastic dress rehearsal for The Ocean Race Europe. Sailing on flat seas between the islands and hugging the coast, we had to quickly adapt to the weather and the new area and get a grasp of the strategy and the logistics over a new course, so it was all very interesting," admits Paul Meilhat.
A team that is match-fit
This trip in the Baltic Sea was another chance to consolidate the pairing that Paul Meilhat will form with Amélie Grassi as they lead Biotherm across Europe. Together they've managed to establish a solid game plan for their future organisation based on a system for sharing the responsibilities aboard the boat.
In line with Paul's wishes, all the members of the crew have trained on the boat prior to the main event of the summer: Benjamin Ferré, was there for a series of sea passages offshore of Lorient, as was Sam Goodchild, who also took part in the delivery trip up to Sweden. Meanwhile, Jackson Bouttell was on-board to take the monohull over to Kiel and the on-board reporter Gauthier Lebec was also on the boat for a 48-hour sea passage.
"There are top-level athletes on shore too!"
Constantly switching from one venue to the next, the rhythm imposed by The Ocean Race Europe is sure to showcase the sterling work of the shore crews. Armed with its experience of the round the world race with stopovers, Biotherm's shore crew (seven members in all this summer), has endeavoured to anticipate every possible scenario. Indeed, in the words of the team's technical director, Alizée Vauquelin, they intend to "be ready for any unforeseen event!"
"Everyone has their own files and knows in minute detail exactly what they need to do when the boat arrives at the stopovers, when its dockside and when it leaves again. The victualling for 40 days of racing is already sorted. The teams will travel in a van with everything we need, including all the spare kit, which will enable us to intervene at a moment's notice, if need be," she explains.
"They share our motivation and are eager to have highly efficient logistics and a boat that is prepared well to secure the win," effuses Paul. "There are top-level athletes on shore too!"
The boat, which will boast a new suit of sails for The Ocean Race Europe, has come to maturity with both her preparation and her handling. As a result, it's time for the men and women of Biotherm to have a few weeks off before returning to Germany in late July, filled with energy and poised to tackle the main event of the summer season.
The Line-Up
Paul Meilhat (FRA), 43, skipper. Winner of the Route du Rhum 2018, 5th in the last Vendée Globe, at the head of the Biotherm project since 2022. "I love The Ocean Race Europe format and this very intense rhythm, which is reminiscent of a steamroller at times and requires a very strong group dynamic. We're in it to perform well, we have what it takes with a great crew and we have a race profile that is very much in line with the boat's potential."
Amélie Grassi (FRA), 31, an experienced sailor (Mini, Class40, IMOCA, Ultim) with whom Paul has already contested the crewed round the world race, will be co-skipper. "She is very familiar with the IMOCA Biotherm, the shore crew and the format of this race, plus she's very well organised. I'm going to rely on her a great deal! She'll also be in charge of the performance and the data, a domain where she has really honed her skills this year with the Ultim SVR."
Sam Goodchild (GBR), 35, IMOCA Champion 2023 and today's winner of the first edition of the Course des Caps, "is clearly one of the top IMOCA skippers right now. He has racked up a massive amount of experience and contested the last Vendée Globe (9th) on the sistership to Biotherm. I'm going to be relying on his know-how, his knowledge of the boat and his navigational expertise."
Jackson Bouttell (GBR/AUS), 34, double champion of The Ocean Race and the first edition of The Ocean Race Europe is "a kind of champion par excellence and the perfect crew. He has a serious amount of knowledge about IMOCAs and is used to switching from one boat to another. He'll bring all his energy to the table for the first two legs."
Benjamin Ferré (FRA), 34, skipper of Monnoyeur, Mini sailor and Vendée Globe finisher (19th), may have the smallest prize-haul of all, "but he has a very interesting profile because he isn't bound by any codes and thinks outside the box. He has great feel. His freshness and his enthusiasm will be precious assets in the Mediterranean legs."
Gauthier Lebec (FRA), 31, On-board Reporter: "I'm going to tell the inside story of the race from different angles and formats, through photos, video and also text as I really love writing. It's going to be harsh, intense - sometimes, we know we won't be able to film as these boats are so violent -, but the work will have a very exciting aspect on Biotherm with all these stars aboard!"