The Ocean Race Europe Leg 2 - Holcim-PRB, second boat to cross the finish line in Cartagena
by Team HOLCIM - PRB 23 Aug 11:03 BST
23 August 2025
The Ocean Race Europe Leg 2 - Holcim-PRB, second boat to cross the finish line in Cartagena © Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe
Just before sunrise, at 6:19 a.m. local time, the IMOCA Holcim-PRB entered the port of Cartagena. On board, Rosalin Kuiper, Franck Cammas, Nicolas Lunven, Alan Roberts, and onboard reporter Anne Beaugé were all smiles. They are the second team to arrive in Spain, behind Biotherm, who once again took victory on this leg from Portsmouth to Cartagena.
- Team Holcim-PRB crew arrived this morning in Cartagena.
- Holcim-PRB crossed the finish line 1 hour and 26 minutes after Biotherm, winner of the second leg.
- A fantastic result for Holcim-PRB after the collision that occurred during the first leg.
After the collision at the start of the opening leg in Kiel, the Holcim-PRB crew was finally able to truly get into the race. Third to arrive at the pit stop in Matosinhos (Portugal), the team gained momentum in the second part of the leg. Constantly battling with the leading boats Biotherm and Paprec-Arkéa, Team Holcim-PRB managed to come out on top in a stage that forced the sailors to constantly adapt. Strong wind zones, tricky transitions, the final hours in very light airs... Every opportunity had to be seized over the five days and 12 hours of racing, with no room to ease off, to secure a good result in Spain.
This second-place finish feels like a collective victory, according to skipper Rosalin Kuiper: "It's fantastic to be here in second place. We couldn't have hoped for better. The team has worked so hard to get us here. We had varied conditions and close racing against our rivals. Every transition offered new opportunities. It was very challenging because the wind we got was very different from the forecasts. The spirit on board is great, there's real teamwork."
For Franck Cammas, this long leg provided the chance for some outstanding sailing, as well as pushing the boat further: "It turned out to be a long leg, especially with the stop in Matosinhos. We had a wide range of conditions and a lot of fighting at the front. It was great to be back in these conditions after what happened in Kiel. It was a proper close race. Finishing second is fantastic. We had some really good moments. For example, after Gibraltar, I helmed almost the whole day. We were on our toes. We're increasingly happy with the boat. We're starting to have some certainties. We feel stronger, more complete. The boat is in very good shape. There are still a lot of points left to go after."
The GO CIRCULAR team now has just a few days to recover and prepare for the next leg, a true Mediterranean sprint between Cartagena and Nice, starting on Tuesday.
Follow Team Holcim-PRB during The Ocean Race on the GO CIRCULAR website.