Holcim-PRB scores 4th place in Genoa in The Ocean Race Europe
by Holcim-PRB 3 Sep 14:45 BST
3 September 2025
Team Holcim-PRB - The Ocean Race Europe 2025 Leg 4 - September 3, 2025 © Jean-Louis Carli / The Ocean Race Europe
Known for its tricky, unpredictable conditions, the Gulf of Genoa lived up to its reputation, and delivered exactly what the sailors in The Ocean Race Europe had feared for. The Holcim-PRB crew for this fourth leg (Nicolas Lunven, Alan Roberts, Carolijn Brouwer, Franck Cammas and Anne Beaugé OBR) paid the price.
The crew delivered an outstanding performance, leading the fleet for most of the course between Nice and Genoa. After a superb start off the Promenade des Anglais, the green and blue IMOCA crossed the scoring gate of Monaco in second place, securing an extra point in the overall ranking right from the start. From then on, they set the pace, sailing in first position multiple times, enjoying a lead of up to fifteen miles over their rivals.
But yesterday, about 100 miles from the finish, their hopes of victory vanished. Stuck in a windless bubble for hours, the crew saw their advantage melt away like snow in the sun. Worse still, they could only watch as their competitors broke free from this zone, unable to react: "It was yesterday late in the afternoon, after rounding the penultimate waypoint. We had very light wind, and a small windless bubble formed.
"On one side of the bubble there were 25 knots of breeze, on the other nothing. We were the last to get out. The others left, Mapei went first. I'm very happy for them, especially for Ambrogio who's Italian and crossed the line here in Genoa as the winner. Then Paprec Arkéa got away as well. As for us, together with Biotherm, we waited for a long time watching the others sail off while our sails flapped.
"Biotherm was just half a mile from us, very close. They eventually caught a puff of breeze, but we didn't. We remained stuck for a few more hours as the bubble moved with us," explained Nicolas Lunven, who did not hide the team's disappointment.
"The leg was great, a lot happened. But in the end the result is disappointing. Of course, it stings a bit to finish fourth in Genoa after fighting at the front of the fleet and leading for much of the way," said the skipper, who is planning a bit of rest today before diving back into the files to prepare for the fifth and final leg.
Mapei Allagrande Racing took victory in Genoa ahead of Arkéa Paprec and Biotherm. In the overall ranking, Holcim-PRB is currently in third place, just one point behind Arkéa Paprec. Biotherm has settled into the leading position, holding a comfortable 12- to 13-point advantage over its closest rivals. The battle for second place is now on.
Team Holcim-PRB remains focused on its goal: securing that silver medal in Boka Bay. The start of this final leg will be given on Sunday at 3 p.m.