Just over three months after finishing the Vendée Globe in 5th place, Paul Meilhat is preparing to set sail for new horizons. On August 10, Biotherm will line up at the start of The Ocean Race Europe—a 40-day, 5-leg race spanning from Northern to Southern Europe. For this major goal of the season, Paul will be joined by a top-level international crew.

Looking Beyond Home Waters

In France, the offshore racing calendar is so full that French sailors could easily keep battling it out "in their own backyard" season after season. But the remarkable vitality of this discipline—a true cultural exception in France—shouldn’t prevent them from looking elsewhere. After all, sailing has always been about travel, discovery, and openness to the world.

In 2023, Biotherm already took part in The Ocean Race, the crewed round-the-world race with stopovers. The Ocean Race Europe is something of a little sister: a five-leg event from north to south across Europe, starting in Kiel (Germany) and sailing through Portsmouth (UK), Cartagena (Spain), a fly-by in Matosinhos-Porto (Portugal), Nice (France), Genoa (Italy), and finishing for the first time ever in Montenegro.

The race features short legs, unpredictable summer weather, and coastal or semi-enclosed seas—an intense sailing program combined with a logistical marathon ashore. Just the kind of challenge Paul Meilhat thrives on and intends to embrace with confidence: "It’s a very strong, energizing, and collective dynamic. We know the mechanics of this race and its organization well. And this summer, we have what it takes to perform in a format that suits us and matches the boat’s potential."

“A Team of Winners”

After returning from Les Sables-d’Olonne, Biotherm went into the yard for upgrades: bulb modification, weight reduction, replacement of worn parts, and new sails. The boat will be relaunched on May 27.

To be competitive from the Baltic to the Adriatic, Paul Meilhat has brought together a strong international crew aboard the blue boat—"a serious team of winners, racing machines with Figaro backgrounds, which will allow us to play tactically, be proactive in this race, and tell a great story."

The Line-up

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Amélie Grassi (FRA), 31, an experienced sailor (Mini, Class40, IMOCA, Ultim) who sailed the crewed round-the-world race with Paul, will serve as co-skipper: "She knows the IMOCA Biotherm inside out, the technical team, the race format, and she’s super organized. I’ll rely on her a lot! She’ll also manage performance and data, a field where she’s sharpened her skills this year with the Ultim SVR."

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Jackson Bouttell (GBR/AUS), 34, a two-time winner of The Ocean Race and the inaugural Ocean Race Europe, is described as "a top-level champion, the perfect teammate. He has deep knowledge of IMOCA and is used to switching boats. He’ll bring great energy for the first two legs."

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Benjamin Ferré (FRA), 34, skipper of Monnoyeur, Mini sailor and 19th-place finisher in the Vendée Globe, may be the least decorated on paper, "but he has a very interesting profile—he doesn’t follow a set mold and thinks outside the box. He has great intuition. His freshness and enthusiasm will be key during the Mediterranean legs."

Source: Biotherm