The team is checking off jobs on the work list ahead of January race start
It’s been just over one week since the Biotherm IMOCA arrived in Alicante, Spain, fresh off a double transat — the Route du Rhum race followed by a gruelling 16-day delivery back from Guadeloupe.
The team is now mobilised in Alicante, with the boat out of the water, checking items off the “to-do” list. Biotherm was launched this summer and the recent sailing was an ideal testing ground for the new boat, revealing areas to be worked on.
“There is nothing prohibitive, nothing unfeasible,” says skipper Paul Meilhat, “But it showed that we are still in the process of making the boat more reliable. We still have our work to do.”
This includes servicing damage to a foil and foil casing, and checking and re-checking key components of the electronics, rigging, appendages and sails. The layout of the boat will also undergo some adjustments to shift from solo racing to fully crewed configuration.
“We have the feeling that our race against time – which began 11 months ago with the start of the construction of the IMOCA – never stops. Some of us will not be going home for Christmas; everyone is very busy. I have to underline and salute the commitment and dedication of our entire team with less than one month before the start of The Ocean Race.”
The boat is now on shore, dried out, and stripped of all its appendages. The base camp/technical area was set up between tents and containers, along with IMOCA teams Malizia and Holcim – PRB, two of Biotherm’s future competitors in the race.
On January 5, Biotherm will be relaunched to take part three days later in the first ‘in-port race’, the opening event in The Ocean Race, before Leg 1 begins on January 15, a 1900 mile offshore race to Cabo Verde.
The five crew for Leg 1 will include:
Amelie Grassi
Anthony Marchand
Damien Seguin
Paul Meilhat
Ming Hao: embedded reporter
