All to play for on Leg 4 of The Ocean Race for Team Holcim-PRB

The Ocean Race Europe Leg 4 Start in Nice, France © Yann Riou / polaRYSE / Holcim-PRB

The fleet of The Ocean Race Europe had only two days of rest in Nice before setting off again for Leg 4. The pace of the race quickens, the demands of the race are starting to take a toll, but the battle remains intense and thrilling.

Team Holcim-PRB, currently second in the overall ranking and tied on points with Paprec Arkea, has shown solid progress and is once again aiming to shake up the frontrunners on this 600-mile course between Nice and Genoa. The Swiss monohull set sail towards Italy today at 5 p.m. local time. Second to pass the scoring gate off Monaco, Team Holcim-PRB leaves Nice with an extra point on the leaderboard.

Nicolas Lunven will take on the role of skipper, joined by Franck Cammas, Carolijn Brouwer, and Alan Roberts and Anne Beaugé (OBR). Rosalin Kuiper will stay ashore for this leg. Alan, who did not race the previous leg, is counting on the energy he regained during his rest to help the crew deliver their very best once again. "This Ocean Race Europe feels like a crewed Solitaire du Figaro. I didn't sail the last leg, so I've had a good recovery. I've got plenty of energy, and I hope to bring that to the team on this course between Nice and Genoa," said the Brit, happy to be back onboard.

Right from the start, the light winds could set an early trap.. The teams will then have to manage their route between Corsica and Sardinia, passing through the spectacular Strait of Bonifacio. From there, Holcim-PRB and its rivals will likely face a tricky transition zone. "We'll head into the Strait of Bonifacio leaving Corsica to port. Then we should pick up an easterly breeze to continue upwind, reaching. The passage through the Strait can be tricky as we'll be sailing upwind in easterlies. But by the time we get there, there may be a strong westerly filling in. Depending on how we get through the light winds on the first night, we don't yet know if we'll enter the transition upwind or downwind with strong breeze," explained Nicolas Lunven.

The Gulf of Genoa, notorious for its light airs, will be one of the final hurdles. Having secured second place in both Cartagena and Nice, Team Holcim-PRB knows it has what it takes to excel in Italy. The crew has found its balance and now has two clear rivals in sight: Biotherm, who has won every leg so far, and Paprec Arkea, in a shared second place overall. To claim victory in Genoa, reactivity will be key, as Alan Roberts points out: "You need to be more active, more dynamic, more versatile on these boats. You have to be ready for anything, able to adapt." The Brit knows that the expertise and cohesion gained over the last two legs will be valuable in making a mark in Genoa against fierce competition. "Biotherm is impressive. We knew they had a crew of rockstars onboard. They're a strong, well-rounded team, and it's a great boat that Paul Meilhat knows inside out. But we're in a great rhythm ourselves, and we've shown that we can go out and win. We'll give it everything we've got to make it happen," Alan concluded.

The boats are expected to arrive in the Gulf of Genoa on Wednesday.