French skipper Kevin Escoffier led his Swiss-flagged Team Holcim-PRB to victory in Leg 1 of The Ocean Race 2022-23 in the early hours of Saturday morning (21 January).

It marked the end of an intense and challenging opening to The Ocean Race — from storm force headwinds in the Mediterranean to fast downwind conditions in the Atlantic with tactical options around the Canary Islands.

The Holcim-PRB team took the lead just before Gibraltar Strait and held on the rest of the way despite the strong pushes from 11th Hour Racing Team and Malizia.

Finally, early on Saturday, Escoffier and his crew raced across the finish line on the waters off Mindelo, Cabo Verde, just after 02:01:59 UTC, completing an impressive performance on the first leg of the race with an elapsed time of five days, 11 hours, 1 minute and 59 seconds.

Team Holcim-PRB crew celebrate their leg win on deck in Cabo Verde | Credit: Sailing Energy/The Ocean Race

“The boat is great. Both upwind and downwind, reaching, we have always been fast,” Escoffier said. “I’m very happy to start like this. It was our first race together as a full crew and I don’t regret any of the the choices. They are all great and together we went for the win.”

Second across the line — nearly three hours later — was Charlie Enright’s 11th Hour Racing Team, who held off a late challenge from Team Malizia on the final day of the leg.

“I think the competition is good,” said Enright on the dock after finishing. “We have fast boats, good sailors. There are different strengths and weaknesses in the boats. Everyone is going to have their day and we’re certainly not taking anything for granted but if we focus on what we can control I think we’re going to be fine. We’re jumping at the opportunity to get going on the next leg.”

For Boris Herrmann, securing a podium finish puts the German team in a safe position after the opening stanza, with six more legs of racing left to gain points.

The top three IMOCAs finished within five-and-a-half hours. Fourth-placed Biotherm and GUYOT environnement - Team Europe are forecast to arrive in Mindelo later on Saturday afternoon.

In the VO65 class, the Polish WindWhisper Racing Team is in a strong position at the head of the fleet over Team JAJO and Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team. All three should finish on Saturday afternoon, with Austrian Ocean Racing — Team Genova, Ambersail 2 and Viva México further behind.

These teams are competing for The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup and will pause their racing activities after this opening stage until the spring, when they resume racing in Aarhus, Denmark.

For the IMOCAs it’s a short — and busy — break. The sailing teams are required to carry out repairs without the assistance of their shore crews at this stop.

Racing resumes in just a few days, with the Cabo Verde start of Leg Two to Cape Town, South Africa scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Rankings at 09:00 UTC, 21 January

IMOCA:

1. Team Holcim-PRB, winner leg one, finished - 5d 11h 01min 59s

2. 11th Hour Racing Team, finished - 5d 13h 50min 45s

3. Team Malizia, finished - 5d 16h 35min 21s
4. Biotherm, 188.4 miles to finish

5. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, 64.1 miles to leader

VO65
:

1. WindWhisper Racing, 91.2 miles to finish

2. Team JAJO, 48 miles to leader

3. Mirpuri Foundation Race Team, 125.6 miles to leader
4. Austrian Ocean Race - Team Genova, 184.8 miles to leader
5. Ambersail 2, 224.99miles to leader
6. Viva Mexico, 848.5 miles to leader

Follow both fleets’ progress to Cabo Verde with regular updates via the race tracker at theoceanrace.com.

The leading IMOCAs in Leg 1 of The Ocean Race 2022-23 are expected to arrive in Cabo Verde overnight Friday night (20 January) and into Saturday morning as the fleet eats up the miles on ‘the highway’ south. Sailing fast, and pointing at the finish — it’s a great feeling.

Both IMOCA and VO65 fleets have been winding their way past the Canary Islands. Now, it’s just a matter of heading to the finish.

“We are going past the Canary Islands,” said skipper Kevin Escoffier early on Thursday (19 January). “11th Hour Racing Team is the closest boat and they are following us so I think we are safe [in the lead].

“The crew is very good. We have caught up on the watch system about 36 hours, which was difficult to get into right after the start with the hard conditions. We are happy with where are even if it is definitely not finished yet.”

Chasing the leading pair is Team Malizia. “All the boat is working. We had a few issues earlier,” said Will Harris from what appeared to be a fast-charging boat. “Now it’s manageable so it’s pretty perfect. Enjoying the highway south. It’s pretty nice.”

That said, domestic duties are still a challenge at these speeds.

“We just went 33 knots,” said Annie Lush from on board GUYOT environnement - Team Europe. “But sometimes we suddenly decelerate down to about 20 knots, which makes using the stove and hot water on board tricky!”

In the VO65 fleet, the top three teams are within 40 miles, with WindWhisper leading Team JAJO and Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team.

“We placed our bet, gybing south before Tenerife,” wrote WindWhisper navigator Asked Magdahl. “Weather models changed a lot to allow for a more easterly routing down the African coast, suggesting a gybe south amongst the western Canary Islands… I expect strong breeze between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, and with the shipping lane preventing us from making long gybes and possibly forcing sail changes, it will be everyone on deck for six to eight hours.”

WindWhisper was followed by Team JAJO winding through the islands, while Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team elected to chase the leading IMOCAs to the west of the islands, looking for fast downwind sailing.

“We are in the perfect conditions for this boat, 20-25 knots downwind, big waves and going fast in the direction we want to go — to Cabo Verde,” said an exuberant Federico Melo from on board Mirpuri Foundation Race Team.

The leading trio is due to arrive in Cabo Verde on Saturday (21 January), with Austrian Ocean Racing powered by Team Genova and Ambersail 2 several hours back. Viva Mexico is now in the Atlantic, but over 750 miles behind.

Rankings at 1800 UTC, 19 January

IMOCA:

1. Team Holcim-PRB, 510.1 miles to finish
2. 11th Hour Racing Team, 30.1 miles to leader

3. Team Malizia, 105.2 miles to leader
4. Biotherm, 206.7 miles to leader
5. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, 236.1 miles to leader

VO65
:

1. WindWhisper Racing, 655.1 miles to finish
2. Team JAJO, 28.4 miles to leader
3. Mirpuri Foundation Race Team, 41.8 miles to leader
4. Austrian Ocean Race - Team Genova, 104.5 miles to leader
5. Ambersail 2, 152.9 miles to leader

6. Viva Mexico, 772.1 miles to leader

Follow both fleets’ progress on the hour via the race tracker at theoceanrace.com.

The Swiss-flagged Holcim-PRB team remains at the head of the IMOCA fleet in The Ocean Race on Wednesday (18 January) as all five boats are setting a blistering pace directly towards Cabo Verde.

The leading teams are putting up close to 500-mile days with Holcim-PRB just 895 miles from the finishing line at Cabo Verde (as of 2100 UTC).

Now free of the constraints of the Mediterranean, the teams are set up for some fast sailing across the wind. IMOCAs are designed to excel in these conditions and the miles to the finish line are melting away.

Kevin Escoffier’s Holcim-PRB are holding off 11th Hour Racing Team for the lead, while Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia is positioned furthest east and closest to the direct route rhumb line.

“I think we’ve seen 33.7 knots of boat speed this morning,” said Will Harris on board Team Malizia. “We’re going fast… We’re enjoying some straight line sailing after all the tacking getting to Gibraltar. Looking forward to getting to Cabo Verde in a few days.”

In fact, the ETA for the IMOCA fleet is overnight (UTC) on Friday, with France’s Biotherm and GUYOT envirionnement Team Europe some 100 miles behind the leaders.

In The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint, the trio of WindWhisper Racing Team, Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team and Team JAJO are fighting for the lead and keeping pace with the fourth- and fifth-placed IMOCA boats.

Here, life on board is under ‘firehose’ conditions with water constantly pouring over the deck and into the sailors in the cockpit.

“Everything I brought is either wet, or more wet,” said Cecilia Zorzi (ITA) from on board the fourth-placed Austrian Ocean Racing powered by Team Genova. “Nothing is dry but we are still having fun and Cabo Verde is getting closer and closer.”

Still in the Mediterranean, Viva México resumed racing on Wednesday morning with a different mainsail after damaging their original beyond repair. They are just over 550 miles behind the rest of the fleet.

The VO65s are currently expected to arrive in Cabo Verde over the course of the day on Saturday 21 January (UTC).

Rankings at 2100 GMT, 18 January

IMOCA:

1. Team Holcim-PRB, 895.1 miles to finish

2. 11th Hour Racing Team, 20.9 miles to leader

3. Team Malizia, 58.1 miles to leader

4. Biotherm, 104.6 miles to leader

5. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, 131.8 miles to leader

VO65
:

1. WindWhisper Racing, 981 miles to finish

2. Mirpuri Foundation Race Team, 25.9 miles to leader

3. Team JAJO, 32.8 miles to leader
4. Austrian Ocean Race - Team Genova, 70 miles to leader

5. Ambersail 2, 130.7 miles to leader

6. Viva Mexico, resumed racing, 636.2 miles to leader

Follow both fleets’ progress on the hour via the race tracker at theoceanrace.com.

Day two of The Ocean Race had the fleet searching for calmer waters by heading towards the Spanish coastline to avoid the worst of the brutal offshore breeze and sea state before breaking through the Strait of Gibraltar and out into the Atlantic.

For the IMOCA fleet in particular, each tack along the shoreline brought the risk of damage. Yet on the other hand, reducing the number of tacks and taking longer legs in between would take them further out into stronger winds and bigger waves.

Striking the correct balance was hard. None more so than for 11th Hour Racing Team and their closest competitor, Holcim-PRB. As they headed west, the pair were locked in a tacking duel.

Leading the way, Charlie Enright’s crew aboard Malama were under pressure to defend their position while at the same time working the best shifts along the shore. Tack for tack, throughout the night Kevin Escoffier’s team were nibbling away at 11th Hour Racing Team’s lead, closing the distance hour by hour.

The crucial passing move would come in the early hours when Holcim-PRB decided to tack onto starboard first. Shortly after they tacked, the wind shifted slightly towards the north, delivering a small but crucial advantage. By the time Enright’s crew matched them, they were trailing Escoffier.

Both could now head directly at the entrance to the Gibraltar Strait in a high-speed, upwind drag race.

Arriving at the Strait first at 0400 UTC provided the upper hand for Team Holcim-PRB. Nine tacks and three hours later, as Escoffier’s team threaded their way through the narrow passage they emerged into the Atlantic. Enright’s 11th Hour Racing had chased hard and after 13 tacks they too broke out into the west.

From here, the weather forecasts and passage analysis at Race Control in Alicante had suggested that the front runners might benefit from taking a more northerly route before they locked into the northerly breeze that would provide the first part of the slingshot south to Cabo Verde. And as the duelling pair headed off along the Spanish coastline, this appeared to be their strategy.

For Holcim-PRB, their tactics had worked but they now had some damage to their mainsail which had been torn close to the luff after the clew of the jib had punched through the sail during a tack. Fortunately, the slightly more settled conditions in the Atlantic provided an opportunity for repair.

Meanwhile, behind them Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia were third through the Strait. “Now we still have to navigate a few fish farms and shallow spots, and there is still traffic, but we are through the first big landmark of the race,” Herrmann said. “Maybe this was the most difficult time. It was a very intense day and night. We saw 50 knots [windspeed] yesterday.”

Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm were fourth. In fifth place was GUYOT environnement – Team Europe who trailed the leaders by 60 nautical miles.

Yet, while they had dropped back from an impressive position in the first 24 hours, the weather forecast suggests that teams that exit the strait later may be able to capitalise on a shift in the breeze and turn south earlier.

While this may offer a potential reprieve to those towards the back of the IMOCA fleet, the benefits of this shifting breeze may well be more significant for the VO65s.

Leading the field in this class was WindWhisper Racing Team, whose tactically smart yet conservative approach has paid off.

On the leaderboard, Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team leapt from fourth to second place in the early evening but their passage through the strait appears to show them sail into the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) exclusion zone, contrary to the sailing instructions. Race Control is looking at the situation and may forward their track to the jury for assessment and a possible penalty.

Behind them, the positions have shifted with Austrian Ocean Racing powered by Team Genova slipping back to firth as Team JAJO hold third and AmberSail 2 are right behind in fifth.

“We are just about to exit the Gibraltar Strait,” came the message from Rokas Milevičius, skipper on Ambersail 2. “It has been an intense few days and nights. The team is really looking forward to some Atlantic running, because this upwind in 30-50 knot is not much fun. Wet. Cold. And bumpy. But we suppose that is how it is supposed to be.”

As the fleet passed through the strait, Viva México were still in Almeria after suspending their racing following damage to their mainsail. The team is working to rejoin the race as soon as possible but is pinned in at the port with winds near 40 knots and a heavy sea state.

So, while getting through the Gibraltar Strait was a tactical challenge for all, there is clearly more to come as the two fleets prepare to take on the second stage of Leg 1.

Current ETAs show the leading IMOCAs arriving late on Friday 20 January local time, with the VO65s less than 24 hours behind.

Rankings at 2000 UTC, 17 January 2023

IMOCA:

1. Team Holcim-PRB, 1,396.6 miles to finish
2. 11th Hour Racing Team, 4.6 miles to leader
3. Team Malizia, 45.3 miles to leader
4. Biotherm, 54.1 miles to leader
5. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, 78.5 miles to leader

VO65:

1. WindWhisper Racing, 1,451 miles to finish
2. Mirpuri Foundation Race Team, 7.9 miles to leader
3. Team JAJO, 12.8 miles to leader
4. Austrian Ocean Race - Team Genova, 22.2 miles to leader
5. Ambersail 2, 31.7 miles to leader
6. Viva Mexico, suspended racing, 252.7 miles to leader

Follow both fleets’ progress (now updated hourly) via the race tracker at theoceanrace.com.

The opening 24 hours of The Ocean Race 2022-23 have been challenging, but not unexpected.

After running into a quiet spell overnight, during which both fleets concertinaed, the forecast has played out its threat with strong winds and big seas sweeping across the Alboran Sea.

In the IMOCA fleet, after an impressively dominant performance from Biotherm (FRA), Paul Meilhat’s team found themselves trapped in very light winds, unable to keep pace with competitors that had taken alternative routes.

By the morning, 11th Hour Racing Team was leading the field as Charlie Enright’s crew hugged the Spanish coastline to stay in the flatter water.

“As is often the case [on the first day] it has been far from straightforward,” 11th Hour Racing Team’s Simon Fisher said.

“Multiple transitions, a lot of sail changes, but we’ve come out in good shape, we’re leading the fleet, and we’re into the pressure.”

And in the increased wind pressure, conditions were becoming extreme. Back at race control in Alicante, where all the competitors’ data is monitored and logged 24 hours a day, the American-flagged team and Kevin Escoffier’s Holcim PRB (SUI) were sailing upwind at 14 knots in 40 knots of wind.

Shortly before starting the leg, Holcim PRB’s crew member Sam Goodchild outlined their approach to the first leg.

“Our mantra is definitely to keep it simple,” he said. “While we’ve all sailed the boat separately, the four of us have only sailed together as a crew on this boat three times before the first leg, so there’s a good reason for keeping it simple.

“We are also going to be looking at the other teams, what they’re doing and what their performance is. We’re not going to tie ourselves in knots trying to chase them around and trying to cover everyone else, because on the first leg, we don’t really know where we sit.”

For Viva México (MEX), the team suffered a torn mainsail forcing them to postpone racing and head for Almeria where they were looking to either repair or replace the damaged sail.

“It puts us in a tough situation because right now we cannot repair it here and we are looking at our options,” said skipper Erik Brockmann. “We were really trying to get out of Gibraltar as soon as possible because the weather gets worse later on and this six to eight hour delay puts us in a tougher situation. The good thing is everyone is safe and the boat is good.”

While most of the VO65 fleet were staying close to the Spanish coastline in an effort to remain in flatter water, Ambersail 2 chose to take a flyer from the fleet when the breeze was light and cross the Mediterranean, presumably to avoid being trapped in light winds to the north.

Their gamble took them close to the North African coastline but when they tacked onto port to head back the breeze had veered putting them on the wrong side of the shift. As they headed back towards the north, their flyer didn’t appear to have paid off. Their route had also taken them across the windiest part of the Mediterranean; now they were committed to more.

Rankings at 1600 GMT, 16 January 2023

IMOCA:

1. 11th Hour Racing Team, 1,652 miles to finish
2. Team Holcim-PRB, 2.3 miles to leader
3. GUYOT environnement - Team Europe, 18.1 miles to leader
4. Team Malizia, 20.4 miles to leader
5. Biotherm, 24.9 miles to leader

VO65:

1. Ambersail 2, 1665 miles to finish
2. WindWhisper Racing, 1.6 miles to leader
3. Mirpuri Foundation Race Team, 1.6 miles to finish
4. Team JAJO, 6.7 miles to leader
5. Austrian Ocean Race - Team Genova, 7.4 miles to leader
6. Viva Mexico, suspended racing, 38 miles to leader

Follow both fleets’ progress via the race tracker at theoceanrace.com.

As The Ocean Race celebrates its 50th jubilee, a fleet consisting of the best sailors in the world set off on what is widely considered to be the toughest test of a team in sport.

Five IMOCA class yachts — the high-tech, foiling, flying race boats that are in The Ocean Race for the first time — started in glamour conditions on the waters off Alicante’s Ocean Live Park just after 4pm local time.

Two hours earlier, a fleet of six VO65 one-design yachts set off on the first stage of their shorter, European-focussed event, The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint, which features three stages of competition.

While both fleets are now racing to Cabo Verde, some 1,900 nautical miles away, the IMOCAs continue their race around the world, while the VO65s will pause in Cabo Verde before rejoining the IMOCA fleet in Europe in the spring for the final two legs of their race.

All the sailors were seen off by over 110,000 exuberant fans who visited the park this weekend to enjoy The Ocean Race experience, which included activations around the event’s award-winning Racing with Purpose sustainability programme, developed in collaboration with founding partner 11th Hour Racing.

Final attendance for Alicante will be available following the closure of Ocean Live Park on Sunday night, but Saturday’s attendance count of over 60,400 visitors was a record-breaking day in five editions of race starts in Alicante, organisers say.

While the Alicante start period featured perfect January weather with warm temperatures under sunny skies, the sailors are expecting gale force westerlies to build overnight, with a heavy sea state making the passage to Gibraltar and the trade winds in the Atlantic a treacherous one.

The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint was the first race to get underway in Alicante on Sunday and for the start at 2.05pm CET, the breeze was both light and from a different direction than had been originally anticipated making the first stage an upwind leg rather than a reach.

Of the six boats, it was WindWhisper Racing Team (POL), skippered by Pablo Arrarte, that made the best of the opening minutes. Starting at the outer end of the line proved to be a winning move ahead of a drop in the wind speed but more importantly a shift in the wind direction.

From there and for the next hour, the Polish team read the shifting conditions perfectly to lead the fleet around the entire rectangular course.

Behind them, Team Jajao (NED) — skippered by Jelmer van Beek — also delivered a confident start to their race, while Rokas Milevičius’ Ambersail 2 (LUI) sat in third.

By the time the five-leg lap of the bay had been completed the breeze had settled down, as had the leaderboard — for now.

With a forecast for complex, changeable conditions along with the threat of some big winds and steep seas to match, no one was taking anything for granted.

VO65 Rankings at Mark 5:

1. WindWhisper Racing Team (POL)
2. Team JAJO (NED)
3. Ambersail 2 (LUI)
4. Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team (POR)
5. Austrian Ocean Racing powered by Team Genova (AUT/ITA)
6. Viva México (MEX)

With the weak weather front having passed through the race area earlier in the afternoon, the wind conditions settled at WNW 12-14 knots for the start of the five IMOCAs.

Nevertheless, as the race got under way two hours after the start of the VO65s, it was clear from the aerial view that there were still some shifts and puffs to be had.

On the water and as the start gun went, it was Paul Meilhat’s brand new Biotherm (FRA) that was to set the pace, on time, at speed and on the foils. It was an impressive display, not least because last week was the first time that this crew had sailed together aboard a boat that has only recently been launched.

After a few unstable moments on the fast reach to the first mark, when the boat leaped into the air, it was clear that while the French team were fast they were not yet properly trimmed.

11th Hour Racing takes to the air at the Alicante start | Credit: Carlo Borlenghi/The Ocean Race

Behind them, hot on their heels, Kevin Escoffier’s Team Holcim-PRB (SUI) was also leaping into the air from time to time as both boats set a blistering pace.

The second leg of the inshore lap saw the fleet sail downwind. With the boats now under less load, teams were able to re-trim and re-set before the next fast leg. Seconds after Biotherm had rounded Mark 3 it was clear that they had made some essential trim changes.

This time the boat was faster and better trimmed as Biotherm accelerated away on the third leg and extended their advantage over the rest of the fleet.

Meanwhile, after a disappointing start, 11th Hour Racing Team (USA) skippered by Charlie Enright hauled themselves back from last to third. Experience was showing already from a team that many have considered as the favourites.

Spectators cheer for the VO65 skippers’ parade before the start of Leg 1 | Credit: Carlo Borlenghi/The Ocean Race

As 11th Hour Racing Team made their charge towards the front of the fleet, Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia (GER) had slipped out to the back but were able to pass GUYOT environnement – Team Europe (FRA/GER), skippered by Benjamin Dutreux after the French/German team had a problem with their code zero sail which forced them to press pause as they sorted the issue.

As the leaders passed through the final gate, Biotherm was hitting 29 knots in the flat water. Their advantage had already stretched out to 500m over second placed Holcim-PRB. After just 40 minutes of sailing it was an impressive performance.

Before the start, skipper Meilhat had explained how comfortable he and his crew would be with sailing the boat in a manual mode if required. Now, having performed a blistering lap of the inshore course with the tiller in his hand and sailing outside for the entire period, this was a good example of what he had meant.

Others had explained the importance of taking things carefully. But if the inshore lap had revealed anything, boat speeds regularly exceeding 30-knots as the fleet moved away from the shore and into the stronger breeze illustrated what the new world of fully crewed IMOCA racing means along with a demonstration of the relentless pace that is in store for this 3,500 kilometre leg to Cabo Verde.

IMOCA Rankings at Mark 4:

1. Biotherm Racing (FRA)
2. Team Holcim - PRB (SUI)
3. 11th Hour Racing Team (USA)
4. Team Malizia (GER)
5. GUYOT environnement – Team Europe (FRA/GER)

Follow both fleets’ progress via the race tracker at theoceanrace.com.

Virtual Regatta and The Ocean Race have renewed their eSailing partnership for the 2023 edition of the gruelling around-the-world yacht race.

The news follows the crowing of the latest eSailing World Champion in Alicante during festivities ahead of Leg 1 of The Ocean Race 2022-23, which got under way Sunday 15 January.

More than 200,000 players are expected to take part in the Virtual Regatta Offshore and Inshore versions of the race, which has seven IMOCA legs and three VO65 Sprint stages on Virtual Regatta Offshore — as well as new features for a virtual experience that promises to be even closer to reality.

“We are happy to be the official game of The Ocean Race for the fourth time and are proud to be associated with one of the world’s most important races, as well as an event that is committed to the protection of the ocean,” says Tom Gautier, head of Virtual Regatta Offshore.

“eSailing is steadily growing and attracting an ever increasing number of players. We expect more than 200,000 players on Virtual Regatta Offshore and Inshore over the next six months.”

In addition, 2023 is being touted as the year of the Metaverse for Virtual Regatta and The Ocean Race, who are being supported by Accenture.

“The Metaverse is a new and exclusive experience developed by Virtual Regatta and The Ocean Race, which soon onwards will allow people to follow the physical and virtual race in an all-digital race village,” Gautier said.

“Gamers and enthusiasts will be able to meet, watch the physical and digital event, and much more. This virtual reality setup will further enhance the fan experience.”

As official timekeeper of The Ocean Race in real life and on Virtual Regatta Offshore, Ulysse Nardin will present an official race watch to the winning eSkipper of the 2023 edition of The Ocean Race on Virtual Regatta Offshore.

A further eSkipper having crossed the finish line of the seven stages of the race will also have the opportunity to win a DIVER watch in a draw by bailiff. And there will be more prizes on offer as a reward for eSkippers’s skills throughout the race.

Another accolade up for grabs is the Stopover E-Cup, which will be based on Virtual Regatta Inshore and consists of eight IMOCA challenges taking place during the stop overs of The Ocean Race in between legs. The winners will be qualified for the semi-final of the eSailing World Championship and will receive prizes awarded by The Ocean Race.

The winner of each challenge of Virtual Regatta Inshore will qualify for a live final which will be broadcast in Ocean Live Park in Genoa and on social networks at the beginning of July. The winner will qualify for the semi-final of the eSailing World Championship.

For more details, see the official Virtual Regatta website HERE.

On the eve of the start of Leg 1 in The Ocean Race 2022-23, race organisers announced that future editions of the round-the-world yacht race will take place every four years.

In a briefing to stakeholders, race chairman Richard Brisius confirmed the next around-the-world race would start from Alicante, Spain during the winter months of 2026-27, with the exact start date to be determined.

In addition, following the success of the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe last summer, the next event will be held late in the summer of 2025.

Both the around the world race and The Ocean Race Europe will continue on four-year cycles, organisers added.

“This is an important and exciting moment for The Ocean Race,” Brisius said. “We are on the eve of an historic around-the-world race starting [Sunday 15 January]. It is our first as The Ocean Race, the 14th edition in our history, and it comes as we celebrate our 50th anniversary year.

“On this occasion we understand that we are standing on the shoulders of all of those who have built this Race into the iconic event that it is today. From the Whitbread Round the World Race back in 1973, through 20 years of Volvo stewardship, to where we are today as The Ocean Race, the race has seen many changes.

Practice racing for the IMOCA fleet in Alicante on Tuesday 10 January | Credit: Sailing Energy/The Ocean Race

“But the core values remain: The Ocean Race is the toughest test of a team in sport and we believe in taking ever more increasing action to protect the health of the ocean, recognise the inherent rights of the ocean and listen to the voice of the ocean. This will never change.

“With that in mind, it is important that we provide certainty to all of our stakeholders, partners, teams and fans in terms of the future of the Race.

“Looking forward, we are confirming The Ocean Race Europe in Q3 of 2025 and we will be starting conversations with candidate stopover cities and other partners in the coming weeks. The next two editions of The Ocean Race around the world are confirmed to take place in 2026-27 and 2030-31."

In terms of boats, the IMOCAs, making their debut in The Ocean Race this year, will also be raced in The Ocean Race Europe in 2025 and The Ocean Race 2026-27 as well.

The award-winning Racing with Purpose sustainability programme, founded in collaboration with Premier Partner 11th Hour Racing, will continue as a fundamental element of The Ocean Race going forward.

Viewers in Ireland can catch all the action when Leg 1 begins live on Eurosport and discovery+, with the VO65 fleet start at 1pm GMT and the IMOCA fleet start at 3pm GMT. Positions for the fleet can be also followed from the start and throughout the race via the race tracker at theoceanrace.com.

For some teams, the date of the skippers’ press conference sat amid an intensely hectic period as they prepared for the 32,000 mile, seven-leg, race around the world.

For others, the date for facing the world’s cameras and microphones en masse has been in their diaries for several years.

But for all, today’s (Friday 13 January) presentation of all 11 skippers across both the IMOCA and VO65 fleets signified a key stage along the road to The Ocean Race, two days ahead of the start of the 2022-23 edition of this classic and historic race on Sunday afternoon.

This is also the 50th anniversary of the event making it all the more pertinent that the 14th edition should include the longest leg in its history, 12,750 miles from Cape Town, South Africa to Itajai, Brazil. The leg is expected to take 30 days as the IMOCA fleet head deep into the Southern Ocean.

When asked, it was clear that the challenge and significance of this leg was not lost on the IMOCA skippers that are all highly accomplished.

”I’ve never done 30 days [with a crew on board] before in my life,” admitted GUYOT environnement – Team Europe (FRA/GER) co-skipper Benjamin Dutreux. Others were similarly candid.

“I think Leg 3 will be particularly hard as it will be about knowing when to slow down and how hard to push,” said 11th Hour Racing Team (USA) skipper Charlie Enright. “We may find we end up sailing at 70 percent under autopilot because that’s all the boats can handle, it’s a big question for sure. But from a spectator’s point of view the course looks like a race down to South Africa, survival to Cape Horn and a race back up to the finish.”

Yet not all the skippers agreed on which leg would be the hardest. “For sure Leg 3 will be hard as we head into the south, but three of our crew have been there before sailing alone on an IMOCA,” said Paul Meilhat of Biotherm (FRA). “For us it is Leg 1 and 2 that will be the trickiest. We have done no training together for this race, the first time we sailed as a crew was a week ago, so we will be finding out how five of us work together on the boat.”

The challenge of sailing with a full crew also delivered answers that might not have been expected. While the benefits of being able to share the physical load of managing the boat and keeping the pressure on are clear, those with solo experience highlighted the additional pressure that a full crew might bring.

The IMOCA fleet during the In-Port Race in Alicante on Sunday 8 January | Credit: Sailing Energy/The Ocean Race

“When you sail alone you’re often not stressed as you can do things in your own time, but as a skipper you have an additional set of responsibilities to the crew, so I expect to feel more stressed at the start,” said Meilhat.

Team Holcim PRB’s (SUI) skipper Kevin Escoffier agreed: “It is easier when you sail alone, but with four others you have to think about them.”

For Dutreux, it is the mix of cultures and abilities that are on his mind ahead of the start. “We have different cultures within the crew that include a lot of strengths and what we need to do is to manage this well to get the best for the team,” he said.

For spectators and followers of the event, the impressive performance of the IMOCAs is one of the big appeals in this race, but high speeds come with risk, something that Escoffier highlighted. Developing a boat that will outperform the rest of the fleet is all part of the competition and means that teams will always have their own secrets.

“But if it’s a safety issue we will share information that might help,” he said. “I would not want to win a leg knowing that a boat had broken because information was not shared.”

Team Malizia’s (GER) skipper Boris Herrmann agreed: “There’s a good camaraderie in this class and I hope we can keep this up through the race.”

Being first to announce their campaign and having a three-year build up to the start with a new IMOCA designed specifically for fully crewed racing 11th Hour Racing Team has been the favourite, but Enright pointed out, any perceived advantage had to be seen in context.

“Three years relative to the amount of experience I see here with the sailors to my right is just a blip on my radar,” he said.

The VO65 skippers were also on stage and will be the first to start on Sunday. For them, Leg 1 of The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint will also take them from Alicante to Cabo Verde. They, too, were focussed on the challenge ahead.

“I think the responsibility is huge, especially when I consider the number of young sailors in the team but it’s also a great place to be when you’re racing against so many other good teams,” said Ambersail 2 (AUT) skipper Rokas Milevičius.

VO65 skippers meet the press in Alicante, from left: Pablo Arrarte, Erik Brockmann, Jelmer van Beek, Antonio Fontes, Gerwin Jansen and Rokas Milevičius | Credit: Sailing Energy/The Ocean Race

For Antonio Fontes, a veteran of The Ocean Race 2017-18, and now the skipper of the Portuguese Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team (POR), the race provides a valuable opportunity to inspire the next generation. “This project has been working to develop Portuguese offshore sailing and this race helps the next generation to step forward and experience this style of racing for the first time,” he said.

For Gerwin Jansen, skipper of Austrian Ocean Racing Powered by Team Genova (AUT/ITA), the collaboration with the host city for the finish had been key to their programme: “As part of their support we have a group of young sailors join us on the team and that has worked out very well.”

When it comes to the biggest nationality represented in the VO65 fleet, the Dutch sailors lead the way.

“I’m super happy as I have six aboard,” said Team JAJO (NED) skipper Jelmer van Beek, whose Dutch crew tally includes race veteran Bouwe Bekking who has eight editions under his belt. “He will be a watch leader and it’s great to have so much experience on board.”

For Viva México (MEX) skipper Erik Brockmann there is a special reason: “Fifty years is long enough without having Mexico in this great race so we’re really happy to be here on the start line representing Mexico.”

Having won the In-Port Race last weekend, Pablo Arrarte’s WindWhisper Racing Team (POL) is in the spotlight. “All the teams are very good and having that race as a training session was very good but we were fairly late to join and have been training every day that we can so hopefully it will come good,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a week that has seen the weather forecasts dance around shifting models, the picture is becoming clearer for the start on Sunday. Currently the forecast is for a southwesterly breeze of 8-12 knots for the start of the VO65s, becoming northwesterly for the IMOCA fleet.

After that, as both fleets head towards the Gibraltar Strait, they are expected to run into up to 30-35 knots in the Alboran Sea on Monday, providing an early test.

Viewers in Ireland can catch all the action live on Eurosport and discovery+ this Sunday, with the VO65 fleet start at 1pm GMT and the IMOCA fleet start at 3pm GMT.

The crew lists for both fleets (as of Friday 13 January) can be found below. Positions for the fleet can be also followed from the start and throughout the race via the race tracker at theoceanrace.com.

Team Malizia (GER) won the IMOCA In-Port Race in Alicante on Sunday afternoon (8 January) after a frenetic battle to close the first day of action in The Ocean Race 2022-23 — one that saw four of the five boats in their fleet hold the lead at some point during a highly unpredictable and nerve-wracking contest.

Fastest starter in about nine knots of wind was Biotherm (FRA) skippered by Paul Meilhat. However, a smaller J2 headsail choice worked well for 11th Hour Racing Team (USA), skippered today by Simon Fisher. The American boat semi-foiled into a small lead by the first turning mark.

At the end of the second leg, Fisher’s crew elected to continue on starboard for 200 metres before gybing. Meanwhile the two boats at the back, Team Holcim - PRB (SUI) and Guyot Environnement - Team Europe, executed an immediate gybe at mark two and launched into the lead past the three boats ahead of them.

Kevin Escoffier (FRA) and his Holcim crew shot off down the track to a healthy lead. But then on the upwind leg, all change again. A big left-hand windshift and a dropping breeze saw Escoffier stranded as the fleet behind hooked into the changing wind direction sooner than the race leader. For the second time, the pecking order turned inside out.

From lying in fourth place, Team Malizia took the lead for a few minutes, only to be displaced by 11th Hour Racing Team who had moved up from last back into first.

Neck and neck down the next leg, the German boat rolled over the top of the Americans and moved into a lead which Herrmann and the Malizia crew would hold until the finish.

“It’s great to come with the win today as we’ve had to work really hard to get to the start line of this race as we had to replace the foils last week,” said Malizia’s Will Harris. “It was a really tricky race. The wind was anywhere between 15 and two knots of wind. I think we really showed that we’re quite adaptable. We can really tune this boat nicely and we've worked hard to get it set up and to work well as a team.

“It got quite intense after the first lap where we managed to find an extra bit of wind and overtake the boats that were ahead. We realised that we need to sail a much higher mode and managed to kind of stay in the wind while the others got a bit stuck. So good work to Nico [Lunven] and Boris [Herrmann] on spotting the wind and spotting the right kind of tactical play.”

Taking himself off the boat today, out of an abundance of caution with a lingering positive COVID test, skipper Charlie Enright watched his 11th Hour Racing Team take second across the finish line, with Simon ‘SiFi’ Fisher taking up skipper duties for the day.

“The nicest thing we can take from today is we were leading the race and were also right at the back at times. But the emotions, the temperament, the attitude, the belief on board, it didn’t ever waver,” SiFi said.

WindWhisper celebrate their win in a tricky race that left the other VO65s becalmed and unable to beat the clock | Credit: Sailing Energy/The Ocean Race

“Obviously, I would rather have started today with Charlie onboard. He’s a really important part of this team and he’s worked so hard to make this project happen. I was wishing with all my heart this morning that he would be with us, but sadly it didn’t work out that way. But I’m very happy that we did a good job for him and we’ve left one more spot on the podium to aim for when he comes back.”

Biotherm finished third, and fourth went to Guyot Environnement - Team Europe (FRA/GER).

“That was a very good race for us because the boat hadn’t even got wet five days ago,” said Damien Seguin from Biotherm. “It was good to be on the start and it was a magic moment to be racing. We made a really good start and third place was good for us.”

As for Team Holcim - PRB (SUI), Escoffier’s crew were dealt a poor hand by the fickle wind and will feel unlucky to have lost the lead the way they did. The Swiss will console themselves that across the next six months of circumnavigating the planet, the luck should even out across this competitive fleet, but today the wind gods decided to smile upon Team Malizia.

Earlier in the afternoon, in barely a breath of wind, WindWhisper Racing Team ghosted across the finishing line in the VO65 race.

Such was the lead established by skipper Pablo Arrarte (ESP) and his predominantly Polish and Spanish crew, the other five boats failed to finish inside the 15-minute time limit which started ticking the moment WindWhisper had slipped across the finish line.

Out of the reaching start, with the wind off Alicante barely reaching four knots, four of the six boats started neck and neck on slightly different sail configurations. But it was the most leeward position of WindWhisper that edged the Polish boat into pole position as the bright red boat rounded mark one of the rectangular course with a slender but critical lead.

As Arrarte’s crew gradually drifted away to a big lead ahead of the chasing pack, battles ensued for the minor placings. However, while WindWhisper was able to maintain momentum, the faltering breeze vanished into thin air, leaving the other five teams stranded, unable to cross the finish line.

Arrarte paid tribute to his team and put their success down to good judgement at the start. “We’re very happy to win the In-Port Race,” said the Spanish skipper, a four-time veteran of the race. “It was very tricky, the wind didn’t help much, but ‘Ñeti’ [crew member Antonio Cuervas-Mons] made a great call at the start and put us in a good place, which made it a little bit easier [to win].”

So six points for the winner, and no points for the rest. A brutal way to start the campaign for five of the teams, but a chance for redemption when the 1,900 nautical mile Leg 1 of The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup begins in a week’s time, the departure from Alicante to Cabo Verde.

Meanwhile, on what turned out to be a warm January weekend in Alicante, nearly 50,000 fans enjoyed the opening days of the race in Ocean Live Park.

Activities will continue throughout the week at Ocean Live Park, building towards the start of Leg 1 next Sunday 15 January.

In-Port Race Alicante: Results and Points

IMOCA:

1. Team Malizia, 5 points
2. 11th Hour Racing Team, 4 points
3. Biotherm, 3 points
4. Guyot environnement - Team Europe, 2 points
5. Holcim-PRB - did not finish, 0 points

VO65:

1. WindWhisper Racing Team, 6 points
2. Team Jajo, did not finish, 0 points
3. Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team, did not finish, 0 points
4. Viva Mexico, did not finish, 0 points
5. Ambersail 2, did not finish, 0 points
6. Austrian Ocean Racing - Team Genova, did not finish, 0 points