The Ocean Race Europe will come to Portugal this summer with Matosinhos-Porto set to host an exciting Fly-By, with the race teams making a quick stop at the Porto Cruise Terminal on 20 August.
Meanwhile, activities on shore will highlight the need to strengthen efforts for ocean health protection and restoration.
The Matosinhos-Porto event offers racing fans a front-row seat to an exhilarating moment of The Ocean Race Europe, with the foiling, flying IMOCA boats charging down the Portuguese coast to the Fly-By finish, before restarting the leg three hours later and continuing on to Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean Sea.
It all happens during the second leg of The Ocean Race Europe, which starts from Portsmouth on 17 August and takes the fleet to Cartagena, Spain. This is a double-points scoring leg, and half of the points are awarded at the Fly-By finish, making Matosinhos-Porto a significant sporting milestone on the race route.
“It’s very special to know that The Ocean Race Europe is stopping in Matosinhos because I know I will feel the warmth of Portugal and the Portuguese people in this extreme and hard competition,” said Mariana Lobato, the only female Portuguese sailor who competed in the last round-the-world race and who will now be racing with Team Paprec Arkéa (FRA). “We will not only be racing around Europe but I will also feel at home arriving in Portugal and that is very special to me.”
The Matosinhos-Porto Fly-By was confirmed on Wednesday (23 April) during an event at the Porto Cruise Terminal, the same venue where the international teams and sailors will appear this summer.
It follows previous stopovers for the round-the-world edition of The Ocean Race in Lisbon in 2012, 2015 and 2017, while the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe stopped in Cascais in 2021.
“Few competitions can claim to connect Europe more completely than The Ocean Race Europe,” said Richard Brisius, race chairman of The Ocean Race. “This is a race that truly connects our continent, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, and into the Adriatic Sea.
“This summer, The Ocean Race Europe will also connect Europe to Matosinhos and Matosinhos and Portugal to Europe, showcasing a country with a firm commitment to sport, adventure, sustainability, innovation, culture and hospitality.”
At the heart of the Matosinhos-Porto Fly-By will be activations and engagements that will spotlight local and international efforts to restore ocean health. The teams competing in The Ocean Race Europe will be collecting critical ocean data with specialised onboard sensors and filters, which will be shared with international scientists studying the ocean.
It was also confirmed that Portugal will host The Ocean Race Summit in 2026, as part of a global series of ocean health events.
Richard Brisius, race chairman of The Ocean Race announces the 2025 Fly-By in Matosinhos-Porto on Wednesday 23 April | Credit: Francisco Teixeira
The Fly-By announcement completes the race route for The Ocean Race Europe 2025, which will start from Kiel, Germany on 10 August, racing into Portsmouth, then via Matosinhos-Porto to Cartagena in Spain, on to Nice in France and Genoa, Italy before the fleet races into the Adriatic Sea for the Finale at Boka Bay in Montenegro.
The foiling IMOCA race boats will ensure fast, intense racing in ‘fully crewed mode’ which means four sailors, plus an onboard reporter. At least one of the crew must be female and two nationalities must be represented across the race crew.
Specialised equipment will be carried on board to provide water sampling data to international scientists, building on the science programme developed over previous editions of The Ocean Race.
On shore, each host city will have an Ocean Live Park fan experience providing interaction with sailors and teams alongside engaging, immersive content around ocean health and sustainable practices.
