The Ocean Race veteran Pablo Arrarte has led WindWhisper Racing Team to victory in the first stage of the inaugural The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint on Saturday afternoon (21 January).

The Polish-flagged team battled hard on the opening 48 hours of the race to escape the brutal conditions of the Mediterranean with a lead and was able to extend and protect from there in the fast, downwind conditions of the Atlantic.

WindWhisper crossed the finishing line at 14:11:14 UTC with an elapsed time of 6d 01h 11min 14s.

“It was a challenge to get out of the Mediterranean in one piece without breaking the boat because we had a lot wind — we saw more than 50 knots — so it was intense and hard,” Arrarte said.

“We knew coming out of Gibraltar leading it would be easier to stay in front than to get in front later, so with [navigator] Axel Magdahl we made a good plan and we executed it and by leading coming out the rest of the race was good.

“It’s been an amazing race. We knew we were just doing this one leg right now so that allowed us to push hard. I’m glad we had this group, with some good experience as well as the young guys, and it was awesome to be out there again competing with the other teams. We’ve really enjoyed it.”

Overnight, the first IMOCAs arrived with Team Holcim-PRB taking the win with a near three-hour lead, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

VO65 Rankings at 17:30 UTC, 21 January

1. WindWhisper Racing, finished, 5d 16h 35min 21s
2. Team JAJO, 18.7 distance to finish
3. Mirpuri Foundation Race Team, 59.4 miles to leader
4. Austrian Ocean Race - Team Genova, 159.3 miles to leader
5. Ambersail 2, 224.6 miles to leader
6. Viva Mexico, 850.5 miles to leader

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

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.

11th Hour Racing Team’s longtime sustainability manager Damian Foxall isn’t Ireland’s only connection to the IMOCA getting ready to foil around the world in The Ocean Race 2022-23 this month.

Cork sailor James O’Mahony, a veteran of two previous editions of The Ocean Race, is boat captain on the team that will sail with a crew of four — plus on-board reporter Amory Ross — under skipper Charlie Enright.

“This race has been a long time coming, but we feel ready,” Enright said at the close of 2022 about the race, which will see five IMOCAs included for the very first time alongside a fleet of VO65s taking part in a series of sprint races around the globe-spanning route.

The action begins this Sunday 8 January with the In Port Race in Alicante before the IMOCA and VO65 fleets depart for Mindelo, Cabo Verde on 15 January on the first leg.

Viewers in Ireland can catch Sunday’s action live on Eurosport and discovery+ with the VO65s scheduled to race from 1pm GMT and the IMOCAS from 2.30pm GMT.

Eleven boats are assembling in Alicante, Spain this week in final preparation for the start of The Ocean Race 2022-23.

And the activity on shore is ramping up as well, with Alicante’s Ocean Live Park opening this coming Saturday 7 January.

This is the 14th edition of the iconic around-the-world, fully crewed offshore race and will be the first to feature the high-tech, foiling, nearly flying IMOCA boats.

Organisers have also now conformed that the VO65 fleet, having previously competed in two around the world events, will not be joining their IMOCA counterparts on the full globe-spanning route and instead will be solely compete for the inaugural VO65 Sprint Cup, which features three stages of racing that match the first, sixth and seventh legs of the larger race.

For the five IMOCA crews putting the final touches together in preparation for the race start, this is a key week, leading into the In Port Race this coming Sunday 8 January before the Grand Depart for Leg One of The Ocean Race — Alicante to Cabo Verde — on 15 January.

The line-up on the start line features five strong IMOCA teams:

• 11th Hour Racing Team (USA); skipper Charlie Enright
• Team Malizia (GER); skipper Boris Herrmann
• Team Holcim-PRB (SUI); skipper Kevin Escoffier
• GUYOT environnement-Team Europe (FRA/GER); skipper Benjamin Dutreux
• Biotherm Racing (FRA); skipper Paul Meilhat

Putting the finishing touches on the Team Holcim-PRB IMOCA in Alicante | Credit: Carlota Alonso/The Ocean Race

It’s an especially busy time for the four IMOCA teams who competed in November’s Route du Rhum event. Following a delivery back to the Mediterranean in December, each of these boats have been going through a refit and upgrades to prepare for fully crewed racing, and then must undergo a measurement process.

“It has been a huge amount of work for our team,” said Holcim-PRB skipper Kevin Escoffier. “Helpfully we have people with a bit of experience with The Ocean Race, which makes it easier to get organised on the sport and technical side. I’m very proud of where we are in such a short time.

“We are looking forward to getting in the water again today and getting out sailing again. These boats are incredible and I’m looking forward to learning how far we can push the boats with a full crew. There are five great teams, five great boats and plenty of very good sailors in the fleet, so we know it will be important to start well and the learning curve will be very important to get a good result when we come to the finish in Genova.”

For 11th Hour Racing Team, the final build-up to the start has been planned well in advance, with the team arriving in Alicante just in time to ring in the New Year and now looking to put the finishing touches on preparations.

“Our team has already been through the extensive measurement process, so this last stage is a formality,” said sailor Jack Bouttell after arriving in Alicante. “The boat is sorted, the team is sorted, and we couldn't have done anything more to be ready for the start.

“In every project I have ever worked on, the magnitude doesn’t hit you until you’re in the starting port. That’s always the point when you realise what an amazing opportunity lies ahead. I think I’m in this transitional phase right now where I am excited and apprehensive, the stress of the start hasn’t quite crept up on me yet.”

Four of the IMOCA teams are now based at the marina off Ocean Live Park in Alicante with GUYOT environnement-Team Europe expected to arrive on Friday, having been given dispensation from race management to continue their boat preparations in Barcelona into this week.

11th Hour Racing Team is one of the five IMOCAs that will race around the world from 15 January | Credit: Carlota Alonso/The Ocean Race

The VO65 fleet competing in The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint is now six deep with the last-minute addition of the Austrian/Italian entry last week:

• Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team (POR); skipper António Fontes
• WindWhisper Racing Team (POL); skipper Pablo Arrarte
• Team JAJO (NED); skipper Jelmer van Beek
• Ambersail 2 (LIT); skipper Rokas Milevičius
• Viva México (MEX); skipper Erik Brockmann
• Austrian Ocean Racing - Team Genova (AUT/ITA); Gerwin Jansen

Five of the VO65s are now based in Alicante, with the Austrian/Genova team due to arrive on Tuesday following a delivery down from Genoa and Viva México moving into the port later on Monday.

The Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team was first to arrive last week, followed by WindWhisper, Team JAJO, and Ambersail 2 on Monday morning.

“It’s nice to be back and to arrive here in Alicante to see the event flourishing with a high number of entries in the race,” said Rokas Milevičius, the skipper of Ambersail 2. “This is the most exciting time for us. We’ve put in a lot of effort over the past months to finally get the Lithuanian flag on the start line.

“We’re looking at the other boats on the dock here, trying to see who has the upper hand. For us, we have a young, enthusiastic team. It’s sailing, anything can happen and I’m really looking forward to the start.”

Alicante’s Ocean Live Park will open on Saturday 7 January ahead of the In Port Race for both fleets scheduled for Sunday 8 January. The VO65 In Port Race will be first at 1400 CET followed by the IMOCA In Port Race at 1600 CET.

All of the racing from Alicante can be seen live on Warner Bros Discovery platforms, including Eurosport, as well as via theoceanrace.com. Full details for worldwide viewing options will be released later this week.

Five teams have now been confirmed for The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint Cup, the new trophy announced earlier this month.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the cup will be awarded to the team which accumulates the best score across three different legs of the race.

The five-boat fleet of identical 65-foot high-performance ocean racing yachts — raced by a mixed gender 10-person crew which must include three female and three under-30 sailors — will join the five-boat IMOCA fleet in the opening leg from Alicante, Spain to Mindelo in the Cabo Verde archipelago, as well as Leg 6 from the Danish city Aarhus to The Hague in the Netherlands via a flyby in Germany’s Kiel.Sailing.City, and the around-the-world race’s final seventh leg from The Hague to Genoa, Italy for the grand finale.

They will also take part in their own four-heat in-port race series with inshore races held during the stopovers in Alicante, Cabo Verde, The Hague and Genoa.

This week, Ambersail 2 became the latest VO65 team to announce their place on the starting line for the new challenge. The Lithuanian-flagged team — which previously competed in The Ocean Race Europe last year — will be led on the water by skipper Rokas Milevičius.

Determined: Viva México skipper Erik Brockmann | Credit: Jen Edney/Viva México

And the Olympian is assembling a team of strong local talent including experienced helmsman and tactician Saulius Pajarskas, younger generation sailors Domantas Juškevičius and Deimantė Jarmalavičiūtė, as well as Jonas Drąsutavičius and Polish sailor Viktoras Pascalis who recently joined the team.

Viva México also returns to competitive action after the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe.

The team’s skipper Erik Brockmann — an accomplished Mexican yachtsman and past world champion skipper who also led the team in The Ocean Race Europe — says their taking part in the new sprint event is another significant step towards a Mexican crew racing around the world in The Ocean Race for the first time since his countryman Ramón Carlín won the first ever edition in 1973-74 aboard Sayula II.

Veteran Spanish sailor Pablo Arrarte will lead the Polish yacht WindWhisper, whose entry was also announced this week just says after the confirmation of Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team’s return for its third consecutive entry in The Ocean Race — this time with a fully Portuguese crew, racing the boat used by Dongfeng Race Team to win the 2017-18 edition and Mirpuri Foundation to clinch The Ocean Race Europe.

The team will be led by António Fontes who competed as a sailor in the 2017-18 edition of the Race and now graduates from boat captain to skipper for the three stages of The Ocean Race VO 65 Sprint.

Rounding out the Sprint Cup field is Team JAJO, which will be bolstered by the addition of legendary Dutch around-the-world racer Bouwe Bekking as watch captain.

The Biotherm IMOCA competing in last month’s Route du Rhum | Credit: Vincent Olivaud/#RDR2022

Meanwhile, the five IMOCA teams set to race around the world full-crewed for the first time in the 2022-23 edition of The Ocean Race starting in January from Alicante, Spain recently arrived in three separate ports around the Mediterranean ahead of the Alicante assembly deadline.

Four of the five — Kevin Escoffier’s Holcim – PRB (SUI), Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm Racing (FRA), Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia (GER) and GUYOT environnement – Team Europe (FRA), co-skippered by Benjamin Dutreux and Robert Stanjek — arrived in Mediterranean waters after sailing fully crewed across the Atlantic from Guadeloupe following the finish of the solo Route du Rhum race that started in St Malo, France.

All the teams that took part in the Route du Rhum will undergo a refit period and measurement ahead of The Ocean Race rules-mandated assembly deadline of Monday 2 January, by which time all the teams must arrive in Alicante.

American entry 11th Hour Racing Team, skippered by Charlie Enright, last week docked in the nearby port of Valencia after a short passage from the team’s base in Concarneau, France via some training off the coast of Portugal. They plan to shift to Alicante after Christmas.

The first leg of the 2022-23 edition of The Ocean Race starts on 15 January 2023, just 25 days from now.