The final preparations are taking place ahead of the 2025 edition of The Ocean Race Europe, which will see seven mixed-gender crews made up of sailors from across 13 nations take on the 4,500-nautical mile multi-stage offshore challenge. This year’s edition is built on the foundations of the inaugural race in 2021 and is held under the banner of “Connecting Europe”.
Starting in Kiel, Germany on 10 August, the race takes the fleet around Europe, with stops in England, Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy, before the teams arrive in Boka Bay, Montenegro, around 15-16 September and the Final Scoring Race on 20 September. The finish in Montenegro marks the first time in its over 50-year history that crews from The Ocean Race will compete on the Adriatic Sea.
All seven teams will compete in foiling IMOCA designs which use retractable foils to help lift the yacht’s hull partially out of the water to reduce drag and increase speed. The teams will race with four sailors aboard (plus an onboard reporter) representing at least two nationalities, at least one of which must be female.
The 850-nautical mile opening leg from Kiel will take the fleet to Portsmouth, England. Leg two sees the fleet race 1,400 nautical miles to Cartagena, Spain – via a fly-by in Matosinhos/Porto in Portugal. The 650-nautical mile third leg through the Mediterranean finishes in Nice, France, before the fleet sets off on the planned-to-be 600-nautical mile fourth leg to Genova, Italy. The approximately 1,000-nautical mile fifth and final leg takes the crews into the Adriatic to the finish in Boka Bay, Montenegro.
Race director Phil Lawrence said the race course would test the teams fully across a range of conditions. He said: “Racing around Europe is a major challenge that takes the fleet across the congested waters of the North Sea, through the confines of the English Channel, out into the open waters of the Atlantic, before taking on the tricky conditions of the Mediterranean and the Adriatic seas. The crews will need to perform well across a range of conditions to get to the podium and there is every possibility that the race could well be decided on the Final Scoring Race in Boka Bay.”
Ocean Live Park fan zones
Each stopover during The Ocean Race Europe 2025 will feature an Ocean Live Park where visitors can experience the race up close, learn ocean health, and have a go at ocean activities like sailing and other water sports. The free-to-enter Ocean Live Parks are the focal point for stopover events, entertainment programmes, food and beverage concessions – and all other activities organised by The Ocean Race, Host Cities, local sponsors, and other stakeholders.
Key attractions for visitors to Ocean Live Parks include: the opportunity to get up close and personal with the competing sailors during the fan days, a chance to visit an IMOCA cockpit simulator, the Helly Hansen official merchandise store, the Volvo Studio, plus a full programme of events on the main stage and various other host city and sponsor events.
The Ocean Live Park also hosts the free-to-enter Ocean Dome, a 14-metre radius structure space with a five-projector full dome and surround sound system where 360º films related to ocean health, and The Ocean Race videos and films, will be projected. The Dome will also host music performances and other conferences.
For more information see theoceanrace.com
Main image: © Eloi Stichelbaut – polaRYSE / Paprec Arkea