Quill. All about the 2023 Ocean Race – Sailing
> What is Ocean Race?
The Ocean Race is a sailing race around the world with a crew, with stages. They are reserved for monohulls. Initially, the race was held every four years. Since 2008-2009, this event has been held every three years.
Some of the best sailors on the planet put their names on the list. Let us quote the French Lionel Bienne, Franck Camas and Charles Caudriller. On the foreign side, New Zealanders Peter Blake, Mike Sanderson, Grant Dalton, American Paul Cayard, Brazilian Turbine Grill and Englishman Ian Walker won.
> Why did she change her name?
Because the sponsors changed… Originally, in 1973, the event was called the “Whitbread Race Around the World”. Whitbread is the name of the British company that sponsored the race for seven copies. In 2002, it was the turn of car manufacturer Volvo, which became the main sponsor, to give its name to the race, the Volvo Ocean Race.
After the withdrawal of Volvo as a major partner, the race, which was bought in 2018 by a Spanish company run by Richard Precius, Johan Salen and Jean Litbourne, is now called The Ocean Race.
> What types of boats participate in this race?
Monoholes only. For the first time, two classes are represented: VO65 and Imoca.
VOR65s, completely identical hull monocoques, have already participated in the last two editions. They are powerful all carbon boats with very exposed cockpits.
Imocas are Vendée Globe boats. Only mast, boom, rigging, and keel are one design. For the rest (hull, stalks, sails), the architects and skippers can let their imagination run wild. On board the Imoca there will be five or four crew members and a doctor or media lady.
In this 2023 edition, only five Imuka will make the full lap, and the six VOR 65 crews will be content with three European stages. Which may come as a surprise when you learn that the Considered VOR65 by those who have carried it around the world,
as “solid and virtually unbreakable” boats. On the contrary, we are entitled to wonder in what state Imoka ends up (will the one-design masts last?) For six months …
> What is the way?
This 14th edition will visit Nine cities over a period of six months, from Alicante (Spain) to Genoa (Italy) via stops in Cape Verde, Cape Town (South Africa), Itajaí (Brazil), in Newport (USA), n Aarhus (Denmark), to
The Hague (Netherlands).
We will especially remember the third stage, between Cape Town and Itajaí, with 12,750 miles covered, making it the longest distance that can be covered in the entire history of the race.
> Is it a race for time or points?
Unlike the Vendée Globe, a non-stop solo round-the-world trip in Imoca that is contested over time, the Ocean Race is won on points. Indeed, at the end of each stage, each team takes points (5 points for the winner, 4 points for the second, etc.) Five of the seven stages are assigned a coefficient, the main stages (Cape Town – Itagai and Newport – Aarhus) have a coefficient of 2.
The overall winner is the one with the most points. It should be noted that the races on the beach were contested at stops The subject of a separate rating. This final classification can make it possible to choose between crews tied in the general classification.
> Who are the sailors involved?
At Imoca, only five crews entered. Admittedly, there are a lot of people, but you have to admit the line-up is a little slim when you know that there were 37 solo sailors at the start of the 2022 Route du Rome and that 40 sailors have been announced on the Vendée Globe line for 2024.
The “Imoca – The Ocean Race” transplant struggled to make it through. As for the fleet of VOR65s, six in number with the Austrian/Italian crew arriving last week, let’s be honest, we don’t know any. With only three steps on the program, it can be hard to care.
> Who can win this 14th edition of Imoca?
The five teams entered can win. You only need to look at the list of crew members to understand that they are highly recruited. In every Imoca there are beautiful people: Sablais Sébastien Simon, the British Annie Lush and the Spanish Támara Echegoyen with Benjamin Dutreux (Guyot Environment Team Europe).
Paul Meilhat (Biotherm) was strong With Anthony Marchand, Damien Seguin, Portugal’s Mariana Lobato and Amelie Grassi.
Four star crew for Kevin Escoffier (Holcim – PRB) featuring Tom Laberche, Sam Goodchild, Britain’s Abby Eller, German Suzanne Buick, and France’s Fabienne Delahaye is responsible for the performance.
Germany’s Boris Herrmann (Team Malaysia) should not be outdone, with Nicholas Lönven, Will Harris and Jan Elias in the performance team role.
Finally, the American Charlie Enright aboard the “Mr. Ocean Race”, the British Simon Fisher who participated in the Volvo Ocean Race five times, the Englishman Jackson Botell, winner of the last edition with Dongfeng and the Swiss Justin Mitro who knows the race and the boat. Not forgetting Italy’s Francesca Klapcic, who has already competed in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2018.
> Ocean race track
- level 1 : Departure from Alicante (Spain) on January 15, 2023
- The second step: Departure from Cape Verde on 25 January 2023
- Step 3: Departure from Cape Town (South Africa) on 26 or 27 February 2023
- The fourth step: Departure from Itajai (Brazil) on April 23, 2023
- Fifth step: Departing from Newport (United States) on May 21, 2023
- Sixth step: Departure from Aarhus (Denmark) on 8 June 2023
- Seventh step: Departure from The Hague (Netherlands) on 15th June 2023
- Final: In Genoa (Italy) on July 1, 2023
> Entrants to Imoca:
- 11 Hours Team (USA): Skipper Charlie Enright
- Malaysian team (Germany): Skipper Boris Hermann
- Holcim-PRB Team (SUI): Skipper Kevin Escoffer
- Guyot Environment-Team Europe (FRA/GER): Skipper Benjamin Dutroux
- Biotherm Racing (FRA): Skipper Paul Milhat
> VOR65 entries
- Mirbury Corporation Racing Team (POR): Skipper Antonio Fontes
- WindWhisper Racing Team (POL): Skipper Pablo Ararte
- JAJO Team (NED): Skipper Gilmer Van Beek
- Ambersail 2 (LIT): Skipper Rokas Milevi? ius
- Viva Mexico (Mexico): Captain Eric Brockmann
- Austrian Ocean Race – Team Genova (Australia/Italy): Jeroen Jansen
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