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The start of the 14th edition of The Ocean Race will follow the Reyes holiday period in Spain, and sees the foiling IMOCA fleet departing on a 32,000 nautical mile (60,000 km) race around the world.

The first leg is a 1,900 nautical mile sprint from Alicante to Cabo Verde, the first time the Race has stopped at the African archipelago. Historically, the fleet has sailed past the islands as they head south down the Atlantic. Whilst in Cabo Verde, The Ocean Race will take part in its famed Ocean Week, with a focus on local and international sustainability issues.

Leg 2 will start on 25 January and see the fleet racing across the equator, south to Cape Town, the 12th time the Race has stopped in the southern tip of Africa, making it the most visited stopover in this edition of the event. This will also be the first of three ‘haul-out’ stops, where the boats will be lifted from the water for maintenance.

Next up is a record-breaking leg – the longest racing distance in the 50-year history of the event – a 12,750 nautical mile, one-month marathon to Itajaí, Brazil. In the finest tradition of The Ocean Race, this leg takes the IMOCA sailors down to the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties of the Southern Ocean. Antarctica is to the right and the fleet will need to pass all three great southern Capes – the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn – to port, without stopping, for the first time.

There will be another extended, haul-out stopover in Itajaí, Brazil, following this epic southern leg before racing resumes heading north, through the doldrums, across the equator and up to Newport, Rhode Island, on the east coast of the United States.

From there, the Race returns to Europe, with a transatlantic leg to Aarhus, Denmark, followed by a Fly-By of Kiel, Germany en route to a stop in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Then, it’s the final offshore leg – the Grand Finale – to Genova, Italy, for a Mediterranean finish to the race.

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LEG 1: Alicante, Spain to Cabo Verde

Alicante Ocean Live Park opening date: 7 January 2023

In-port race: 8 January

Leg start: 15 January (Minimum distance: 1,900 nautical miles. Approximate duration: 7 days)

Estimated finish: 22 January

The first leg of the around-the-world race is a 1,900 plusnautical mile multi-day sprint from Alicante, Spain to the Cabo Verde Island port of Mindelo on Sao Vicente.
The route for Leg 1 first takes the fleet westward through the Mediterranean and out into the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar. From there the yachts head south along the African coast, past Spain’s Canary Islands and onward down to the Cabo Verde archipelago.
Although comparatively short the opening leg will be demanding nonetheless. The first challenge the crews will face is finding the fastest route through the tricky Mediterranean weather systems. Conditions in the Mediterranean can switch from light winds to full gales in the space of a few minutes and the teams will need to be on their toes to avoid being caught out – especially in the hours of darkness.
Next up for the fleet are the narrow and congested waters of the Strait of Gibraltar where, aside from avoiding the myriads of commercial ships making their way in and out of the Mediterranean, the crews will have to deal with fast flowing currents, strong winds, and big waves – the typical prevailing conditions for the area.
Once through Gibraltar the crews will get their first taste of the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean as they turn their bows southward along the Moroccan coastline. The teams’ navigators could face a choice between heading further offshore in search of stronger winds or staying closer to the shore in search of thermal breezes from the land.
The crews will need to be extra careful when passing the Canary Islands. These mountainous land masses can cast wind shadows stretching hundreds of miles downwind. Getting caught in no wind in the lee of one of the islands as the fleet sails off over the horizon is not a winning strategy.
From the Canaries the teams will push on southward towards the finish on Sao Vicente an island in the northern Barlavento section of the Cabo Verde archipelago.

The start of the 14th edition of The Ocean Race will follow the Reyes holiday period in Spain, and sees the foiling IMOCA fleet departing on a 32,000 nautical mile (60,000 km) race around the world.

The first leg is a 1,900 nautical mile sprint from Alicante to Cabo Verde, the first time the Race has stopped at the African archipelago. Historically, the fleet has sailed past the islands as they head south down the Atlantic. Whilst in Cabo Verde, The Ocean Race will take part in its famed Ocean Week, with a focus on local and international sustainability issues.

Leg 2 will start on 25 January and see the fleet racing across the equator, south to Cape Town, the 12th time the Race has stopped in the southern tip of Africa, making it the most visited stopover in this edition of the event. This will also be the first of three ‘haul-out’ stops, where the boats will be lifted from the water for maintenance.

Next up is a record-breaking leg – the longest racing distance in the 50-year history of the event – a 12,750 nautical mile, one-month marathon to Itajaí, Brazil. In the finest tradition of The Ocean Race, this leg takes the IMOCA sailors down to the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties of the Southern Ocean. Antarctica is to the right and the fleet will need to pass all three great southern Capes – the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn – to port, without stopping, for the first time.

There will be another extended, haul-out stopover in Itajaí, Brazil, following this epic southern leg before racing resumes heading north, through the doldrums, across the equator and up to Newport, Rhode Island, on the east coast of the United States.

From there, the Race returns to Europe, with a transatlantic leg to Aarhus, Denmark, followed by a Fly-By of Kiel, Germany en route to a stop in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Then, it’s the final offshore leg – the Grand Finale – to Genova, Italy, for a Mediterranean finish to the race.

LEG 2: Cabo Verde to Cape Town, South Africa

Cabo Verde Ocean Live Park opening dates: 8 February

Leg start: 25 January (Minimum distance: 4,600 nautical miles, Approximate duration: 15 days)

Estimated finish: 9 February

The second leg of the race is all about open ocean sailing and should see the fast foiling IMOCAs stretch their legs in some classic tradewind sailing conditions before the crews get their first taste in this edition of the strong winds of the South Atlantic during the final section of the leg.
The route takes the fleet south out of Cabo Verde, across the Equator close to the coast of Brazil, down the coast of South America avoiding the Saint Helena high pressure system, and then into Cape Town on the southern tip of South Africa.
After leaving the Cabo Verde islands the crews will immediately start to try to position themselves for the fastest route across the Equator. That means finding the narrowest section of the Doldrums – a transient band of persistent light and unstable winds that straddle the Equator. In late January/early February the preferred crossing point is on the Brazilian side of the Atlantic.
Once in the southern hemisphere the crews will be on the hunt for tradewinds that will help drive them quickly along the South American coast before making the left turn towards Cape Town.
However, the direct route to the finish is blocked by a persistent light wind weather phenomenon known as the St Helena high pressure system. This amorphous mass of warm weather and light winds changes shape at will and the crews will need to be wary of it as they squeeze between its western edge and the South American landmass.
The latter stages of the leg could produce some of the fastest sailing of the entire race as the crews make the most of some fast downwind sailing conditions on the way to Cape Town.
In previous editions the crew’s normal strategy would be to dive deep into the south to try to hitch a ride on one of the fast-moving storm systems that regularly hurtle eastwards towards Cape Town. This time however the crews of the foiling IMOCAs may search out more moderate conditions by cutting closer to the Saint Helena High – a persistent area of high pressure and light winds.
Approaching the finish line off Cape Town’s Victoria and Albert Waterfront can be challenging and the weary crews will need to stay on full alert as they pick their way carefully past the enormous wind shadow cast by the city’s iconic Table Mountain.

LEG 3: Cape Town, South Africa to Itajaí, Brazil

Cape Town Ocean Live Park opening date: 5 February

In-port race: 24 February

Leg start: 26 February (Minimum distance: 12,750 nautical miles, Approximate duration: 34 days)

Estimated finish: 1 April

Leg 3 from Cape Town to Itajaí, Brazil takes the fleet on a monstrous 12,750-nautical mile Southern Ocean passage three quarters of the way around the bottom of the world.
The Southern Ocean is the world’s wildest and most remote expanse of open ocean. It begins at latitude 60° south and encircles the Earth’s southernmost continent, the ice-enshrined landmass of Antarctica.
On the way from Cape Town to Itajaí the IMOCA crews will pass far south of the world’s three Great Capes: The Cape of Good Hope close to the tip of Africa; Cape Leeuwin, Australia’s most south-westerly point; and the notorious Cape Horn on Hornos Island – the most southerly headlandon the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile.
It is impossible to overestimate the significance of this leg – the longest in the race’s history – or the challenge it poses for the sailors taking it on. The route is expected to take around 34 days to complete – by far the longest time spent down in the storm-ridden icy wilderness of the Southern Ocean in any previous edition.
Appropriately then, the leg counts double in terms of points – with the first set of points awarded for the order the boats pass the line of longitude 143° East (south of Australia) and the second set for the finishing order in Itajaí.
The areas from 40 degrees south to the Antarctic Circle are known as the Roaring Forties and the Furious Fifties – have the strongest average winds found anywhere on earth. Wind speeds generated by the cyclonic storms that surge eastward through the area can reach up to 70 knots. The teams will aim to position themselves in-front of one of these fast-moving storm fronts in order to slingshot them eastwards towards Cape Horn, the rocky outcrop at the southern tip of Chile which marks their exit point from the Southern Ocean.
When hitching a ride like this the goal is to ride the storm for as long as possible. That means day after day, week after week, of dealing with screaming winds and massive white topped rolling waves.
As a gauge of just how remote this area of the planet is, during Leg 3 the fleet will pass close to Point Nemo – coordinates: 48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W – which, at 1,670 miles from the nearest piece of land, is officially the most remote spot on the planet. So remote in fact that the closest human beings to the sailors are the astronauts in the International Space Station, orbiting the world 250 miles (400 kilometres) above them.
Two Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC) cover this area. The New Zealand centre is responsible for the waters west of longitude 131°, while the waters east of that line are monitored by a centre in Chile.
Staff at The Ocean Race headquarters in Alicante track the competing yachts around the clock and are in constant contact with the two MRCCs.

LEG 4: Itajaí, Brazil to Newport, USA

Itajaí Ocean Live Park opening date: 29 March

In-port race: 21 April

Leg start: 23 April (Minimum distance: 5,550 nautical miles, Approximate duration: 17 days)

Estimated finish: 10 May

Leg 4 sees the return of the fleet to the northern hemisphere with a 5,550-nautical mile passage from Itajaí to Newport, Rhode Island on the eastern seaboard of the United States. It is the final major south to north passage of the race and the IMOCA teams will depart Brazil in autumn and arrive in the USA at the beginning of spring.
As they race north, the crews will try to dodge the effects of the southerly-running Brazil current, as well as avoiding the light winds of the weather system known as the Saint Helena High which they last encountered on Leg 2 from Cabo Verde to South Africa.
The approach to the Brazilian city Recife on the country’s north eastern corner often sparks a strategic split in the fleet as the navigators have to choose between heading offshore in search of stronger steadier winds or taking the shorter, more direct route along the coast.
As well as negotiating the final Doldrums and equator crossing of the race, the crews will need to be on constant watch to avoid becoming entangled in the huge clinging clusters of Sargassum seaweed that litter the racecourse.
Once across the equator the goal will be to hook into the northern hemisphere trade winds which should whisk the fleet north past the Caribbean archipelago and on towards the Florida coast.
The fleet’s route north takes the boats through a notorious area of the Atlantic Ocean known as the Bermuda Triangle. Formed by San Juan, Puerto Rico in the south, Miami, Florida in the west, and Bermuda in the east, the triangle is infamous for the mysterious losses of numerous ships and planes over the years.
After Miami there will be a strong likelihood of multiple storm systems emanating from the US mainland, and the crews will also need to pick their way through the complex effects of the meandering warm water currents known as the Gulf Stream before they reach the finish line off Newport’s Fort Adams State Park.

LEG 5: Newport, USA to Aarhus, Denmark

Newport Ocean Live Park opening date: 13 May

In-port race: 20 May

Leg start: 21 May (Minimum distance: 3,500 nautical miles, Approximate duration: 9 days)

Estimated finish: 30 May

Leg 5 sees the fleet return to Europe via a double points, 3,500-nautical mile, transatlantic dash from Newport, around the top of the British Isles, and into Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus.
Racing across the Atlantic always holds a special significance for professional yacht racers and with double points on offer the crews in both fleets will be racing flat out on what could likely prove to be a key stage for teams with aspirations of overall victory.
The leg sees the fleet return to Europe for the first time since leaving Alicante four months previously and is the last of the race’s long open water passages.
Immediately after leaving Newport the crews are in for a bumpy time as they cross the stormy cloud line and choppy waves generated by the Gulf Stream. In an ideal scenario the goal is to hook onto a storm system to fast-forward you eastwards at high speed. The most direct route takes the fleet in a northerly arc and the race organisers will likely impose a virtual ice gate to keep the yachts away from the iceberg littered waters of the Grand Banks.
After rounding the top of Scotland the crews will traverse the upper reaches of the North Sea before rounding the headland at Skagen – Denmark’s most northerly town – where they will turn south towards Aarhus.
Although now back in more enclosed waters there will be no let up for the weary crews who could have to deal with strong currents and light winds as they make their way down the Danish east coast towards the finish line.

LEG 6: Aarhus, Denmark to The Hague, The Netherlands

Aarhus Ocean Live Park opening date: 29 May

In-port race: 4 June

Leg start: 8 June (Minimum distance: 800 nautical miles, Approximate duration: 3 days)

Kiel.Sailing.City fly-by: 9 June
Estimated finish: 11 June

The sixth and penultimate leg of the race takes the fleet on a three day 800-nautical mile (921-mile/1,482-kilometre) sprint from Aarhus to The Hague in the Netherlands – by way of a fly-by visit to the German city Kiel.Sailing.City. Much of the early part of the leg takes place in coastal waters, where making the most of the thermal breezes caused by land heating and cooling – as well as dealing effectively with coastal currents – could be key to success.

Depending on the weather conditions, the race organiser has the option to choose between two potential routes on the opening section south to Kiel.Sailing.City. Most direct is under the 11-mile/18-kilometre span of the Great Belt Bridge (Storebæltsforbindelsen in Danish) which connects the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen. Meanwhile, an alternative choice could be to pass beneath the Øresund Bridge that connects Denmark to Sweden.

After rounding a turning mark at Kiel.Sailing.City, the fleet heads north again to pass Aarhus on the way back out into the North Sea at the Skagen headland – Denmark’s most northerly point. Given the vagaries of the summer weather in this part of the world, the sailors might have to deal with anything from howling gales to fickle zephyrs on their southerly route down the North Sea.

Depending on the weather, land effects as well as coastal currents and tides could play a big part. The predominantly shallow North Sea results in choppy seas even in relatively benign conditions and in a gale the sea state can be bad enough to break boats.

As an extra challenge for the frazzled navigators and sleep deprived crews the final approach to The Hague will require their full attention to avoid an encounter with any of the area’s myriad oil rigs and shifting sandbanks.

LEG 7: The Hague, The Netherlands to Genova, Italy

The Hague Ocean Live Park opening date: 11 June

The Hague In-port race: 13/14 June

Leg start: 15 June (Minimum distance: 2,200 nautical miles, Approximate duration: 10 days)

Estimated race finish: 25 June

Genova Ocean Live Park opening date: 24 June

Genova In-port race: 1 July

Prize giving: 1 July

The seventh and final leg of the race is a complex 2,200-nautical mile 10-day stage that takes the fleet from The Hague, through the crowded shipping lanes of the English Channel, across the Bay of Biscay and around the northern tip of Spain at Cape Finisterre, down the Portuguese coast, back into the Mediterranean via the Gibraltar Strait, across the Mediterranean Sea (passing the Spanish race start port, Alicante) to the finish line in Genova, Italy. It is both the first time an edition of The Ocean Race has finished in the Mediterranean and the first visit the race has made to Italy (after The Ocean Race Europe finished there in June 2021). For the IMOCA crews, in terms of the concluding leg to a 31,300-nautical mile (36,019-mile/57,968-kilometre) aroundthe-world yacht race, they do not come much more challenging than this one. Once out of The Hague, aside from dodging the multitude of commercial ships that throng the area, the crews will need to be on high alert as they race along the French side of the English Channel – renowned for its strong tides and dangerous rocky coastline. After exiting the English Channel at Ushant the fleet will press on across the Bay of Biscay – which has a fearsome reputation for fierce storms and boat-breaking sea conditions – towards Cape Finisterre on the northern shoulder of Spain. From there the crews could be in for some fast sailing down the rugged Atlantic coastline of Portugal before they turn eastward off the Portuguese city of Lagos towards their second encounter with the normally wild and windy confines of the Gibraltar Strait. Having made it back into the Mediterranean the fleet could face a slowdown due to the light and unpredictable winds that prevail there in the summer months. Choices will need to be made between hugging the Spanish coast in the hope of thermal land effect breezes, or searching for steadier winds further offshore. After picking their way past the Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca, the crews will head north east across the Ligurian Sea towards the finish line off Genova. As the teams competing in the 2021 inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe discovered, this final light wind stage could be a nerve-wracking affair, with the final result of the leg – and perhaps the overall race standings – impossible to call until the very end.

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