Since it was announced five years ago, the introduction of the IMOCA 60 has created a pivotal point in The Ocean Race’s 50 year history. With it have come major changes that made for an atmosphere of high anticipation among the teams and fans gathered in Alicante, Spain.
Dockside, all five skippers are quick to admit they are taking a step into the unknown, with ‘full’ crews (of four, plus one on board reporter) about to push cutting edge foiling boats to their limits in the dangerous environs of the Southern Ocean for the first time; how they overcome those challenges will have a huge impact. Human limits too will be tested in new ways, with the old-school hierarchical skipper-crew dynamic set aside as a new generation of multi-talented, eco-conscious, sponsor-savvy sailors steps up, leading race organisers to acknowledge an important shift. Though rules remain mandating female crews on board, for the first time there’s a real sense of confidence and respect in their experience and skills. And while some see the new VO65 Sprint Cup as a sideshow, this class - racing three of the seven legs alongside the IMOCAs – is now a pathway to the predominantly younger sailors competing; six boats have entered. Meanwhile, an announcement from organisers that The Ocean Race Europe will be repeated in 2025 ahead of the next
