The first edition of The Ocean Race Europe has started today with the start of the first stage of the competition, in which the 12 high-performance sailboats that make up the international fleet sailed from Lorient to Cascais

This new three-stage European competition has been created to house professional ocean races with full crew; the fleet of 12 teams representing nine countries will take a stop in Cascais and Alicante on the road to the goal of the race in Genoa in mid-June.

The crews received an emotional farewell from Lorient by the local authorities, where the regatists and the organizers of the race have been operating under a strict Covid 19 protocol designed and managed by the Spanish company Quironsalud prevention group to ensure the safety of the competitors and the staff of the race throughout the event.

With conditions of calm almost chicha at the time of departure of the race, which started at 13: 45 CEST, the regatta committee set a section of the start to facilitate the fleet's exit of Lorient.

The super-loose wind conditions made the ships sail very slowly in front of Lorient, while the regatists were looking for the slightest streak.

The Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team did the best work by leaving the body to body from the beginning to slowly but safely advance and lead the fleet of 12 ships at the door that indicated the exit of Lorient.

The fleet is expected to find better winds as the crews negotiate the Gulf of Vizcaya on the road to the north-west end of Spain, Cape Finisterre.

2021 / 05 / 28: The Ocean Race Europe begins in Lorient with 12 machines in competition

12 of the world's best sailing equipment are ready to sail around Europe

On the eve of the first edition of The Ocean Race Europe, the 12 participating teams carry out their last preparations in Lorient, before the departure of the first stage, which will leave on Saturday for Cascais.

Divided into two types of high-performance ships, the VO65 monotypes, identical among them, and the IMOCA 60 box rule, the fleet of The Ocean Race Europe will sail first to Cascais and then to Alicante to end in Genoa (Italy) in mid-June.

All the ocean stages will have the same score, and the coastal races that will take place in Cascais and Genoa will have bonus points for the first three classified.

The list of entries for The Ocean Race Europe is full of important names from the professional navigation scene, including many veterans from the World Back Edition of The Ocean Race, which was first held in 1973 and quickly became the culmination of the professional ocean races.

Chuny Bermudez de Castror, with seven turns around the world behind his back, he is head of guard in Viva Mexico and faces the project with illusion. It all started two years ago, they asked me to help them ride the ship, cross it to Mexico, teach them how everything worked, etc. Now I'm in Marina Coruña as director, I helped them set up their base there and get to the race's exit line., he says.

Simbad Quiroga, a crew member of the Sailing Poland, debuts in a big round of the world with The Ocean Race Europe, although it carries the ocean candle in the blood. "I have been sailing my whole life, in fact my father is also a professional ocean regatist (the legendary Quino Quiroga). Bouwe (Bekking, patron of the Sailing Poland) tried me two years ago for the return to the world and it's a pleasure to be able to sail with him and that's why I'm on the Polish team. They are young, but they have a lot of energy and experience," he says.

This Saturday, at 1.45 local time, the VO65 and IMOCA 60 fleets will leave Lorient in the first stage of The Ocean Race Europe heading for Cascais down the Atlantic Ocean.

The weather side predicts that the fleet will experience a variety of conditions on the way, starting with a super soft wind exit from Lorient in the Gulf of Vizcaya, before they take the strongest winds, up to thirty knots, in Cape Finisterre, on the way to a forced pass beacon in the Atlantic.

2021 / 05 / 24: All about in Lorient... Saturday begins The Ocean Race with 2000 miles ahead

The race is open to two types of high-performance ocean sailboats: the VO65 monotypes and the IMOCA 60

The French town of Lorient has become the meeting point of several of the world's best ocean sailing teams on the occasion of the imminent departure of the first edition of The Ocean Race Europe, which will take place on Saturday... and which will end in Genoa on June 19.

Designed to offer professional ocean races with full crew, this new European competition with several stages has formed a list of first-level registered with 12 teams representing nine countries.

Many of the teams participating in The Ocean Race Europe also plan to compete in the next edition back to the world of The Ocean Race that is scheduled to start in the fall of 2022 from Alicante.

Regimentals of 23 nationalities are going to compete in The Ocean Race Europe, and crew lists include some of the main names of the international sailing, along with a selection of newcomers, young and talented, who come with a great desire to leave their mark on the professional scene of ocean navigation.

The pattern of CORUM L'Épargne, Nicolas Troussel, is well known for its achievements in solo navigation after having won twice the consecrated Solitaire du Figaro and has gathered an extremely competitive trio of talents for its participation in The Ocean Race Europe

In the IMOCA 60, there are three French teams, one from the United States and one from Germany.

The 11th Hour Racing Team is led by American regatist Charlie Enright, who adds two editions of The Ocean Race. Based in the American city of Newport, on the east coast of the United States, the crew has just completed a transatlantic journey to participate in The Ocean Race Europe.

Along with Enright is the British navigator Simon Fisher, who has five turns around the world in his palmarés, and also have the experienced French Pascal Bidégorry, who comes from winning the 2017- 18 edition of The Ocean Race with the Dongfeng Race Team, as well as the Swiss Justine Mettraux, with two The Ocean Race in his curriculum. As a reporter on board, you'll have the experienced Amory Ross.

Burton's main crew is made up of his French partner Davy Beaudart as a navigator, as well as Burton's wife, Servane Escoffier, another highly experienced ocean regatist. The team plans to rotate with several other experienced French ocean sailors during the race, as well as with the British Pip Hare, which also comes from completing the Vendée Globe.

The 11th Hour Racing Team is led by American regatist Charlie Enright, who adds two editions of The Ocean Race

The VO65 class has been used in the last two editions of The Ocean Race and the fleet is ready to take a third round of the world in the next edition of 2022-23. Built as strict monotypes, the ships are identical in all ways and are therefore very equal.

The VO65 division in The Ocean Race Europe consists of two registered members from the Netherlands, as well as one from Austria, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland and Portugal.

The AkzoNobel Ocean Racing, with a Dutch flag, is led by one of the world's most accumulated ocean sailors, the Australian Chris Nicholson. The international crew of the team combines a proven experience with a young and interesting talent, and has the British Will Harris as a navigator, as well as the Australians Liz Wardley and Lucas Chapman as captain of the ship and head of guard respectively. It also has the British bow Trystan Seal, Rosalin Kuiper (HOL), Rory Hunter (GBR), Giulio Bertelli (ITA) and Charlie Wyatt (AUS).

The Lithuanian team Ambersail-2 is led by Lithuanian pattern Rokas Milevičius, Olympic in London 2012.

The Portuguese Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team is led by the prominent French ocean navigator Yoann Richomme with a list of crew full of regatists from the 2017-18 edition of The Ocean Race, along with a couple of talented new faces.

The Mirpuri crew is composed of the navigator Nico Lunven (FRA), the head of guard Jack Bouttell (GBR), the bow Olly Young (GBR), the second bow Emily Nagel (GBR), the cane / trimer Bernardo Freitas (POR) and Frederico Pinheiro Melo (POR), the piano Willy Altadill (ESP), Mariana Lobato (POR), Rob Bunce and as OBR Martin Keruzore (FRA).