Racing sailors to double as ocean scientists in European waters
Every yacht in this summer's Ocean Race Europe will double as a floating laboratory, gathering vital ocean data as crews battle their way between seven iconic European ports, organisers say.
The fleet will gather measurements on water temperature, salinity, oxygen, CO2 levels, microplastics and environmental DNA during the offshore competition from August 10 to September 20.
Some teams will deploy drifter buoys designed to transmit meteorological information for years afterward.
"We know conditions in our ocean are changing rapidly but scientists need more data to better understand what is happening, the pace of change and how this impacts ocean health," said Lucy Hunt, Ocean Impact Director of The Ocean Race and a marine biologist.
"Due to the vastness of the ocean, reliable data is very sparse, and there are many areas that are undersampled."
The race begins in Kiel, Germany and visits Portsmouth, Porto, Cartagena, Nice, Genova, and Montenegro's Boka Bay.
Organisers report that the 2023 around-the-world race generated more than 4 million data points for researchers.
"By putting different configurations of The Ocean Race Science Instruments on different race boats we can broaden the scope of the data we collect," said Stefan Raimund, Scientific Advisor to The Ocean Race.
The Ocean Race Europe is a multi-stage offshore sailing competition organised by the same group behind the round-the-world Ocean Race. It features top-tier IMOCA 60 and VO65 yachts crewed by mixed-gender teams.
The IMOCA 60 and VO65 are elite ocean racing yachts at the heart of major offshore events.
The 60-foot IMOCA is a foiling, carbon-fibre monohull designed for solo or short-handed races, while the 65-foot VO65 is a one-design yacht used in fully crewed races like The Ocean Race. REUTERS
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