Latest news with #OceanRaceEurope2025
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Hare relishing chance to be part of The Ocean Race Europe
The 51-year-old, who grew up in Huntington and now calls Poole home, has been sailing for three decades completing legendary races like the Vendée Globe and the Route du Rhum over that time. The Ocean Race Europe 2025 poses a very different challenge though, with the Hare joining Canada Ocean Racing - Be Water Positive for the 4,500-nautical mile multi-stage offshore race from Kiel to Boka Bay in Montenegro. And while she admits there was some nerves about relinquishing some of the control to which she has grown accustomed as a single-handed yachtsperson, the freedom of working in a team has been a joy. She explained: 'I'm used to racing these boats solo, racing with a crew is a different dynamic, there is a lot more intensity, you tend to get more focused on the details than you do alone on the boat and I'm loving that change. 'It's a brilliant opportunity personally as an athlete to learn from my peers which you don't get in solo racing. The course itself is absolutely fantastic, it's a really cool concept to link the west and the east of Europe via the sea, it's going to be very fast-paced, it's incredibly challenging with different weather systems and navigation and the stopovers are short. 'That has been the real happy revelation for me because I was a little bit trepidatious about how I would integrate into a full team. (Image: Lloyd Images / The Ocean Race Europe 2025) 'Naturally as a solo sailor you are used to doing everything and being in control of everything. So sometimes it's a little difficult to give that up but our team is fantastic. 'It's so collaborative and the most wonderful thing is the first time you realise you can totally and utterly trust someone it just feels incredibly liberating.' Hare has been integral to putting the team together, working under skipper Scott Shawyer. But she acknowledges that Canada Ocean Racing - Be Water Positive are a little way behind some of their rivals in terms of preparation time, having spent much less time together to gear up for the race. She added: 'We're still quite a new team, we've only had the boat for three months and it's a very technical piece of equipment. Learning the boat takes a long time and we've just been time poor through the whole campaign. 'Trying to have the balance of the technical preparation, all the necessary maintenance and upgrades, and pulling a team together from places around Europe to actually have solid training sessions together, we've really been juggling our schedules. 'Out of all the teams, we're one of the ones that has had the least practice probably. We have to go in with realistic objectives. We've got a fantastic boat with an incredible pedigree, but we are a new team. 'These boats are not plug and play, they take a while to learn. We are racing against teams with boats of a similar calibre, but they have had their boats for three or four years, so they know every tiny detail, they know exactly when to change sails, how to drive the boat.' Seven international teams, seven stopovers, 4,500 nautical miles, racing for the ocean. The Ocean Race Europe comes to Portsmouth 14 - 17 August - the city where the race first began in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race.
The Star
23-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Sailing-Flying boats, double points and a lightning pit stop set stage for Portuguese Ocean Race thriller
(Reuters) -Flying boats, double points and a three-hour pit stop will bring high-octane sailing drama to Portugal this August as Matosinhos-Porto secured a coveted spot on The Ocean Race Europe route – with ocean health activism sharing the spotlight alongside sporting glory. The Portuguese coastal destination will host a "Fly-By" on Aug. 20 during the second leg from Portsmouth to Cartagena, it was announced on Wednesday, with the high-tech foiling IMOCA boats making a brief three-hour stop at Porto Cruise Terminal before continuing their journey to Gibraltar and the Mediterranean. The Fly-By represents a critical sporting juncture, awarding half the points for the double-scoring second leg. "It's very special to know that The Ocean Race Europe is stopping in Matosinhos because I know I will feel the warmth of Portugal and the Portuguese people in this extreme and hard competition," said Mariana Lobato, the only female Portuguese sailor who competed in the last round-the-world race and who will now be racing with Team Paprec Arkea. The announcement, made during an event at Porto Cruise Terminal, highlighted how the race will spotlight ocean health initiatives alongside the sporting spectacle. "Few competitions can claim to connect Europe more completely than The Ocean Race Europe," said Richard Brisius, Race Chairman. "This is a race that truly connects our continent, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, and into the Adriatic Sea." The Ocean Race Europe 2025 will start from Kiel, Germany on Aug. 10, with stops in Portsmouth, Matosinhos-Porto, Cartagena, Nice, and Genoa before finishing at Boka Bay, Montenegro. The race, launched in 2021, has swiftly become a marquee event on the offshore sailing calendar, delivering elite competition across Europe's iconic ports. Designed as a shorter, continental counterpart to the legendary round-the-world Ocean Race, it features cutting-edge IMOCA 60 and VO65 class yachts with mixed-gender crews tackling a blend of offshore legs and coastal sprints. The IMOCA 60 is a cutting-edge 60-foot (18-metre) yacht known for its speed and ability to "fly" above the water using foils, while the VO65 is a 65-foot (20-metre) one-design conventional monohull boat built for strength, speed and close competition. The inaugural edition saw Portugal's Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team clinch victory in the VO65 class, while Offshore Team Germany triumphed in the IMOCA 60 category. Beyond the fierce racing, the event underscores a commitment to environmental advocacy, leveraging its platform to champion ocean health and sustainability initiatives across the continent. (Editing by Toby Davis)
Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Flying boats, double points and a lightning pit stop set stage for Portuguese Ocean Race thriller
Flying boats, double points and a three-hour pit stop will bring high-octane sailing drama to Portugal this August as Matosinhos-Porto secured a coveted spot on The Ocean Race Europe route – with ocean health activism sharing the spotlight alongside sporting glory. The Portuguese coastal destination will host a "Fly-By" on Aug. 20 during the second leg from Portsmouth to Cartagena, it was announced on Wednesday, with the high-tech foiling IMOCA boats making a brief three-hour stop at Porto Cruise Terminal before continuing their journey to Gibraltar and the Mediterranean. The Fly-By represents a critical sporting juncture, awarding half the points for the double-scoring second leg. "It's very special to know that The Ocean Race Europe is stopping in Matosinhos because I know I will feel the warmth of Portugal and the Portuguese people in this extreme and hard competition," said Mariana Lobato, the only female Portuguese sailor who competed in the last round-the-world race and who will now be racing with Team Paprec Arkea. The announcement, made during an event at Porto Cruise Terminal, highlighted how the race will spotlight ocean health initiatives alongside the sporting spectacle. "Few competitions can claim to connect Europe more completely than The Ocean Race Europe," said Richard Brisius, Race Chairman. "This is a race that truly connects our continent, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, and into the Adriatic Sea." The Ocean Race Europe 2025 will start from Kiel, Germany on Aug. 10, with stops in Portsmouth, Matosinhos-Porto, Cartagena, Nice, and Genoa before finishing at Boka Bay, Montenegro. The race, launched in 2021, has swiftly become a marquee event on the offshore sailing calendar, delivering elite competition across Europe's iconic ports. Designed as a shorter, continental counterpart to the legendary round-the-world Ocean Race, it features cutting-edge IMOCA 60 and VO65 class yachts with mixed-gender crews tackling a blend of offshore legs and coastal sprints. The IMOCA 60 is a cutting-edge 60-foot (18-metre) yacht known for its speed and ability to "fly" above the water using foils, while the VO65 is a 65-foot (20-metre) one-design conventional monohull boat built for strength, speed and close competition. The inaugural edition saw Portugal's Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team clinch victory in the VO65 class, while Offshore Team Germany triumphed in the IMOCA 60 category. Beyond the fierce racing, the event underscores a commitment to environmental advocacy, leveraging its platform to champion ocean health and sustainability initiatives across the continent. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
