The Ocean Race Announces Route

The next edition of The Ocean Race (ex-Volvo, ex-Whitbread) will depart Alicante, Spain, in October 2021. The around-the-world race with eight stops will finish in Genoa, Italy, in summer 2022. Newport, RI, will again be included in the stopovers. That will be the only port in North America.

The Ports

• Alicante, Spain — Race Start
• *Cabo Verde
• Cape Town, South Africa
• *Shenzhen, China
• Auckland, New Zealand
• Itajaí, Brazil
• Newport, RI, USA
• Aarhus, Denmark
• The Hague, Netherlands
• *Genoa, Italy — The Grand Finale

(* indicates a new host city)

Stopover dates have yet to be confirmed.

“This new race route respects our heritage as an event that crosses the world’s oceans, leaving the great capes of the Southern Hemisphere to port, and diving into the Southern Ocean on the approach to the iconic Cape Horn,” said race chairman Richard Brisius. “With seven returning stopovers and three new host cities, there is a good balance between stability and exploration. The route will take us through the Java Sea, near Indonesia, for the first time.”

IMOCA 60 Class

For the first time, The Ocean Race is now open to the high-tech foiling IMOCA 60 class. And the one-design VO65 boats that provided record-breaking performance in the 2017-18 edition of the race — the closest race in the history of the event — will be back.

“As we open up the design and innovation elements of the race again with the IMOCA class, confirming the race route for our teams has taken on an added importance as the designers look to optimize performance for the conditions,” said managing director Johan Salén. “This route is more compact at 38,000 nautical miles and with two less stopovers compared with the last race. But it includes two significant Southern Ocean legs.”

The introduction of the IMOCA fleet into The Ocean Race presents a new opportunity for sailors. Frenchman Paul Meilhat, the winner of the 2018 Route du Rhum and the current leader of the IMOCA sailor rankings, is among those looking to make the transition. “The Ocean Race is one of the most global events in sport, and the racecourse for 2021-22 underlines why it is so special — with some of the best offshore sailing conditions around, and a massive commercial reach touching six continents,” he said. “It has long been my dream to compete in The Ocean Race and test myself against the best sailors in one of the most challenging races in the sport.”

Keeping It Coed

“As ever, The Ocean Race appeals to athletes and teams who want to compete against the best in the world and add their name to the list of the legends of our sport who have defined their careers by taking on this incredible challenge,” said Richard Brisius.

One of those sailors is Carolijn Brouwer (NED). She became one of the first women to win The Ocean Race as part of the victorious Dongfeng Race Team in the last race. In the 2021-22 edition, all teams, in both classes, will be required to have female crewmembers.

“To lift The Ocean Race trophy with Dongfeng Race Team in 2017-18 was a dream come true for myself and the team,” Brouwer said. “The 2021-22 race course keeps the Southern Ocean at the heart of the race. The new foiling IMOCA boats plus the returning VO65s means more epic racing and great human stories.”

Beyond Sailing

Building on a legacy from the last edition, The Ocean Race 2021-22 will feature a new series of The Ocean Race Summits (the first took place in Genoa, Italy, in September 2019), an expanded version of a curriculum for schools, and a robust science and data program. All race teams will be required to use renewable sources to generate a portion of the energy used on board in both the IMOCA and VO65 fleets.

Given the uncertainties related to the current coronavirus pandemic, race organizers are in ongoing conversations with medical experts and authorities and following their advice. As always, the health, safety and well-being of The Ocean Race family and all race stakeholders is a top priority.