How much faster could an IMOCA 60 go if it were really pressed? Not in bursts, not for brief peak speeds, but at a sustained average pace over days or…
The Ocean Race
Photo: Ainhoa Sanchez/VOR
The Ocean Race is a fully crewed round the world race originally known as the Whitbread Round the World Race, then the Volvo Ocean Race.
The crewed around the world race with stopovers has always been one of yachting’s premier ocean races and is next set to take place in 2022/23.
The race organisers are also running a new event designed to showcase top-flight, fully-crewed, competitive offshore racing based around northern Europe: the Ocean Race Europe.
The Ocean Race is scheduled to always run every four years, with the Ocean Race Europe also planned to take place every four years, essentially allowing competition between the teams to take place every two years in one form or another.
Both the Ocean Race and the Ocean Race Europe will be sailed in two different types of boat in two fleets: the one-design VO65 – used in the final two editions of the Volvo Ocean Race – and the development class IMOCA60s – the boats used for the solo round the world race, the Vendée Globe as well as other shorthanded ocean races.
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