Sail Racing Europe Explained: Essential Facts and Details
Ocean Race Europe 2025 Set to Deliver Thrilling Sailing Competition
The Ocean Race Europe 2025 is poised to be an exhilarating multi-stage sailing event, taking place from August 10 to September 21. This offshore race, sailed on foiling IMOCA 60 yachts, covers approximately 4,500 nautical miles across five main legs and a final coastal race.
The race commences in Kiel, Germany, and winds its way through northern and southern European waters, concluding in Boka Bay, Montenegro. The route includes diverse sailing conditions, from the chilly Baltic Sea to the warm Adriatic, offering a unique challenge for the mixed-gender crews with at least two nationalities per team.
The first leg takes the competitors from Kiel to Portsmouth, England, followed by a journey across the Atlantic and Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean for the second leg, which ends in Cartagena, Spain. The third leg traverses the Spanish and French Mediterranean coasts, while the fourth leg navigates the Ligurian coast from Nice to Genoa, Italy. The fifth and final offshore leg takes the crews from Genoa to Boka Bay, Montenegro.
The race concludes with a coastal race finale in Boka Bay on September 20, scoring equal points to offshore legs, followed by the prize giving on September 21. This marks the first time in the race's history that it concludes on the Adriatic Sea.
Boris Herrmann, a renowned sailor who co-designed the Malizia - Seaexplorer yacht, is participating in the race and finds the days leading up to the start in Kiel fantastic. He considers Kiel a piece of home. Herrmann, who won the stage to Genoa in the European final of the round-the-world race two years ago, aims for a podium finish in the Ocean Race Europe.
Herrmann acknowledges that the first leg could be the toughest, with its many obstacles, strong tidal currents, and traffic separation schemes. He believes that all teams, except maybe Amaala, have a chance to win, depending on the conditions. European light and medium winds, with many transitions, are not Malizia's strength, but rather Holcim-PRB's or Biotherm's.
As the Ocean Race Europe marks the last race with the Malizia - Seaexplorer that Herrmann co-designed, he hopes for a successful farewell party with the boat, which will always be the most important to him. Herrmann will get a new boat for the round-the-world race and his third Vendee Globe attempt in June 2026.
The Ocean Race Europe 2025 emphasizes high-speed foiling IMOCA 60 yachts, mixed-nationality and gender crews, and includes an ocean health initiative called "Racing for the Ocean". The race promises to be a spectacle of sailing prowess, strategic navigation, and international camaraderie.
Spectators can expect an exciting mix of sports, as the Ocean Race Europe 2025 features high-speed sailing competition, showcasing the skills of mixed-nationality and gender crews sailing on foiling IMOCA 60 yachts. The long-awaited race covers approximately 4,500 nautical miles across five main legs and a final coastal race, providing a unique challenge in various sailing conditions.
The race offers an exciting blend of sports and international camaraderie, with its ocean health initiative, "Racing for the Ocean," fostering a sense of global cooperation and responsibility.
