Lorient in Brittany will be the starting point for The Ocean Race Europe on 28 May.
The iconic port, in the heart of the renowned ‘Bretagne Sailing Valley’, will host the start for both the IMOCA and VO65 fleets as they charge south across the Bay of Biscay, into the Atlantic followed by a stop in Cascais in Portugal. From there the two fleets will race into the Mediterranean.
The Ocean Race Europe will finish in Genova, Italy in the third week of June, with a further stop along the route in the Med to be confirmed.
Johan Salen, managing director of The Ocean Race, said: “Lorient has been an important part of the history of The Ocean Race, as a much-loved stopover port in 2011-12 and 2014-15. Now Lorient becomes the starting port for a new, Europe-oriented event, and a fresh, exciting story begins.”
It will mark the first racing under The Ocean Race banner for the high-tech IMOCA class boats and the one-design VO65 class. The two fleets will race in a fully-crewed configuration in stages between iconic European cities, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and a finish in Genoa, Italy in the third week of June.
For the teams, The Ocean Race Europe will be the first step on the journey towards the 2022-23 edition of The Ocean Race round the world event, and for some IMOCA teams for the Vendee Globe 2024 as well.
