The 2023 race features two types of boats, the innovative IMOCA's and the battle-proven VO65's.
The big new feature of the 60-foot IMOCA
class is the use of hydrofoils, that can lift the boat partially above water and dramatically increase the speed.
The crew (4
sailors and one onboard reporter) have to hunker down in a cockpit to protect them from being swapped overboard. Steering these beasts
is pretty complex and is mostly done by a computerized autopilot.
Living cconditions on board are extremely basic, noisy
and bumpy, but sailors line-up to get a chance to participate as the Ocean Race is considered to be the F1 of sailing.
5 IMOCA's will
sail in 7 legs around the world, starting in Alicante, Spain in January 2023, and ending in Genova, Italy in June or
July 2023.
Leg number 3 covers a record 24.000 km of non-stop sailing from Cape Town, through the rough and desolated
seas of the Southern Ocean to Cape Horn and then up to Itajai, Brazil. Here there is time for much needed repairs.
Originally
the VO65 were slated for the full Ocean Race, but lack of sponsors forced the organization to change the plan and create
the Ocean Race VO65 Sprint, a new competition for 6 boats that covers only legs 1, 6 and 7, including the in-port races.
Hopefully this
new format will allow young sailors to get a touch of Ocean Race experience and exposure.
You can follow the race by clicking the tracker.
