Making Sailing History Once Again Spectacular start day for The Ocean Race in Alicante

JJanuary 15, 2023, marked the start of the world-renowned Ocean Race. Celebrating its 50th jubilee anniversary, a fleet of the best sailors set off on what is widely considered the toughest test of a team in sports.

Five IMOCA class yachts—the hightech, foiling, flying race boats in The Ocean Race for the first time—started in glamour conditions on the waters off Alicante, Spain, just after 16:00 local time.

While the Alicante start period featured perfect January weather with warm temperatures under sunny skies, the sailors were expected to face gale force westerlies to build overnight, with a heavy sea state making the passage to Gibraltar and the trade winds in the Atlantic a treacherous one.

New England is incredibly excited about the start of the race since Newport,

Rhode Island, will once again be home to the competition when the fleet arrives May 13-21, 2023.

Newport is the only North American stopover for the sailing event, which covers 38,000 nautical miles, and draws thousands of fans from around the country. All eyes will be on the 11th Hour Racing Team, representing the US. The Ocean Race will conclude in Genoa, Italy, in June 2023. H