Broken down to its fundamentals, the 2022-23 edition of The Ocean Race is a fully-crewed, 32,000 nautical mile (37,000-mile / 60,000-kilometre) six-month, seven-stage, nine-city, around-the-world yacht race, contested by five of the world’s best professional sailing teams racing aboard 60-foot state-of-the-art ocean racing yachts.
But, when we dig a little deeper into the numbers, there are plenty more fascinating facts and figures to be revealed… beginning with fact that the current edition – which started in Alicante, Spain in January, 2023 and finishes in Genova, Italy in July – is the 14th time the race has been staged since its inception 50 years ago in 1973.
An international line-up
The Ocean Race has always attracted the top sailors from across the globe keen to become part of the yacht racing elite who have raced around the world.
The five IMOCA teams competing in the 2022-23 edition come are racing under the national flags of four nations – France (Biotherm), Germany (Team Malizia); Switzerland (Team Holcim – PRB); United States (11th Hour Racing Team) – as well as Europe, represented by GUYOT environnement – Team Europe.
Beyond that, the teams’ sailing squads are made up of 29 sailors representing 10 nationalities: Australian (1*); British (7*); Dutch (1); French (12), German (4); Italian (1); Portuguese (1); Spanish (1); Swiss (1).
*11th Hour Racing Team’s Jack Bouttell is a British and Australian passport holder.
The disproportionate number of French sailors should come as no surprise given the country’s fearsome reputation for nurturing top flight ocean racing talent. Four of the five squads include at least two French sailors, with the American 11th Hour Racing Team the only crew not to have any French representation.
Onboard Reporters
Only one of this cycle’s crop of onboard reporters (OBR) is a veteran of previous editions of The Ocean Race. Indeed, having chronicled the adventures of three around-the-world campaigns prior to this one 11th Hour Racing Team’s Amory Ross (USA) is arguably the most experienced OBR in the race’s history.
Ross was onboard PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG (USA) in the 2011-12 edition, with Team Alvimedica (USA/TUR) in 2014-15, and with Vestas 11th Hour Racing in 2017-18.
Amongst the first-timers in this challenging role are five from France – Charles Drapeau on GUYOT environnement – Team Europe, Anne Beaugé and Ronan Gladu on Biotherm, Julien Champolion on Team Holcim – PRB, as well as the French/German Antoine Auriol on Team Malizia, and China’s Minghao Zhang completing the three-person rotation on Biotherm.
Age is just a number
There is a 24-year age range between this edition’s youngest sailor – 25-year-old Tom Laperche (FRA) on Team Holcim – PRB – and the oldest – 49-year-old Yann Eliès (FRA) on Team Malizia.
Laperche – along with the Netherlands’ Rosalin Kuiper (27), France’s Amélie Grassi (28) on Biotherm, German Phillip Kasüske (28) on GUYOT environnement – Team Europe, and Britain’s Will Harris (29) on Team Malizia, make up a group of five sailors aged under-thirty when this edition of the race began.
As under-28 first-time competitors in The Ocean Race Kasüske, Kuiper, Laperche are each eligible for the Hans Horrevoets Rookie Trophy, which is awarded to the best young newcomer judged to have delivered the most outstanding performance during the 2022-23 edition. The trophy was first presented in 2009 to commemorate Horrevoets’ death after the young Dutch bowman was lost overboard from ABN AMRO TWO during the 2005-06 edition.
When the skippers are ranked by age GUYOT environnement – Team Europe’s co-skipper Benjamin Dutreux is the youngest at 32, ahead of 11th Hour Racing Team’s Charlie Enright at 38, Biotherm’s Paul Meilhat (FRA) at 40 and Team Malizia’s Boris Herrmann (GER) both at 41, with Team Holcim – PRB skipper Kevin Escoffier the oldest at 42.
When it comes to the average age of the teams’ sailing squads, GUYOT environnement – Team Europe are the youngest at an average of 35.6, a fraction ahead of Team Holcim – PRB at 35.8, followed by Team Malizia at 36.3, 11th Hour Racing Team at 37, leaving Biotherm, at 37.2, as the oldest squad based on average age.
Veterans and Rookies
The Veterans
Only one entry – 11th Hour Racing Team – features a sailing squad made up entirely of veterans of The Ocean Race.
The American team’s Simon Fisher (GBR) has the most past participations to his name having raced with ABN AMRO TWO (NED) in 2005-06, Telefónica Blue (ESP) in 2008-09, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (AUH) in 2011-12 and 2014-15, and Vestas 11th Hour Racing (DEN / USA) in 2017-18.
11th Hour Racing Team skipper Charlie Enright (USA) raced the 2014-15 edition as skipper on Team Alvimedica, and in the same role with Vestas 11th Hour Racing in 2017-18, while Justine Mettraux (SUI) raced the 2014-15 edition with Team SCA (SWE), and with Dongfeng Race Team (CHN) in 2017-18, Francesca Clapcich (ITA) raced with Turn the Tide on Plastic (UN) in 2017-18, and Jack Bouttell raced in both the 2014-15 and 2017-18 editions with Dongfeng Race Team.
Other returning The Ocean Race competitors are:
Biotherm:
Sam Davies (GBR) – 2014-15 with Team SCA
Anthony Marchand (FRA) – 2014-15 with MAPFRE
GUYOT environnement – Team Europe:
Annie Lush (GBR) – 2014-15 with Team SCA and 2017-18 with Team Brunel (NED)
Támara Echegoyen (ESP) – 2017-18 with MAPFRE
Team Holcim – PRB:
Abby Ehler (GBR) – 2001-02 with Team Amer Sports Too, 2014-15 with Team SCA, and 2017-18 with Team Brunel
Sam Goodchild (GBR) – 2014-15 with MAPFRE (ESP)
Fabien Delahaye (FRA) – 2017-18 with Dongfeng Race Team
Team Malizia:
Nicolas Lunven (FRA) – 2014-15 with MAPFRE and 2017-18 Turn the Tide on Plastic
Meanwhile, 13 competitors from the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe in 2021 are competing in The Ocean Race 2022-23 around the world.
Team Malizia:
Will Harris – AkzoNobel Ocean Racing (NED)
Nicolas Lunven – Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team (POR)
Rosalin Kuiper – AkzoNobel Ocean Racing (NED)
GUYOT environnement – Team Europe:
Benjamin Dutreux – Offshore Team Germany
Robert Stanjek – Offshore Team Germany
Annie Lush – Offshore Team Germany
Phillip Kasüske – Offshore Team Germany
Biotherm:
Mariana Lobato – Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team
11th Hour Racing Team:
Justine Mettraux – 11th Hour Racing Team
Simon Fisher – 11th Hour Racing Team
Charlie Enright – 11th Hour Racing Team
Jack Bouttell – Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team
The Rookies
In total there are 15 sailors who are taking on The Ocean Race for the first time during the 2022-23 edition.
Team Malizia:
Yann Eliès (FRA)
Will Harris (GBR)
Boris Herrmann (GER)
Rosalin Kuiper (NED)
Axelle Pillain (FRA)
GUYOT environnement – Team Europe:
Benjamin Dutreux (FRA)
Sébastien Simon (FRA)
Robert Stanjek (GER)
Phillip Kasüske (GER)
Biotherm:
Paul Meilhat (FRA)
Amélie Grassi (FRA)
Damien Seguin (FRA)
Team Holcim – PRB:
Susann Beucke (GER)
Tom Laperche (FRA)
Olympians and Paralympians
The Ocean Race has a well established reputation for attracting the very best sailing talent from across the globe. The current edition is no different and the crew lists include three Olympians (GUYOT environnement – Team Europe’s Robert Stanjek and Annie Lush, along with 11th Hour Racing’s Francesca Clapcich), two Olympic medallists – Támara Echegoyen from GUYOT environnement – Team Europe (gold at London 2012), Olympic silver medallist Susann Beucke on Team Holcim – PRB (silver at Tokyo 2020) – as well as Biotherm’s Damian Seguin (Paralympic gold at Athens 2004, silver at Beijing 2008, and gold at London 2012) dotted throughout the fleet.
Vendée Globe Veterans
The latest edition of The Ocean Race is the first time in which the 60-foot offshore foiling IMOCA yachts are being raced in fully-crewed configuration. Previously, this class was best known for offshore solo sailing in events like the Vendée Globe – so it is no surprise to see eight past competitors in that infamous non-stop around-the-world race amongst The Ocean Race 2022-23 teams.
GUYOT environnement – Team Europe:
Benjamin Dutreux 2020-21
Sébastien Simon 2020-21
Team Malizia:
Boris Herrmann 2020-21
Yann Eliès 2008-09, 2016-17
Biotherm:
Paul Meilhat 2016-17
Sam Davies 2008-09, 2012-13, 2020-21
Damien Seguin 2020-21
Team Holcim – PRB:
Kevin Escoffier 2020-21
Design and Build
When it came to choosing a naval architect capable of conjuring up an IMOCA design fast and resilient enough to win The Ocean Race 2022-23 it seems that the teams were all fishing in the same small talent pond.
French foiling maestro Guillaume Verdier has had a hand in the design four out of the five boats – having worked exclusively on 11th Hour Racing Team’s Mālama, Holcim – PRB, and Biotherm – as well as in conjunction with Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost French design house VPLP on GUYOT environnement – Team Europe’s IMOCA, which was originally Alex Thompson’s HUGO BOSS and later 11th Hour Racing Team’s training boat Alaka’i. The design for Team Malizia’s Malizia – Seaexplorer was created by VPLP.
Although the GUYOT environnement – Team Europe IMOCA was originally launched back in 2015, it was in August 2010 that 11th Hour Racing Team’s Mālama became the first of the new generation of The Ocean Race 2022-23 boats to be launched. May 2022 saw the Holcim – PRB 60-footer float for the first time, with Malizia – Seaexplorer and Biotherm following suit in July and September respectively.
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