The Ocean Race: Christened, celebrated, sailed: "Sisi" makes Austria dream

Austria's ocean sailors are going on the offensive. Just a fortnight ago, the VO65 yacht of The Austrian Ocean Race project was christened "Sisi" in Portopiccolo - note the names - by skiing legend FRANZ Klammer and Carinthian Governor Dr Peter KAISER on 11 October. Immediately afterwards, the crew set off on the world's largest regatta, the Barcolana. They then successfully took part in the Rolex Middle Sea Race. The Austrians aren't just being lavish at the moment, they're being dynamic. Under the leadership of project co-initiator Oliver Kobale and Christian Kargl, who had recently won the historic first European Championship in the new Olympic discipline of mixed offshore from 2024 with his co-skipper Lisa Berger, the bright blue painted "Sisi" sailed to eighth place in the IRC-1 classification in the Rolex Middle Sea Race as the best VO65 after an exciting race. The crew also showed their fighting qualities and left two direct competitors behind them in the end, including the VO65 "Sailing Poland" and the VO70 "Green Dragon", despite trailing at times.

The new "Empress of the Oceans" is to take part in The Ocean Race from autumn 2021 and sail around the world under the Austrian flag. The project initiators come from Vienna, Villach and Tyrol. It is mainly young ocean sailors who are making sailing fans in their home country dream big: Raphael Hussl, 23, Konstantin Kobale, 23, Julian Kircher, 33, and Oliver Kobale, 20, are inspiring their fellow countrymen with a completely new ocean racing perspective. The promising lightning start was also made possible by the first well-known partners such as Candidate Sailing as part of Schneider Holding, which has already enabled the same sailors to start in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup and is now once again one of the first sponsors. Also on board is the Blue-2-Sailing Academy sailing school run by Julian Kircher and a partner, as well as the safety, electronics and rigging outfitter 2Sail from mini-transat ace, mixed offshore European champion and extreme sportsman Christian Kargl. The team's home harbour is the Portopiccolo marina on the Gulf of Trieste.

The Austrians' new pride of the high seas is called "Sisi"

The driving force and visionary behind the budding circumnavigators is Julian Kircher from the Union Yacht Club Wörthersee. The multiple national champion, match racer and league sailor and his ambitious group had already negotiated with Ocean Race managing director Richard Mason in March of this year. Kircher himself gave the presentation, which was so well received by Mason that the purchase contracts for the boat were in the post just one week later. The Austrians took over the boat in Lisbon at the beginning of August. Why did they choose the former "Vestas", whose collision with a fishing boat on 18 January 2018 is still remembered by many fans for the death of a Chinese fisherman? Kircher explains: "We had the choice between several boats at that early stage, but for us it was a clear-cut case. We knew that some of the boats had delamination problems. And 'Dongfeng' in particular has been pushed a lot in the Southern Ocean. Our boat, on the other hand, has been sailed comparatively little and is therefore in the best condition."

Hans Spitzauer and Christian Binder also support the young team as coaches, which is made up of Austrian Youth America's Cup participants, Olympic sailors, world champions in various boat classes and top players from the Bundesliga and Champions League. In addition to the initiators, these include Anna Luschan and Maja Siegenthaler. In addition, four-time Olympian Niko Resch is inspiring the team in areas such as sustainability. In total, the team consists of around 30 members from five nations at this early stage.

A short clip about the team's departure phase

Julian Kircher puts the chances of making it to the starting line as a team already officially registered for the race at 75 per cent. This optimistic estimate is based on his knowledge of concrete negotiations with two potential main sponsors "who know these figures". The already active partners do not place unrealistic demands on the team to win, regard their commitment as long-term and attach importance to the integration and training of young talent. The heads of the campaign also agree on this. Kircher says: "We will bring in three to four international professionals because we need their expertise to build up the team in the long term."

An alternative start in the new second Imoca division of the Ocean Race was never an option for the ambitious Alpine sailors. "You would have had to build a new boat to keep up. A second-hand boat would make you more of a shooting gallery figure. We're certainly not aiming for victory straight away, but at least a good midfield position," explains Kircher, who is fulfilling a long-cherished childhood dream by taking on this huge challenge and supporting his family. "If you look at the fantastic and growing support we are currently receiving from the public, then we are more than confident. Because that's amazing."