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The Ocean Race Europe celebrates its premiereEurosport will show the start of the European three-parter live on Saturday

Tatjana Pokorny

 · 27.05.2021

The Ocean Race Europe celebrates its premiere: Eurosport will show the start of the European three-parter live on SaturdayPhoto: Pierre Bouras
The co-favourites in the Imoca class are full of anticipation: Skipper Thomas Ruyant and his crew wave from the French "LinkedOut"
The starting signal will be given on 29 May at 13:45 off Lorient: The Ocean Race Europe, the little sister of the classic The Ocean Race, will set sail for the first time

A dynamic dozen boats from nine countries will start the new Ocean Race Europe on Saturday. Five racy Imoca 60 yachts, some of which have just sailed solo around the world in the Vendée Globe and are now sailing through European waters with four-person mixed teams plus onboard reporters, as well as seven VO65 yachts are taking part in this summer three-parter. The race runs from Lorient in Brittany via Cascais (Portugal) and Alicante (Spain) to Genoa (Italy). Stage one starts on Saturday (29 May) at 1.45 pm. The live broadcasts on Eurosport and on the international The Ocean Race channels of the Homepage, on YouTube and Facebook start at 1.30 pm.

Ready for the acid test: Offshore Team Germany in its elementPhoto: Felix Diemer Offshore Team Germany / Felix Diemer Ready for the acid test: Offshore Team Germany in its element

With theOffshore Team Germany there is also a German team in the race. Skipper Robert Stanjek and Philipp Kasüske come from Berlin. They have been joined by British circumnavigator Annie Lush and French Vendée Globe ace Benjamin Dutreux. They will be joined by Anbord reporter Felix Diemer, who will provide the gripping images for the mission. Their Imoca "Einstein" is still a non-foiler and will not have an easy time against the new Imoca generation. "Of course, the first leg will most likely be a long downwind race in the Atlantic. It will be difficult against the top line-up of the new ships. But then we'll head into the Mediterranean. We'll have to see what happens there. A non-foiler, i.e. a daggerboard boat, also has strong advantages there." Driven by a lot of motivation and willpower, the sailing quartet on board the German-flagged "Einstein" wants to get everything out of the 2011 boat. The other participants in the Imoca class:11th Hour Racing Team (USA),Corum L'Epargne (France),LinkedOut (France) andBureau Vallée (France).

The "Einstein" crew with skipper Robert Stanjek (right) are in high spirits ahead of the eagerly awaited start on SaturdayPhoto: Offshore Team Germany The "Einstein" crew with skipper Robert Stanjek (right) are in high spirits ahead of the eagerly awaited start on Saturday "LinkedOut" skipper Thomas Ruyant (r.) and his team for the Ocean Race Europe, which also includes the new world record holder for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the world: Clarisse Crémer is now attacking as part of the team. She said before the start of the race: "After the Vendée Globe, there were about three months when I felt a bit lost. But now I have enough energy again for a boat like this."Photo: Pierre Bouras "LinkedOut" skipper Thomas Ruyant (r.) and his team for the Ocean Race Europe, which also includes the new world record holder for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the world: Clarisse Crémer is now attacking as part of the team. She said before the start of the race: "After the Vendée Globe, there were about three months when I felt a bit lost. But now I have enough energy again for a boat like this."
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The starters in the VO65 class:Amber Sail (Lithuania),AkzoNobel Ocean Racing (Netherlands),Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team (Portugal),Sailing Poland (Poland),Childhood (Sweden/Netherlands),Viva México andThe Austrian Race Project (Austria) with skipper Gerwin Jansen, navigator Jolbert van Dijk, the brothers Oliver and Konstantin Kobale and many young talents, including the German sailors Michael Seifarth, Annika Möslein and Anbord reporter Eike Schurr. The most prominent and experienced starter is the Dutchman Bouwe Bekking, who contested his first race around the world on "Philips Innovator" in 1985/86. The nine-time Ocean Race record holder has long been synonymous with the race of his life, which he already knew as the Whitbread Round the World Race and the Volvo Ocean Race, before it will once again race around the globe in 2022/23 under its current name, The Ocean Race.

Beautiful study of the Swiss helmswoman and trimmer Justine Mettraux on board "11th Hour Racing" under the command of Charlie Enright. Together with navigator Simon "Sifi" Fisher, Pascal Bidégorry and the experienced onboard reporter Amory Ross, the American has brought together a star ensemble for the Ocean Race EuropePhoto: Amory Ross Beautiful study of the Swiss helmswoman and trimmer Justine Mettraux on board "11th Hour Racing" under the command of Charlie Enright. Together with navigator Simon "Sifi" Fisher, Pascal Bidégorry and the experienced onboard reporter Amory Ross, the American has brought together a star ensemble for the Ocean Race Europe Bouwe Bekking is back: with a young team and some well-known companions from previous Ocean Race campaigns, the Dutchman, who also lived in Hamburg for several years, is starting the Ocean Race Europe with Sailing PolandPhoto: Adam Burdylo/Sailing Poland Bouwe Bekking is back: with a young team and some well-known companions from previous Ocean Race campaigns, the Dutchman, who also lived in Hamburg for several years, is starting the Ocean Race Europe with Sailing Poland

Bekking would love to lead his crew on the 2000 nautical mile middle distance this summer to the victory he is still missing in the big race of his life. Perhaps the professional, who lives with his family in Denmark, will give himself a nice present for his 58th birthday on 17 June during the Ocean Race Europe. Alongside other experienced crew members, Spaniard Pablo Arrarte will certainly be helping him. "I've seen plenty of helmsmen in my life," says Bekking, "but I reckon 'Patan' is one of the fastest."

Bouwe Bekking in a good moodPhoto: Stefan Coppers/Team Brunel/Volvo Ocean Race Bouwe Bekking in a good mood Regarded as one of the fastest helmsmen on the high seas: Pablo "Patan" Arrarte is there with the experience of four races around the worldPhoto: Adam Burdylo/Sailing Poland Regarded as one of the fastest helmsmen on the high seas: Pablo "Patan" Arrarte is there with the experience of four races around the world
Tatjana Pokorny

Tatjana Pokorny

Sports reporter

Tatjana “tati” Pokorny is the author of nine books. As a reporter for Europe's leading sailing magazine YACHT, she also works as a correspondent for the German Press Agency (DPA), the Hamburger Abendblatt and other national and international media. In summer 2024, Tatjana will be reporting from Marseille on her ninth consecutive Olympic Games. Other core topics have been the America's Cup since 1992, the Ocean Race since 1993, the Vendée Globe and other national and international regattas and their protagonists. Favorite discipline: Portraits of and interviews with sailing personalities. When she started out in sports journalism, she was still intensively involved with basketball and other sports, but sailing quickly became her main focus. The reason? The declared optimist says: “There is no other sport like it, no other sport with such interesting and intelligent personalities, no other sport so diverse, no other sport so full of energy, strength and ideas. Sailing is like a constantly refreshing declaration of love for life."

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