MADRID, 7 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Ocean Race 2022-23 starts this Sunday in Alicante with the first of the In-Port Race Series, with the fleet ready for the two classes of boats in the competition that will sail in separate regattas.
The coastal regatta will once again be an important part of the round the world regatta and this season will have seven rounds, where local fans can get up close and personal with the teams as they battle it out on a short coastal course.
Although ‘In-Port’ racing does not count towards the overall ranking, it does play an important role as the Series ranking is used to break any point ties that exist during the round the world race. Weather conditions permitting, each team takes three guests on board during inshore regattas.
The start is a key moment for the final victory. Chief Race Officer Bill O’Hara has opted for a beam start: the boats will start with the wind blowing alongside, at around 90 degrees. “IMOCAs are not designed for maneuvering in confined spaces, so it makes sense to start across,” says O’Hara, a former Olympian for Ireland.
“In addition, it gives the IMOCAs the best opportunity to show off their foils, something we have never seen before in the history of the regatta”, he adds, before revealing the most interesting points of a rectangular course that aims to give the minus two laps with a target finish time of 45 minutes for the IMOCA fleet, which starts at 4:00 p.m.
“If we have a moderate wind force of, say, 10 knots, I calculate the first leg will be a 1.5 nautical mile beam, then a 0.5 mile run, a 2 mile beam, a 0 beat, 5 miles to go with 0.5 miles back to the start and finish line,” O’Hara explains.
For the VO65s, which start at 2:00 p.m., O’Hara plans a squarer course to allow for more tactical maneuvering on the race course, opportunities for winning tacks and gybes with boats that are more easily handled in high-octane situations. closer and more equal.
As of Saturday 7th January the weather forecast looks good for Sunday’s racing. With difficult maneuvers to execute in an IMOCA designed for the ocean, winning the start will be more important than ever in this fleet.
Among the participants, the GUYOT environment-Team Europe has Olympic talent with the Spanish Támara Echegoyen and the British Annie Lush, as well as having a world champion star in co-skipper Robert Stanjek. They also have that Olympic experience Susann Beucke aboard Team Holcim – PRB or Francesca Clapcich, from 11th Hour Racing.
Small yacht expertise on Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm comes from Damien Seguin, a French double Paralympic champion. The VO65 also have great talents such as Magdalena Kwasna, Tania Elías Calles, Roberto ‘Chuny’ Bermúdez de Castro, Rokas Milevicius, Hugo Rocha, Diogo Cayolla, Francisco Cruz or a Bouwe Bekking with eight Ocean Races contested.