Protest delay for The Ocean Race Europe

It was moments after the Leg 1 start of the The Ocean Race Europe 2025 when Team Holcim-PRB rounded up in a gust, with Allagrande Mapei Racing roaring along to windward and in harm’s way. The collision forced both boats to retire, and with cross-protests filed, race organizers have scheduled the hearing during the stopover following the Leg 2.

There is plenty of video footage when the cases will be heard by an International Jury that consists of World Sailing qualified International Jurors (IJ) and International Umpires (IU):

Andrés Pérez, IJ & IU, ESP, Chairman
Miguel Allen, IJ & IU POR
Chris Atkins, IJ & IU, GBR
Corinne Aulnette, IJ FRA
María Toriijo, IJ & IU ESP
Sofia Truchanowicz, IJ & IU, POL

Among the questions will be whether the windward boat had sufficient time to avoid the collision, and that issue may involve the difficulty of sailing the high-speed IMOCA close to other boats, healed over on a tight reach, with waves impacting the safety and visibility for the crew.

The hearing will be held between August 23 and 26 in Cartagena, Spain. Regarding the delay, Race Director Phil Lawrence says there are a couple of reasons for the timing for the hearing:

“Firstly, the teams involved are currently focused on repairing the damage and doing all they can to rejoin the race. Should they be successful in getting back on the water in the next days, they are unlikely to have enough time in Portsmouth to adequately prepare their case for a hearing,” he said.

“Secondly, a possible outcome of the hearing is that a team is granted redress by the Jury. When this occurs, the redress might be to award average points for the leg they missed based on previous race performance. That wouldn’t be possible in Portsmouth.”

Both teams seek to return to the race, but the timing is challenging. Holcim-PRB is still a couple days away as they repair their hull and rigging on the port side, while Allagrande Mapei deals with sail repairs and replacement plus significant rigging issues on their starboard side.

Race details – Tracker – YouTube

Details: https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/

The entrants feature a team of five, representing at least two nationalities, with at least one female crew member, bringing together solo round‑the‑world veterans, rising offshore talent, and onboard reporters to share the experience.

The 5-leg race started August 10 from Kiel, Germany with the 850-nautical mile opening Leg to Portsmouth, England. Leg 2 sees the fleet race 1,400 nautical miles to Caragena, Spain – via a fly-by in Matosinhos / Porto in Portugal. The 650-nautical mile third Leg through the Mediterranean finishes in Nice, France, before the fleet sets off on the planned-to-be 600-nautical mile fourth Leg to Genova, Italy. The approximately 1,000-nautical mile fifth and final Leg takes the crews into the Adriatic to the Race finish in Boka Bay in Montenegro.

Entry list:
Team Malizia (GER) – Boris Herrmann (GER)
Team Holcim – PRB (SUI) – Rosalin Kuiper (NED)
Team Paprec Arkéa (FRA) – Yoann Richomme (FRA)
Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive (CAN) – Scott Shawyer (CAN)
Allagrande Mapei Racing (ITA) – Ambrogio Beccaria (ITA)
Biotherm (FRA) – Paul Meilhat (FRA)
Team AMAALA (SUI/KSA) – Alan Roura (SUI)

Race facts:
• Distance: 4,500 nautical miles across five Legs.
• Yacht-Type: High-speed IMOCA 60s, capable of reaching 25+ knots.
• Crews: 4 sailors per boat, representing at least two nationalities and with at least one female crew member. And 1 onboard reporter.
• Nations represented: Germany, Switzerland, France, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Great Britain, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Brazil, Portugal.
• Historic firsts: First time racing into the Adriatic Sea and Montenegro finish.
• Tracking: Live GPS race tracker powered by ‘PredictWind’, with weather overlays and real-time routing.

The Ocean Race will begin again in 2027 using the IMOCA class boat, with two earlier events providing training and exposure to prospective teams. In 2025, The Ocean Race Europe will start on August 10 from Kiel, Germany and take a route south around the Iberian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean Sea. In 2026, The Ocean Race Atlantic will start in New York, USA and finish in Barcelona, Spain.