Cape Town - Marking the 12th consecutive year that Cape Town will host a stopover for the Ocean Race, five International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA) yachts will set sail from Cape Town on the longest leg of the race later this month.
On February 26, the yachts will set sail from Cape Town to Itajaí, Brazil.
This will take the crews down to the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties of the Southern Ocean.
Antarctica will be to the right and the fleet will pass all three great southern Capes, the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn non-stop. From Brazil the race takes the crews to Newport, Rhode Island (US), then Aarhus, Denmark, a fly-by via Kiel, in Germany, then a stopover in The Hague, the Netherlands, before a final stretch to Genova, Italy for a Mediterranean grand finale at the end of June 2023.
The V&A Waterfront will be hosting the Ocean Race in Cape Town, taking place from today until February 26.
V&A Waterfront chief executive David Green said that the Ocean Race’s presence at the Waterfront has been a catalyst for the potential of what the ocean’s economy can look like for the Western Cape, and South Africa.
“Because of our extraordinary location, at the gateway to the Southern Oceans, the ocean is at the heart of the V&A Waterfront’s vision, and we have adopted the mutually reinforcing goals of growing the opportunities relating to the ocean economy, including creating jobs, while developing and exercising best-practice ocean stewardship,” Green said.
One of the prominent teams participating in the race, 11th Hour Racing, has South Africa’s own Zandile Ndhlovu, “The Mermaid”, at the face of its campaign to protect the ocean.
The team is a US-based foundation that works with sailing, maritime and coastal communities for the ocean.
The Two Oceans Aquarium will also be hosting various events including the inaugural Ocean Innovation Africa Summit, Trash Bash Beach Clean-up, Ocean Race Learning Programme, and a Valentine’s Dinner.
To follow the race, visit www.theoceanrace.com
Cape Times