The next start of The Ocean Race will take place in October 2021 and will take place both on VO65s and, for the first time, on IMOCA boats. Some have already confirmed their participation, such as the Mirpuri Foundation with skipper Yoann Richomme on a VO65 or the IMOCA 11th Hour Racing (Charlie Enright & Mark Towill). Others have clearly shown their willingness to participate, as is the case of Paul Meilhat.
Who will participate?
The organization hopes to have between 6 and 7 VO65s at the start of the race (out of a fleet of 8 boats) and between 8 and 12 IMOCAs (out of a fleet of more than 30 boats). However, nothing is defined today and many projects are underway.
"Who will find a sponsor to put his project together? We don't know yet. Contrary to the other editions, the fleet is much more important and thus the time to set up a project also. I think we will have more visibility in a year. On the other hand, the advantage that we have compared to the previous editions is that at the time, there were only new boats that could participate, today, we can have up to 30 participants. Some French teams that already have a solid project in IMOCA with international sponsors are very interested. We also know that foreign groups are looking to charter boats or integrate existing projects."
In just one year's time, the Vendée Globe will take place (the start will be on November 8, 2020), the high point of the IMOCA class. Will the skippers be ready to complete two round-the-world races 10 months apart?
"I think it depends. Generally speaking, those who take part in the Vendée Globe may not take part in The Ocean Race. It's going to be pretty heavy to do both races. But the skippers don't participate in our race in the same way as a Vendée Globe. The crew and the skippers may have to change at each stage. In any case, we know that there are teams, like Jérémie Beyou, who are looking for solutions to create crews."
A homogeneous IMOCA fleet?
Today, there is a gap between the old IMOCA boats and these latest boats. But unlike a Vendée Globe where the "adventurers" are not limited in time to complete their circumnavigation, stopovers punctuate the race time of The Ocean Race.
"We've talked about it a lot with the class and the idea is to have boats that are not too old for reliability, timing and for consistent performance. We also know that some teams will build boats specifically for the race and others will use existing boats."
A beautiful common future
"We work very well with the IMOCA class. We come to Lorient once every two months to get to know the teams and find solutions to develop the participation of IMOCA boats in The Ocean Race. We are well on our way with Antoine Mermod. Many teams have already found sponsors, but integrating an international event for the future of the class is a good thing. It creates value and it's a very good investment for both of our organizations."
