Finally there is clarity! The publication of the new schedule and the changed routing for The Ocean Race 2022-23 has brought relief to Offshore Team Germany (OTG). Now it is clear which challenges the team has to prepare for. The ongoing partner talks are finally getting the necessary basis, and the required budget is taking shape. The routes of the shore crew and the mobile infrastructure can now also be planned.
„This is a milestone for the entire race. We finally have planning security,“ comments OTG team manager Jens Kuphal. „We have been in talks with our partners for months. Now we can be concrete. Winning The Ocean Race Europe has opened up many more options – including how we solve the requirement for a foiling Imoca.“ The OTG schedule is currently tight – between partner talks in Germany and team arrangements with the race management in Alicante/Spain.
The new route with the mammoth leg through the entire Southern Ocean from Cape Town/South Africa to Itajai/Brazil has historic dimensions and even trumps the long legs of the original route of the Whitbread Round the World (1973/74). With two circumnavigations, Brit Annie Lush is the Ocean Race authority at OTG and is particularly excited about the option to circumnavigate the Southern Ocean in one piece: „The legs in the Southern Ocean Race are a huge physical and mental challenge. It is a great relief to be able to tackle them with a long break beforehand, visits from family in Cape Town, the prospect of a longer rest in Brazil and, of course, good planning and a top-prepared boat. Sailing multiple legs interspersed with short stops hasn’t made it any easier in the past two races.“
OTG skipper Robert Stanjek is full of anticipation at the prospect of now taking another step closer to the dream of the World Race: „We harmonised perfectly as a team at The Ocean Race Europe, found a very good coordination and distribution of tasks. Of course, the European race was only a foretaste of what awaits us in The Ocean Race, but we are convinced as a team that we can master this task and are eager to finally tackle the race. I have been working on the Ocean Race project for almost ten years. It’s exciting that it now seems to be becoming a reality.“