The Ocean Race 2022-23 – Updates and free live stream of Leg 1 departure from Alicante to Cabo Verde

Widely regarded as one of the ultimate sporting challenges in any field, The Ocean Race’s 14th edition starts in Spain as the IMOCA fleet embark on a race which takes them more than 60,000km across the globe.

You can follow all the latest developments across The Ocean Race on Eurosport and discovery+, with Sunday’s Leg 1 departures of both the IMOCA fleet and the VO65 class in The Ocean Race Sprint available to watch as free live streams right here on eurosport.com.

Then you can stick right here for updates across the duration of the race, as the world’s best sailors tackle the world’s toughest seas.

Watch a free live stream of The Ocean Race Sprint departure here from 1pm-2pm UK time, and then The Ocean Race departure for the IMOCA fleet from 2:30pm-4pm UK time.

– – –

13:30

Some brilliant footage from onboard those impressive VO65s as they look back towards the beautiful, sun-soaked Alicante harbour. Current standings in the Sprint see WindWhisper still out in front with Team Jajo in second, and Ambersail 2 in third.

13:15

All VO65 boats are now out into the open waters and The Ocean Race Sprint is underway, with the teams jostling for position amid a stiff breeze. WindWhisper Racing Team look to be in an early lead.

The IMOCA class will be out on the water from around 14.30pm UK time.

13:00

Birthday celebrations for GUYOT environnement – Team Europe before their voyage. Briton Annie Lush, stocking up on salad here, is part of the French/German-led team for this year’s The Ocean Race.

12:55

Leg 1, though only comparatively short at 1,900 nautical miles, promises to be full-on, and the teams’ respective skippers are under no illusions about the tough meteorological and nautical conditions that await them.

12:50

It’s emotional scenes all round as the VO65 boats begin to filter out of Alicante…

12:25

As the teams prepare to leave dry land behind, their skippers have had some final words.

Kevin Escoffier of Swiss outfit Team Holcim PRB said: “Like everyone else we are focussing on the first 24 hours because we don’t want to break the boat. I think to make a boat reliable there is nothing like single-handed sailing because when you are sailing alone you don’t have others to help you and you understand better where the key areas are.”

All the skippers were grateful to be in the position they are in, with Paul Meilhat of Biotherm Racing adding: “We are so happy to be here at the start, it’s been a big challenge to get here and we know we have to take care, but we are very excited about this leg.”

12:10

Winners of the In-Port Race – which kicked off this year’s Ocean Race in earnest – were Team Malizia. As this onboard footage shows, it was no easy feat…

12:00

Hear now from Simon Fisher, co-skipper of the 11th Hour Racing Team. Fisher is taking to the start line for the sixth time, and won the event in 2014-15 with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.

11:40

11:30

The start line is drawing ever nearer…

10:50

10:45

The atmosphere is building in sunny Alicante!

10:30

10:00

– – –

What is The Ocean Race?

The Ocean Race is a yacht race which takes place around the world and was first held in 1973.

Since 1988, it has been run every three years.

The 2022-23 race will see sailors compete in either the IMOCA 60 class or the VO65 class boat. Both classes are capable of high speeds, and in the right conditions, can cover 600 nautical miles or more in 24 hours.

There are currently five teams signed up for the IMOCA 60 class and six for the VO65 class.

The Ocean Race is one of the sport’s Big Three events, alongside the Olympic Games and America’s Cup.

The winner is the team that finishes in the shortest time. The last edition of the race was the closest in history, with Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng Race Team winning by only 16 minutes after 126 days of racing spread across 11 legs.

What’s the route for The Ocean Race?

The Ocean Race 2022-23 will visit nine cities over a six-month period, starting from Alicante, Spain, on January 15, 2023.

The race will finish in Genova, Italy.

Ocean Race route:

• Leg 1: Alicante, Spain to Cabo Verde, leg start on January 15, 1,900 nautical miles
• Leg 2: Cabo Verde to Cape Town, South Africa leg start on January 25, 4,600 nautical miles
• Leg 3: Cape Town to Itajai, Brazil, leg start on February 26, 12,750 nautical miles
• Leg 4: Itajai to Newport, Rhode Island, leg start on April 23, 5,500 nautical miles
• Leg 5: Newport to Aarhus, Denmark, leg start on May 21, 3,500 nautical miles
• Leg 6: Aarhus to The Hague, Netherlands, leg start on June 8, 800 nautical miles
• Leg 7: The Hague to Genova, Italy, leg start on June 15, 2,200 nautical miles

How to watch and stream the Ocean Race

Viewers can enjoy streaming coverage of every leg live and on-demand on discovery+ and via the Eurosport app.