Competitors in the 15th edition of the iconic around the world race will find themselves facing one of the toughest opening legs in the 54-year history of the event - a massive, record-breaking 14,000 nautical mile (26,000 kilometre) opening leg from Alicante, Spain to Auckland, New Zealand.

“This is the one we’re looking forward to the most,” said Mariana Lobato, the co-skipper (alongside France’s Paul Meilhat) of the United by the Ocean Team that just claimed victory in The Ocean Race Atlantic earlier this month. The successful campaign this summer has put the team on track for the around the world race.

“As an opening leg, this has everything; the Mediterranean departure from Alicante, a descent of the Atlantic Ocean, including the doldrums, and then a good stretch in the southern ocean before coming up to Auckland. It takes us nearly halfway around the world and will require a lot of preparation and planning. And that’s our focus for the next three months, getting our boat and team ready to take on the challenge.”

Lobato and her team will join the other competitors in the foiling IMOCA class boats in Alicante from the 3rd January, two weeks ahead of the start day of 17 January, which follows 10 days of activities in Ocean Live Park, the free to enter, public race village set up along the waterfront beside Race Headquarters and The Ocean Race Museum.

“The fact that Alicante will once again host the start of The Ocean Race for a sixth consecutive edition confirms the Comunitat Valenciana’s ability to stage major international sporting events,” said Marián Cano, Regional Minister for Industry, Tourism, Innovation and Trade of the Generalitat Valenciana. “For ten days, Alicante will become the global centre of ocean racing and an extraordinary showcase to present our region to the world, highlight our connection with the Mediterranean and demonstrate our ability to bring together sport, tourism, sustainability and innovation. At the Generalitat, we approach this new edition with both excitement and responsibility as we continue to strengthen a relationship that has become strategic for Alicante and for the entire Comunitat Valenciana.”

From Alicante City Council, Mayor Luis Barcala highlighted the importance of once again hosting the start of the race:

“It is an honour and a great pleasure to welcome the sailors and teams, their families, race fans and all the stakeholders of the race back to Alicante for what will be a record sixth consecutive start from our city. Ocean Live Park at Alicante Puerto de Salida is a fantastic place to enjoy the event atmosphere and learn about the ocean. Fans can get close to the sailors and teams, and visitors will experience the warm hospitality Alicante always has to offer.”

Alicante becomes the focus for the start of The Ocean Race

For 10 days, Ocean Live Park will transform Alicante’s waterfront into a celebration of sailing, adventure and the ocean, bringing the sailors and teams together with the public ahead of the start.

Visitors will have the opportunity to get close to the race boats and sailors, explore the race village, discover more about the science and technology behind the event, and learn about the importance of protecting the ocean.

The free programme will combine racing and entertainment with opportunities for families, schools, young people and visitors to experience the world of The Ocean Race. Sailors will be at the heart of the activity, with teams preparing their boats and crews for the enormous challenge ahead while fans get a unique opportunity to meet the people who will soon be racing around the planet.

The Ocean Race's purpose-driven focus on ocean health will also be prominent, with activities designed to connect visitors with the ocean and highlight the importance of understanding and protecting the marine environment.

Sailors and teams prepare for the ultimate challenge

The build-up will culminate on 17 January, when the fleet leaves Alicante Puerto de Salida to begin its race around the world.

For the teams, however, the fun and festivities in Ocean Live Park provide only a brief respite before the focus turns to the challenge of the opening leg.

“I can’t wait to experience it,” said Oliver Heer, the skipper of Embrace the Challenge and a first timer in The Ocean Race around the world. “I think Alicante is a great place to start a race like this because there is so much energy around the event, but once we leave the dock everything changes. The focus becomes the boat, the team and the miles ahead of us. We know that the first leg is going to be a huge test from the very first day.”

For Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia, the Alicante start marks a new opportunity to take on the challenge of racing around the world against the top sailors in the IMOCA class in a new boat that has performance potential he is beginning to discover.

“The start in Alicante is always a special moment,” Herrmann said. “You have the crowds, the teams, the families and all the excitement of Ocean Live Park, but you also know what is waiting for you beyond the start line. This opening leg is going to be incredibly demanding, so every day we have in Alicante will be important for getting the boat and the team ready.”

The new DMG MORI GLOBAL ONE and its multicultural crew have already made their mark on The Ocean Race Atlantic by securing a podium finish. "I couldn’t have dreamed of a better crew and better sailors by my side. Our boat is powerful, robust, reliable, and comfortable. We have the high-performance assets needed to be the best and to compete against the best around the world."

Conrad Colman, who skippered MSIG Europe in The Ocean Race Atlantic this summer, says the prospect of sailing into his home country of New Zealand, after racing halfway around the world, holds a special appeal as he works to finalise his plans to participate in the race.

“When you leave Alicante and head offshore, you know the real adventure has begun,” says the two-time Vendée Globe competitor. “For myself and my team, the opportunity to race into Auckland is simply a dream come true - something you would dream of as a kid. It’s just something we really want to do.”

The departure from Alicante will be the beginning of a race that will take the fleet across some of the most challenging waters on the planet, with the crews facing the Atlantic, the Southern Ocean and stopovers in Itajaí, Brazil; St. Pete-Clearwater in the USA, Cascais, Portugal before a final sprint down the Red Sea to AMAALA. (With one more stopover in the Mediterranean likely to be added to the race route).

But before the boats head out to sea, Alicante will play host to the best offshore sailing teams in the world, bringing The Ocean Race community together. For 10 days, Alicante Puerto de Salida will be the place where sailors, teams, fans and the wider public come together to celebrate the start of the world's toughest test of a team.

On 17 January, the fleet will race away from Alicante as the countdown ends and the race begins!