Italy’s yachting capital will stage the finish of the race in June 2022
The Italian city of Genoa has been chosen to host the grand finale of The Ocean Race 2021-22, marking the first time the fully-crewed, round-the-world yacht race will come to Italy. The news was announced on Monday at the 49th Genoa Boat Show.
The selection of Italy’s top maritime city to host the race in June of 2022 opens the event to a new audience in one of the most passionate sailing centres in Europe.
“Bringing the finish of The Ocean Race to Genova and Italy is significant as it marks an opportunity to engage with more race fans in southern Europe who have a true passion for top-level sport,” said race chairman Richard Brisius.
“In the City of Genoa we have found a partner who holds the same ambition towards creating a sustainable future as we do, and who shares many of our race values such as teamwork and technology while at the same time respecting an impressive maritime heritage.”
Italy has long had a close relationship with The Ocean Race, which began as the Whitbread Race Around the World in 1973 with three Italian-flagged entries on the starting line. Over the years, 11 Italian teams and over 130 Italian sailors have competed in the event first known as the Whitbread and from 2001 through 2018, as the Volvo Ocean Race.
The Ocean Race 2021-22 will see two classes of boats competing for the first time in 25 years: the high-tech, foiling IMOCA 60 class, as well as the one-design VO65 fleet that produced record-breaking performances in the last edition.
“The City of Genoa is proud, happy and ready for The Ocean Race. Hosting such an important event shows the great visibility and recognition that the city is getting on a global scale,” said Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci. “It is a success that springs from the unique features of our territory, our longstanding maritime heritage and the incredible infrastructure potential we can offer.
“We will be ready to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors who will gather in Genoa for this event. We look forward to showcasing Genoa worldwide, not only during the finish of the race, but also before and after it. The City of Genoa will do everything necessary to make it the most memorable and exciting finish in the history of The Ocean Race.”
The Ocean Race is scheduled to start from its home port in Alicante, Spain in the fourth quarter of 2021. The full race route will be confirmed in the coming weeks, with Aarhus, Denmark and The Hague in The Netherlands already confirmed as host cities, along with Cabo Verde, which will be the first West African stop in the history of the race.
