Kiel

(Germany)

06–10 August 2025

In February 2024, Kiel.Sailing.City was confirmed as the starting port for The Ocean Race Europe. Previously, Kiel was already the finish port of the Volvo Ocean Race 2000/01 and in June 2023 hosted the extremely successful Fly-By on the penultimate leg of The Ocean Race 2022/23 with over 120,000 visitors on the Kiel Fjord.

Sailing Metropolis and Marine Conservation City

The city lies on the shores of the Kiel Fjord on the Baltic Sea and is the end point of the world's busiest artificial waterway, the Kiel Canal. Founded in the 13th century as "Holstenstadt tom Kyle", Kiel developed over the centuries into an important harbour and trading city. Today, Kiel plays a central role in German naval history and is known for its maritime tradition and the important Kiel naval base. The Kiel Sailors' Uprising, which began on 3 November 1918, triggered the November Revolution at the end of the First World War, which led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the proclamation of a republic in Germany.

From 6 to 10 August 2025, the Schleswig-Holstein state capital of Kiel will be the starting port for this year's The Ocean Race Europe 2025, and as Kiel.Sailing.City, the city's name says it all. Kiel is not only the state capital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel.Sailing.City is also the world capital of sailing. The Kiel Week and many other sailing events are impressive proof of this. As a marine conservation city, Kiel has a special role to play, because The Ocean Race is more than just a high-performance sport, it is also a credible ambassador for global marine conservation.

Kiel is connected to the Baltic Sea via the Kiel Fjord, which, as a small brackish sea, is one of the world's oceans. In total, the oceans cover around 70 per cent of the earth's surface. Think global, act local applies to climate protection for the atmosphere and marine protection for the oceans. Furthermore, Kiel was the first city in Germany to join the international "Zero Waste Europe" network and, together with the people of Kiel, developed a zero waste concept with over 100 measures for waste avoidance. Both measures will be utilised and implemented from 2020. Sailing and marine conservation go hand in hand in Kiel. That is why the city's motto for The Ocean Race Europe 2025 is "We all sail in the same boat".

Portsmouth

(Great Britain) 14–16 August 2025 The Ocean Race Europe will be stopping off in Portsmouth on the south coast of England, among other places. The event is all about The Ocean Race, the legendary offshore round-the-world race with a full crew, which first took place in 1973 with Portsmouth as the start and finish harbour.

Porto

(Portugal) 20 August 2025 The Ocean Race Europe will complete a short fly-by in Porto on the way from Portsmouth to Cartagena. Unlike the fly-by in Kiel in June 2023, the teams will even dock in the harbour city for a short time.

Cartagena

(Spain) 22–26 August 2025 The city of Cartagena will be the first port in the Mediterranean for The Ocean Race Europe 2025, which will then continue to Boka Bay in Montenegro. As in the other stops, Cartagena will host activities centred on marine conservation, demonstrating the city's commitment to climate protection and sustainability.

Nice

(France) 29–31 August 2025 From 29 to 31 August, there will be a short stopover in Nice on the Côte d'Azur before the fleet continues on to Genoa. This is the first time that the city has been part of The Ocean Race Europe route.

Genova

(Italy) 03–07 September 2025 Following the success of the 'Grand Final' of The Ocean Race 2023, Genoa will now be an important stage for The Ocean Race Europe. The close ties between the Italian harbour city and The Ocean Race will be further strengthened when the sailing teams and many thousands of visitors come together in the Ocean Live Park.

Boka Bay

(Montenegro) 15–21 September 2025 Ocean Race Europe 2025 will finish in the Bay of Boka in Montenegro, where the IMOCA fleet will sail into the Adriatic Sea for the first time to connect European waters in a celebration of sport, sustainability and collaboration.