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.
Lord Nelson, Whitbread Race and The Ocean Race
Portsmouth is an important harbour city on the south coast of England in the county of Hampshire. It is located around 120 kilometres south of London and has a long maritime history dating back to the 12th century. The city is known for its port, which is one of the largest and most important in the UK, and for its role in British maritime history. The city is largely located on the Isle of Portsea and is the most densely populated city in the UK with a population of around 205,000. For many centuries, Portsmouth was a centre of the British navy.
The city was home to the famous ship HMS Victory, which served as Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The ship is now open to the public as a museum and attracts many visitors. A striking landmark of Portsmouth is the 170 metre high Spinnaker Tower, which offers a breathtaking view over the harbour, the city and the sea. The shape of the tower is reminiscent of a ship's sail and is a modern symbol of the city's maritime past. Portsmouth played an important role in the eventful history of the Ocean Race. Legend has it that the arrangements for the forerunner of The Ocean Race, the Whitbread Round the World Race, were made over a pint of beer in a Portsmouth pub. The race itself started and/or finished in Portsmouth in its first four editions and last returned to the city for a stopover in 2006.
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.
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.