Matosinhos Porto, a Portuguese sailing town, has secured a spot on The Ocean Race Europe's route. The event will feature flying boats, double-points and a 3-hour pit-stop. Ocean health activism will be featured alongside the sporting success.

It was announced that the Porto Cruise Terminal will host a Fly-By on August 20th during the second leg of the journey from Portsmouth to Cartagena. The high-tech foiling IMOCA vessels will make a three-hour brief stop before continuing on their journey to Gibraltar or the Mediterranean.

The Fly-By is a crucial sporting moment, as it awards half of the points to the second leg that scores twice.

Mariana Lobato is the only female Portuguese who has competed in a round-the world race. She will be racing for Team Paprec Arkea.

The announcement was made at an event held at Porto Cruise Terminal and highlighted the fact that the race will also highlight ocean health initiatives along with the sporting spectacle.

Richard Brisius said that The Ocean Race Europe is the only competition which can claim to have connected Europe as completely as The Ocean Race Europe. This is a race which truly connects Europe, from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea.

The Ocean Race Europe 2025 starts from Kiel in Germany on August 10 and stops at Portsmouth, Matosinhos Porto, Cartagena (Porto), Nice, Genoa, before finishing Boka Bay in Montenegro.

Launched in 2021, the race has quickly become a marquee offshore sailing event, delivering elite racing across Europe's most iconic ports. The race is a shorter continental version of the legendary Round-the-World Ocean Race. It features cutting-edge IMOCA and VO65 yachts, with crews that are a mix of men and women, tackling a mixture offshore legs and coast sprints.

The IMOCA 60, a 60-foot (18 metre) yacht, is known for its speed, and for the ability to "fly", above the water, using foils. Meanwhile, the VO65, a 65-foot ( 20 metre) monohull conventional boat, is built for speed, strength and competition.

In the inaugural edition, Portugal's Mirpuri Foundation Racing Team won the VO65 category while Offshore Team Germany took the IMOCA-60 category. The event is not just about racing. It's also about environmental advocacy. (Editing by Toby Davis).

(source: Reuters)