Alicante Hosts The Ocean Race International Conference
The city solidifies its position as a global sailing hub with a key stakeholder meeting for the competition's next edition.
By Alejandro Navarro Peris
••3 min read
IA
Generic image of the Alicante coast with the Mediterranean Sea and urban architecture.
Alicante, the global host and Starting Port for The Ocean Race, has hosted the International Conference, a strategic gathering reinforcing the city's and the Valencian Community's significance in the world sailing calendar.
The conference brings together representatives from host cities, official partners, teams, and sailors over two days to discuss strategic perspectives, present new concepts, and generate business opportunities for the competition's upcoming edition.
Attendees include representatives from Auckland (New Zealand), Itajaí (Brazil), St. Pete-Clearwater (Florida, USA), Cascais (Portugal), and AMAALA (Red Sea), as well as partners like Volvo Cars, Red Sea Global, and Helly Hansen. The event highlights the maritime heritage, culture, and innovation capacity of Alicante and the Valencian Community.
The regional secretary for Innovation, Eduardo Pascual, emphasized the Valencian Government's commitment to a sustainable and innovative future, noting that The Ocean Race uniquely combines sporting excellence, marine science, and positive transformation.
The mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, underscored the historic nature of the next edition, featuring the longest stage ever: Alicante-Auckland. He invited attendees to explore the city, its beaches, gastronomy, and landmarks like Santa Bárbara Castle.
Barcala also highlighted the projected international impact, with figures such as 1.65 million visitors and 467 million euros in direct GDP impact, solidifying Alicante as an international sailing capital.
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"The celebration of this international meeting also represents a unique opportunity to showcase Alicante and the Valencian Community to visitors from all over the world, highlighting its maritime heritage, its culture, its capacity for innovation, and its recognized hospitality."
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"The spirit that unites us is to navigate together towards a more sustainable and innovative future. In the Valencian Government, we believe that true innovation is not only technological, but must also be social and environmental, and few projects in the world combine sporting excellence, marine science, and positive transformation like The Ocean Race."
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"This edition of The Ocean Race is going to be very, very special for Alicante as the Starting Port for the longest stage ever held in the regatta: Alicante-Auckland, on the opposite side of the planet. A challenge of maximum demands for the teams and crews, a global feat on which all eyes will be set."
Richard Brisius, President of The Ocean Race, outlined the conference's objectives as learning, connecting, and collaborating through concrete actions, emphasizing the intensity of the regatta experience and the valuable lessons learned about resilience and solidarity.
Skipper Paul Meilhat likened the projects to an iceberg, with the regatta being just a small part, and highlighted the immense human challenge involved. Sailor Rosalin Kuiper described the experience as a passion, emotion, and adventure, where every team member is a vital link.
Japanese skipper Kojiro Shiraishi and co-skippers Alan Roura and Will Harris also spoke. The next departure from Alicante in January 2027 will mark the longest stage in the regatta's history, Alicante-Auckland, spanning over 14,000 nautical miles.
