A new IMOCA team is confirmed to participate in The Ocean Race 2022-23, as French offshore sailor Benjamin Dutreux joins forces with Offshore Team Germany Olympian Robert Stanjek, the same combination that raced to victory in the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe last summer.
Jens Kuphal and Alice Potiron will provide team management for the new partnership, GUYOT environnement - Team Europe.
“The Ocean Race Europe was a great experience for all of us working together for the first time and I think now, with a new boat, we can look forward to a great race around the world with this team,” said Dutreux, who will be racing the same IMOCA he plans to use for the next edition of the Vendée Globe.
“This race is a true international race. We have been focused on the solo races, but now we have a different story to look forward to and we are happy to begin this new challenge with a crewed race, around the world, and it will be a great opportunity to learn about each other and our boat.”
Offshore Team Germany celebrate their overall IMOCA 60 victory following the Genoa coastal race in June 2021 | Credit: Sailing Energy/The Ocean Race
Stanjek added: “I’m very motivated and keen to build on what we achieved in The Ocean Race Europe in the big one - the race around the world. Benjamin and I already know each other well from the previous race and I think that is an advantage.
“Our philosophy is to bring different sailors with different backgrounds together and merge their skills to build a strong, overall unit and I think we proved it well in The Ocean Race Europe and we want to keep this team for The Ocean Race.”
The GUYOT environnement - Team Europe IMOCA boat has a successful pedigree under the Hugo Boss banner, finishing in second place in the 2016-17 edition of the Vendée Globe and leading the most recent Route du Rhum fleet all the way to Guadeloupe.
More recently, the boat has been equipped with new foils and used as a training vehicle for the 11th Hour Racing Team as it prepared its own project for The Ocean Race.
“This boat is already well-developed and prepared for racing at the front of the fleet,” said Dutreux, who was able to race a 15-year old boat to an impressive ninth-place finish in the last Vendée Globe. “We are starting with a reliable, fast boat and that is important as we prepare for the race.”
GUYOT environnement - Team Europe is the fourth IMOCA campaign confirmed to be on the start line in Alicante, Spain on 15 January 2023, along with Charlie Enright’s 11th Hour Racing Team, Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia and Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm. The VO65 side has also grown with the recent addition of Dutch entry Sailing Team NextGen, featuring Carolijn Brouwer who crewed the 2017-18 winner Dongfeng Race Team.
“It’s fantastic to see Benjamin and Robert come together to build on what they achieved in The Ocean Race Europe,” said Phil Lawrence, race director for The Ocean Race. “We now have four competitive IMOCA teams confirmed for the race and we continue to engage with other IMOCA and VO65 projects who are working to join us in Alicante in January for the start of the race.”
