Alan Roura has partnered with AMAALA to compete in The Ocean Race Europe 2025

Alan Roura has partnered with AMAALA to compete in The Ocean Race Europe © Jean-Louis Carli

Alan Roura, the Swiss offshore sailor, has partnered with AMAALA to compete in The Ocean Race Europe, 2025. With less than three months to go before the race start in Kiel, Germany, the team will begin their intensive training when the boat is launched in Lorient later this month.

"We have been working for a long time towards launching a campaign and to be on the start line of TOR Europe. It is always a significant moment for any team to secure a Title Partner and head to the start line with their full support. I'm very proud today to be the skipper of TEAM AMAALA, which allows us to convey shared values of design and innovation, competition, teamwork, and our commitment to ocean health and regeneration.

"This is the start of a new story, an incredible adventure, and we don't have a minute to lose. Our boat is currently undergoing a livery re-design in the colors of AMAALA. We are recruiting our crew, preparing training drills, setting logistics in motion. It's an exciting phase for us. The first time our race boat emerges from the shed and sees the light of day will be the beginning of new era," said Alan.

"We believe deeply in this project, which strengthens our brand and offers great international visibility," said John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global, the developer behind AMAALA. "We have been a part of The Ocean Race family since 2023 as Red Sea Global, but this is now AMAALA's time to fly its flag and connect an international community with the yachting lifestyle that will be an important part of the destination."

After 10 years of solo sailing and three successful Vendée Globe campaigns, the 32-year-old Captain is taking a more collective approach. He has set himself the mission of taking part in The Ocean Race round-the-world challenge in 2027 and being the skipper of capable and highly competitive team. The core crew includes the talented Simon Koster and Elodie Mettraux and with team selection well under way, the full squad will be finalized and announced in the coming weeks.

"We want to bring together an international team, mixing ocean racing experts with young talent. To achieve this, we have organized two selection sessions, one on Lake Geneva and one in Lorient. The crew format is also new to me, it's the shared experience on board that appeals to me and the challenge of putting together a high-performance team that gets on well. Having worked closely with the AMAALA team over the past months I know that this team spirit of respect, collaboration and passion are values we share.

"There is a great sense of camaraderie between the IMOCA teams throughout the race, and despite the intensity of competition, these are races where we help each other out a lot. In sporting terms, the level promises to be very high, and I see the race to the finish line in Montenegro being the leg that will likely challenge us the most in terms of weather, because anything can happen," added Roura.

The new chapter Roura is opening promises to be as exciting as it is gripping. Barely having time to digest his third solo round-the-world voyage, he has already laid the foundations for this collective Swiss-Saudi challenge. With its unique format of long and short legs, city flybys and stopovers around Europe, The Ocean Race offers a new type of crewed event, integrated into the IMOCA Globe Series circuit.

The race organizers decision to focus on IMOCA Open 60s since the last edition has breathed new life into this legendary race. From now on, the best teams in the world will be competing on the most reliable and the fastest boats in ocean racing. After an initial tour of Europe this summer, a transatlantic race between New York and Barcelona will take place in 2026. It will serve as the final preparation for the round-the-world race with AMAALA hosting the Grand Finale in 2027.

All these opportunities will also be used as selection phases to welcome and develop as much young talent as possible. For the skipper and his team, it will also be a question of gaining skills in sailing with a crew and continuing to professionalize the management of their projects.

"The timing may not allow us to display the highest sporting ambitions this summer, but we are going to give it all we've got" explains Roura. "We are concentrating on great human performances, resilience, and the setting up of long-term team success".

"We create destinations that are led by science and inspired by nature, that actively seek to enhance the well-being of visitors, communities, and the environment. We believe that tourism can be an effective change agent to enable destinations to thrive and The Ocean Race and TEAM AMAALA campaign provide us with an important platform to promote this cohesion between the common effort, for common good. If ever there was an era demanding common determination to protect our oceans and a sailor's playground and purpose, this is it," added Mr. Pagano.

Alongside AMAALA, the watchmaker Hublot, who have been supporting Alan Roura since 2022 in line with a 'push your limits' philosophy, is continuing the adventure as the Team's official sponsor and timekeeper.

"Our maritime DNA is embedded in our name: Hublot (French word for "porthole"). Hublot is proud to support Alan in the challenges he takes on in the ocean, carrying with him the spirit of Swiss ingenuity and inspiring future generations to aim for the impossible. Alan's dedication and pursuit of excellence in offshore racing are a source of inspiration for young people who aspire to achieve their dreams. This year, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang, the icon of the 21st century, and the watch that accompanies Alan on his adventures" said Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot.

Alan Roura commented: "I am delighted that Hublot is continuing the adventure alongside us. Over the past three years, we have forged strong human connections and shared common values that are dear to me. This is the beginning of a new story as TEAM AMAALA, an exceptional adventure and a very exciting challenge that awaits us all."

The TEAM AMAALA campaign will also see the reveal of the AMAALA Yacht Club brand and vision, an icon on the Red Sea coast, that is set to attract, encourage and involve its members and visitors in the enjoyment of yachting and a shared commitment to ocean health.

"There is no greater force for change and for progress than a community that has discovered what it wants to collaborate on and care for," said Mr. Pagano. "With Alan at the helm, backed by AMAALA, the Yacht Club, Hublot and The Ocean Race community, we look forward to continuing our partnerships in the sport of sailing. Everything starts with participation."

www.theoceanrace.com/en/europe/2025