Team AMAALA set for The Ocean Race Europe: Training and transmission for a long-term vision

Team AMAALA is set for The Ocean Race Europe © Adrien Cordier / Air Vide et Eau productions

The intensive preparation phase has begun for Team AMAALA, both on and off the water, with three weeks to go before the start of The Ocean Race Europe. That leaves just one month for express training for the crew members and a primarily human objective, which goes hand in hand with ambition and progress in a longer-term vision.

Keeping your nose to the grindstone. The expression is apt during this year's Tour de France, because it's not just cyclists who are pedaling hard. The sailors of Team AMALAA are also making waves on their beautiful IMOCA, which has returned to its natural element after a quick refit and a unanimously praised aesthetic transformation. It was already beautiful "before" so what can we say now! Launched at Lorient la Base on July 8, the monohull was keeled, masted, and rigged to welcome the sailors selected to participate in The Ocean Race Europe, which will start in Kiel on August 10.

One month to get the machine up and running, find the right settings and the right crew combinations is not much time. One month to provide express training to young sailors who are discovering a new boat, a new class, and a new world is a huge challenge that gives full meaning to the Swiss Offshore Team project, launched by Alan Roura, Simon Koster, and Elodie Mettraux, and also supported by the most Breton of Kiwis, Conrad Colman. The AMAALA Team's philosophy for this Ocean Race Europe differs radically from the other six teams involved and places great emphasis on training and knowledge transfer. Two words that nevertheless go hand in hand with ambition and progress in a longer-term vision.

Setting sails

When you set sail, training simply begins with a whole range of skills that you need to master. At the top of the list of requirements is managing the risks inherent in ocean racing. There is no question of boarding an IMOCA without having passed your "survival license," the famous World Sailing Survival Course. Several members of the team still have to complete this essential task. "I'm leaving for England this weekend for three days of training" explains Jessica Berthoud, who comes from a dinghy sailing background and has never needed this passport to the open sea before. "This is the first step in this new adventure after the very rigorous selection process we went through. It's an incredible opportunity for us to have access to all this. Being immersed in the heart of the project's development, we also realize the scope and diversity of the things we need to master. And I haven't even been on the boat yet!"

Communication, physical preparation, weather, technique, navigation, group life, managing extreme conditions, performance—the next generation of Swiss ocean racers is making the most of these first few days with Team AMAALA. "It's only the beginning, but we can already feel a great dynamic and see a lot of smiles on people's faces," says Jessica Berthoud. "I myself am very sensitive to the human aspect and have always attached great importance to it in the various projects I have been involved in. It's something we all felt from the very first exchanges during the selection process. Everyone really took the time to get to know us, listen to us, and ask us what we could bring to the project and the team. It immediately puts you at ease and pushes you to give your best."

Discovering the beast from the inside

After her World Sailing internship, Jessica Berthoud will finally have the chance to discover the inside of the "beast" that some of her young colleagues have already begun to tame. "I've just had three wonderful days aboard AMAALA" says Felix Oberle, who is making the leap from his Mini to the IMOCA. "It's an absolutely fabulous new world. You can see that everything on this boat has been well thought out and laid out. It's very square with a color code that works well. The sensations? With the foils, it's really a new dimension for me. It's just incredible. I just did the Caps race on a boat with straight daggerboards, and now that I've sailed on a foiler, I understand better why those boats were more than 100 miles ahead of us in 24 hours!"

On the deck and in the enclosed cockpit of AMAALA, the crew members move from one station to another. They steer, they reel in the lines, they think at the chart table. Ergonomics is not an exact science in a space designed for solo or double-handed sailing. "This preparation phase is very intense and there is a lot of work involved in understanding how everything works in such a small space," continues Felix Oberle. We are looking for small adjustments to be more efficient. "

The talented young sailors recruited in recent weeks are quick learners and are quickly mastering how to sail these complex boats. How to best execute a maneuver or a sail change. "But I also appreciate the immense amount of work that has been done in recent months to set up a project of this magnitude, which is a real opportunity for Swiss sailing and our generation," emphasizes the most Romand of the German-speaking sailors, an honorary title he disputes with his "mentor" Simon Koster. Through my various adventures in Mini, I have come to appreciate how difficult it is to find support. I am not giving up on my Mini Transat project, as I will be at the start this year. But I couldn't pass up such an opportunity to join Team AMAALA, which is a huge chance for Swiss sailing. It fills up my schedule a little more, but I love being at sea." Felix Oberle has always been a go-getter. It's one of the qualities that allowed him to stand out when the time came to make choices. Because to prepare for a tour of Europe in less than two months, you have to have at least that: your nose to the grindstone.

Sailing for the oceans

Through this sponsorship, AMAALA aims to champion the spirit of exploration and innovation that sailing represents, values deeply embedded in its own identity as a luxury wellness destination shaped by the surrounding nature and beauty of the Red Sea. The partnership reflects its belief in the power of sport to inspire positive change, foster environmental stewardship, and engage global communities in the urgent conversation around marine conservation. As the destination prepares to welcome guests, it is proud to invite Team AMAALA to be its representatives on the waters, sailing not only with strong human ambitions, but also in favor of a cleaner and more sustainable future for all.