Smartboatia at The Ocean Race Europe 2025: Sailing, Science & Ocean Protection in Harmony
In 2025, we were part of The Ocean Race Europe in Kiel: on 9 August, we showed the Smartboatia Hub at the Ocean Live Park, together with other start-ups from StartUp SH and invited by the "För de Küste" project.
What is The Ocean Race Europe?
The Ocean Race Europe is a top-level race for foiling IMOCA yachts, with crews from at least two nations competing against each other. The first edition took place in 2021. The second edition followed in 2025, starting in Kiel.
Under the motto “Connecting Europe: Racing to restore our oceans”, the race combines top sporting performance with the goal of protecting and researching the oceans.
The course: The start was on 10 August 2025 in Kiel (Germany), followed by stops in Portsmouth (UK), Porto (Portugal fly-by), Cartagena (Spain), Nice (France) and Genoa (Italy). The finish was in Boka Bay, Montenegro.
Kiel kicked it off
For the first time, Kiel was the start port of the race, a big milestone for the city.
From 6 to 10 August 2025, the Ocean Live Park took place on the Kiellinie: a free, public event with a waterfront programme, talks, science shows, pit lane tours and interactive activities, for all ages.
GEOMAR, a leading research centre, was heavily involved and, together with Team Malizia and other partners, showed where sailing meets ocean protection.
Schedule
| Date | Programme |
|---|---|
| 6 to 8 Aug (Wed to Fri) | Ocean Live Park open 1 to 7 pm: GEOMAR, SubCtech and team presentations |
| 9 Aug (Saturday) | 10 am to 7 pm: Smartboatia slot at the Ocean Live Park together with other start-ups from StartUp SH, invited by the “För de Küste” project |
| 10 Aug (Sunday) | Start of The Ocean Race Europe 2025: the race begins |
Smartboatia at the Ocean Live Park
On Saturday, 9 August, we were at the StartUpSH stand in the Ocean Live Park from 10 am to 7 pm (invited by För de Küste).
On the programme:
- Live demo: the Hub in action
- Q&A sessions: chats with our team
With the Smartboatia Hub, GPS, environmental and logbook data are recorded automatically on every trip, with no manual effort. If you agree, Smartboatia passes your boat’s air pressure and position on to the German Weather Service (DWD) every hour.
Why the race matters beyond sailing
Over 4,500 nautical miles linked the teams along Europe’s coasts, a symbolic arc under the motto “Europe connected by the ocean”.
Each team had at least four members from two different nations, standing for diversity, team spirit and international unity.
During the race, the teams collected the following data:
- Water temperature
- Salinity
- Microplastics
- eDNA samples
The data supports research and policy, such as the EU mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters”.
Beyond the race, the host cities, from Cartagena to Nice to Genoa, offered educational programmes, citizen science activities and public events to raise awareness and inspire action.
Wrap-up
Smartboatia is proud to have been part of this special event, where sailing meets science.
- We connected with start-ups, science and the public
- We stand for smart sailing and healthy oceans
The Smartboatia Hub
Logbook, anchor watch, battery alarm and plotter come without a subscription. Your first year of the subscription is included with the Hub.