The Ocean Race Europe will set sail from Cowes TODAY

Navigating a multi-leg route through European waters, The Ocean Race Europe will conclude in Montenegro on September 15 and 16.

A final scoring race in Boka Bay on September 20 will determine the overall winner.

While the UK stopover for the race was in Portsmouth from August 14, the start of Leg 2 will take place in Cowes at 4.55pm today.

Seven high-speed IMOCA foiling yachts will line up off the Royal Yacht Squadron start line, heading west past The Needles before setting course for Cartagena, Spain via a fly-by in Portugal.

Crowds to gather as The Ocean Race Europe kicks off (Image: Coral Creative) Race director Phil Lawrence, from Lymington, said: "Racing around Europe is a major challenge that takes the fleet across the congested waters of the North Sea, through the confines of the English Channel, out into the open waters of the Atlantic, before taking on the tricky conditions of the Mediterranean and the Adriatic seas.

"The crews will need to perform well across a range of conditions to get to the podium and there is every possibility that the race could well be decided on the Final Scoring Race in Boka Bay."

The Isle of Wight offers a great opportunity to see the fleet in action as they charge out into the Solent.

Prime viewing points include Cowes Parade, Cowes Green, Gurnard, Fort Victoria Country Park, and The Needles.

The race features seven mixed-gender, multinational teams representing 13 countries, each limited to four sailors and one onboard reporter, with at least one female sailor per team.

Several British sailors, including Abby Ehler, Alan Roberts, Brian Thompson, Pip Hare, Jack Bouttell, Sam Goodchild, and Will Harris, are competing.

The Ocean Race Europe is not just a sporting event, it contributes vital data to ocean science.

Every boat is equipped with research equipment measuring temperature, salinity, CO₂, oxygen, microplastics, and eDNA.

Some teams will also deploy drifting buoys to aid global meteorological efforts.