"Arrr! That sailboat be facin' down a fearsome orca in the midst of a great race! Aye, a dangerous moment indeed!"
2023-06-23
Arrr, me hearties! Team JAJO's vessel did come across three fearsome orcas whilst on The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint, off the coast of Gibraltaaar. The beasts did show themselves in the Atlantic, causing quite the commotion on board.
Avast ye mateys, on Thursday during The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint in the Atlantic Ocean to the west of Gibraltar, a pod of orcas be approachin' the Team JAJO boat. The orcas be seen pushin' up against the sailboat and nudgin' the rudder in a video posted to the Ocean Race YouTube account. The skipper Jelmer van Beek said, "Twenty minutes ago we got hit by some orcas. Three orcas came straight at us and started hittin' the rudders. Impressive to see the orcas, beautiful animals, but also a dangerous moment for us as a team." The other team, Mirpuri Trifork Racing also reported an encounter with orcas. However, neither team reported damage to their boats or to anyone onboard. The orca attack is the latest in a series of incidents off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. Atlantic Orca Working Group reported 18 such interactions in the month of May in the region.The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint is a new race that includes three different legs and four different cities. This new trophy will enable a new generation of sailors, along with some familiar faces, to gain some valuable experience in The Ocean Race. This format provides an opportunity to compete in The Ocean Race environment, with racing from host city to host city along with In-port competitions. The participating VO65 teams will get significant offshore racing exposure. Fox News’ Julia Musto contributed to this report. Yarr, beware of the orcas in these parts, me hearties.