On Thursday, a striking incident occurred in the Strait of Gibraltar where a group of orcas rammed into a 65-foot sailing yacht during the VO65 Sprint event of the Ocean Race. The encounter caused fear and endangered the crew members of Team JAJO, but fortunately, no significant damage was sustained by the boat. The moment was captured on video and shared on The Ocean Race’s YouTube channel.
Race officials revealed that another incident involving orcas occurred with the Mirpuri/Trifork Racing team, but no injuries or damages were caused in that encounter. The orcas, also known as killer whales, approached the Team JAJA vessel from behind and proceeded to hit the rudders of the boat, shaking the crew members on board. Despite attempts to deter the orcas, they circled back and continued to collide with the boat before eventually departing.
Jelmer van Beek, the skipper of Team JAJA, shared his thoughts on the encounter, acknowledging the beauty of the orcas but also highlighting the dangerous nature of the situation. This is not the first interaction between van Beek’s boat and orcas, but the previous encounters were less aggressive.
Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family and can swim up to 33.5 mph, while VO65 boats can reach speeds of over 40 mph. With an estimated population of 50,000 orcas according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, interactions between orcas and boats near the Strait of Gibraltar have been increasing in recent years.
The Ocean Race, a six-month, 32,000-nautical mile event, began in January near Alicante, Spain, and will conclude in July off the coast of Genoa, Italy. Team JAJO currently holds the position of third place in the VO65 Sprint, with WindWhisper Racing team in first place and Mirpuri/Trifork Racing in second. In the IMOCA fleet, Team Holcim PRB is leading the race with three boats competing.
This incident serves as a reminder of the fascinating yet potentially dangerous encounters that can occur during sailing races, highlighting the need for caution and preparedness when navigating through the waters.
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