IMOCAs prepare for transatlantic sprint

The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026 gets underway September 1 with six IMOCA teams to leave New York for a 3,600-nautical-mile transatlantic sprint to Lorient, France. With each entry to have two women, two men, and one On Board Reporter, it will be the first 50/50 gender parity crewed transatlantic race in offshore sailing.

The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026 provides a key test in advance of The Ocean Race around-the-world course which gets underway in January 2027. The transatlantic race will be particularly important for two new-generation IMOCAs launched in Lorient this summer:

• Malizia 4 is the product of a three-team sistership collaboration between Team Malizia, TR Racing, and Team Banque Populaire, designed by Antoine Koch with Finot-Conq and Gsea Design. Narrower and flatter than its predecessor, with over 85,000 hours of build behind it. Skipper Boris Herrmann described the first week of sailing as “love at first sail.”

• DMG MORI Global One takes a different path entirely. Designed by Guillaume Verdier and built by Multiplast, the hull looks more like the central hull of a trimaran. It’s designed to foil earlier and slam less. Skipper Kojiro Shiraishi gave Verdier one brief: “free mind, free ideas, no limits.”

Details: https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/atlantic/2026

The 15th edition of The Ocean Race around the world will start from Alicante, Spain on January 17, 2027. It will be the sixth consecutive time the race has started from this venue which is home for both Race HQ and The Ocean Race Museo.

Racing the IMOCA 60-footer, teams of four will include at least one female and comprise of at least two nations.

Race Route:
• Alicante, Spain (start)
• Auckland, New Zealand
• Itajaí, Brazil
• St. Petersburg, USA
• Cascais, Portugal
• Port Said, Egypt (tentative)
• AMAALA, Saudi Arabia (finish)

Source: The Ocean Race