The new era of The Ocean Race, that’s what the organizers have called it. «For five decades, our history has consisted of mounting a trip around the world every three or four years. But today the regatta is evolving towards a ‘non-stop’ format,” they announced. It is not that the trip around the world with a crew is going to eliminate stopovers, it is that it isTwo new events have been added prior to the circumnavigation, to offer a continued sports program to the teams and sailors and strengthen the connection with the fans.
No wonder. It is the same formula that the America’s Cup has applied with its preliminary regattas, and circuits like the SailGP base their success on this continuity. In addition, The Ocean Race leaves behind the one-designs designed exclusively for the round-the-world race, such as the VO65 that competed in the last edition in a ‘sprint’ trophy parallel to the IMOCA 60. Betting exclusively on this highly consolidated class means being able to attract to a good number of teams that are active in ‘non-stop’ mode, and for which The Ocean Race events can represent a test bed for other objectives or more visibility opportunities for their sponsors.
Thus, two competitions join the calendar as events prior to the next edition of the circumnavigation with stops, which will take place in 2027. These are The Ocean Race Europe, scheduled for the summer of 2025, and The Ocean Race Atlantic, in 2026 Both events will pass through Spanish cities: the return to Europe will stop in Cartagena and the transatlantic regatta will end in Barcelona. Alicante remains the departure port for the round-the-world trip, and also houses the headquarters and The Ocean Race Museum.
Eight teams have so far registered for the European regattaand foreseeably they would also participate in the round the world: the German Malizia of Boris Herrmann, the Swiss Holcim PRB of Rosalin Kuiper, the French Paprec Arkéa of Yoann Richomme and Vulnerable of Thomas Ruyant, the Canadian Be Water Positive Sailing of Scott Shawyer and three boats to be announced, one Italian, one German and one French.
The organization hopes that a Spanish team can join the adventurewho will have a marked French accent. The fact that France has three teams is a novelty in this traditionally more Anglo-Saxon regattabut it makes sense with the commitment to IMOCA. “The class is very French so it is normal, but it also shows that the Vendée Globe teams also want to compete with a crew, not just sail alone,” explained Richard Brisius, president of The Ocean Race.
Beyond the sports calendar, the organization maintains its strong commitment to sustainability and stands as a platform to accelerate action in favor of the oceans, through various education, awareness and ocean science activities to study the impact of climate change on the blue planet.
The Ocean Race Europe 2025
The return to Europe returns to The Ocean Race calendar, after its debut in the summer of 2021. The second edition of The Ocean Race Europe will be held under the motto “Connecting Europe” with a route that extends from the Baltic Sea, to through the North Sea and the English Channel, to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. The departure will be on August 10, 2025 from Kiel (Germany) and the finish line is set in Boka Bay (Montenegro), with stops in Portsmouth (Great Britain), Cartagena (Spain) and Genoa (Italy). It will be raced in IMOCA boats with the latest generation foils, with crews of four people (including at least one woman) plus the on-board reporter. The long stages will be combined with coastal regattas in the host cities.
The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026
One year after the return to Europe, The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026 will see the teams embark on a transatlantic crossing from New York to Barcelona. With a distance of approximately 3,200 nautical miles, this new event will be non-stop: the fleet will cross the Atlantic Ocean, enter the Mediterranean through the always difficult Strait of Gibraltar and face a 500-mile sprint to Barcelona, which will surely It will be the most technical part of the entire regatta. On this occasion, the IMOCA boats will be crewed by two men and two women (in addition to the reporter), which marks the first time that parity has been chosen in an oceanic regatta.
The Ocean Race 2027
In 2027, the classic round-the-world race The Ocean Race will return, departing from Alicante, where the regatta has been based for years. This event will maintain its status as the pinnacle of crewed ocean sailing, aboard exclusively IMOCA 60 boats. The VO65 from the last edition, which did a very reduced version of the course in parallel to the IMOCA, will retire. As for the host cities, at the moment only the departure port, Alicante, and the ending port, Amaala, on the Red Sea, have been confirmed. The route will be similar to those of the last editions. Stopovers in Cape Verde and Cape Town will probably be maintained, and as a novelty a stop in Australia or New Zealand will be reintroduced. There would be a single stopover in South America and another in the United States, to then cross to Europe, with one or two stops. The penultimate stage will go from a European port to the finish line in the Mediterranean in front of Port Said (Egypt). The fleet will then gather to head to the Red Sea via the Suez Canal and begin the final leg, approximately 135 nautical miles, to the finish line in front of Amaala.
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