With the 2027 Auckland stopover of The Ocean Race edging closer, the 25th Auckland Boat Show will host one of New Zealand’s most experienced offshore sailors.
Conrad Colman will attend alongside members of the Aotearoa Ocean Racing campaign and environmental partner Ocean Regeneration Aotearoa. The timing is deliberate. Planning for 2027 is already well underway.
For those who follow offshore racing, Colman needs little introduction. He has sailed two editions of the Vendée Globe and completed four circumnavigations in total. Few Kiwis have logged that sort of mileage at the pointy end of solo ocean racing.
In Europe, he has built his career within the IMOCA fleet, competing against the strongest offshore programmes in the world. His recent campaigns have also been shaped by a firm stance on energy use. During his Vendée Globe projects, he raced without burning fossil fuels, managing onboard systems through renewable generation and strict power discipline.
You Can Take The Kiwi Out Of New Zealand, But Not New Zealand Out Of The Kiwi
That approach required careful preparation and compromise. It was not a branding exercise. It influenced how the boat was sailed and how decisions were made offshore.
Building toward The Ocean Race 2027
The Ocean Race returns to Auckland in 2027. The Aotearoa Ocean Racing project aims to line up with a foiling IMOCA that carries genuine New Zealand input in design, build and technology.
The campaign structure reflects modern offshore reality. Europe remains the centre of IMOCA racing, so a French base is essential. At the same time, the programme intends to retain meaningful capability in New Zealand.
The objective is competitive, but it is broader than results alone. The team has outlined goals around sustainability, youth development, increased female participation and stronger Māori engagement within offshore sailing and the wider marine sector.
New Zealand has always produced world class sailors. Converting that talent into a sustained IMOCA presence has proven harder. A home stopover in 2027 creates both opportunity and pressure to lift ambition.
A fitting stage at the Auckland Boat Show
Auckland Boat Show runs from 5 to 8 March 2026 at the Viaduct Events Centre. The event marks its 25th edition this year and continues to draw strong domestic and international participation, with more than a kilometre of boats displayed on the water.
Stacey Cook from the Auckland Boat Show says the team’s appearance connects past and future.
“With more than 200 boats and many thousands of visitors expected, the 25th Auckland Boat Show provides a great platform to showcase Team Aotearoa Racing and its vision.”
For visitors, Colman’s presence offers direct access to someone who has operated inside the modern IMOCA environment. Foiling monohulls have reshaped offshore racing. They demand a different mindset, different systems management and different preparation. Hearing how that plays out in practice is often more valuable than reading another campaign announcement.
The show itself will again include dedicated areas focused on careers, sustainability initiatives, charter operations and on water demonstrations. Within that mix, a New Zealand led offshore programme sits comfortably.
A long game for offshore sailing
The 2027 stopover will generate headlines. What matters more is what sits behind it. Offshore campaigns are built years in advance, through design decisions, funding commitments and crew development.
Colman’s return to the Auckland Boat Show is a visible marker of that process beginning to take shape.
For Kiwi offshore followers, it signals intent. For the broader marine industry, it raises a familiar question. Can New Zealand translate offshore heritage into a modern, properly resourced IMOCA campaign?
The next 12 months will start to answer that.
