Auckland is back on The Ocean Race route, with the City of Sails confirmed as a Southern Ocean stopover in the 2027 edition, the first time the race has called here since 2018.
The announcement was made at a media launch in the Viaduct Harbour on Monday, held alongside Steinlager 2, the boat Sir Peter Blake skippered to a clean sweep of all six legs in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race. The choice of venue was no accident, and the boat’s presence set the tone for an event steeped in New Zealand sailing history. Auckland hosts for the 11th time next year.
The fleet is expected to arrive on 20 and 21 February 2027, with a Coastal Race on 6 March, Pro-Am racing on 11 March, and departure for the next leg on 14 March. A free Ocean Live Park will run throughout the stopover in the Viaduct Harbour, opening up the teams, boats and technology to the public.
The 2027 race introduces something new: for the first time, the entire fleet races foiling IMOCA 60s, capable of speeds exceeding 30 knots. They will arrive having sailed more than 14,000 nautical miles from Alicante, through the Atlantic, around Cape Horn and across the Southern Ocean, the longest opening leg in the race’s history.
The Ocean Race Chair Richard Brisius spoke to Auckland’s place in the event’s story: “Auckland and The Ocean Race share a bond that stretches back five decades. The City of Sails has welcomed the race 10 times, and every time the fleet arrives here, you feel it: this is a place that genuinely understands what offshore sailing demands, and what it means.”
The Sir Peter Blake Trust has been confirmed as the official charity partner of the Auckland stopover, carrying forward Blake’s ocean advocacy work. Sky New Zealand has also come on board, backing a new three-part documentary series, Hell or High Water, which covers Blake’s legendary campaign and traces 50 years of the race from its Whitbread origins to the modern IMOCA era.
The stopover is backed by the Government through the Major Events Fund, with Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston describing it as an event combining international profile with sustained economic activity. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said the race would bring real energy to the waterfront and a boost for the city’s marine industry.
Learn more https://www.theoceanrace.com/en/2027
