The Ocean Race Atlantic is coming to life. Set for September 2025, this brand-new offshore sailing event will send a fleet of IMOCA 60s racing from New York across the Atlantic to Lorient, France, in one of the most compelling new race formats the sport has seen in years.
The race was formally announced at an inauguration event held at the Maison des Skippers in Lorient, where teams, skippers, and city officials gathered to mark the start of the campaign build-up.
What is the Ocean Race Atlantic?
The Ocean Race Atlantic is a point-to-point transatlantic race for crewed IMOCA 60 boats, running from New York to Lorient. It introduces a gender-balanced crew format requiring two women and two men per boat, plus an on board reporter, racing flat-out across the Atlantic.
The race start in New York is scheduled for 1 September 2026, with the fleet expected to arrive in Lorient around 9 September 2025.
“We’re looking ahead to a fantastic start in New York and then an incredible arrival in one of the meccas of ocean racing, here in Lorient,” said Johan Salén, Director of The Ocean Race.
Gender-balanced crew format: a new standard for offshore racing
At the heart of the Ocean Race Atlantic is its 50/50 crew model. Each four-person race crew must be split equally between women and men, a requirement that builds on the broader push for gender parity seen in recent editions of The Ocean Race.
Swiss sailor Justine Mettraux, racing with Germany’s Team Malizia, welcomed the format. “It’s a completely mixed crew race, which is really positive and I’m glad to be able to take part,” she said.
Francesca Clapcich, skipper of Team Francesca Clapcich powered by 11th Hour Racing (USA), added: “It’s a format I love, the 50-50 crew, female/male, as a way to really increase the opportunities for female sailors in our sport.”
IMOCA Fleet: Who is racing?
The Ocean Race Atlantic field spans teams from Europe, the USA, Japan, and Switzerland, mixing seasoned offshore veterans with crews making their debut in this format.
Confirmed teams and skippers include:
- Team Malizia (Germany), with Justine Mettraux
- Team Francesca Clapcich powered by 11th Hour Racing (USA), skippered by Francesca Clapcich
- DMG Mori (Japan), skippered by Kojiro Shiraishi, who has campaigned the boat extensively in solo events and has built a new IMOCA for this race
- Oliver Heer Ocean Racing (Switzerland), skippered by Oliver Heer
- MSIG Europe, skippered by New Zealander Conrad Colman, who is using the race to open pathways for more Kiwi sailors in the IMOCA class
- Paul Meilhat’s team (France), winner of The Ocean Race Europe 2024, currently in preparation
“I originally came to Lorient so I could have an opportunity to race around the world solo, and I’ve now done two of those successfully,” said Colman. “This marks the start of something new for us, an opportunity to get more New Zealand sailors in the IMOCA space.”
Lorient: The finish line and hub of offshore racing
Lorient has long been the home of French offshore sailing, hosting teams, naval architects, and marine technology businesses. It will serve as the finish destination for the Ocean Race Atlantic, with a wider festival of sailing scheduled around the fleet’s arrival.
“For us, it was a source of pride and an obvious choice to host this great event,” said Lorient Mayor Fabrice Loher. “It is a wonderful gift for the people of Lorient, a chance to bring the public to meet the modern heroes who cross the oceans.”
An Ocean Live Park in the city will feature youth sailing activities and ocean literacy programming alongside the race finish.
Sustainability and ocean science
The Ocean Race Atlantic will carry the event’s established Racing for the Ocean sustainability program. Race crews will collect ocean science data during the crossing, contributing to ongoing research into the health of the Atlantic. Inclusion and youth engagement programs will run alongside the race in Lorient.
