The Ocean Race is the toughest test of a team in sport – and sailing’s greatest round-the-world challenge. Since 1973, winning the Race has been an obsession for the world’s best sailors – Olympic champions, record breakers and pioneers. With teams racing through the most extreme spots on the planet – closer to the astronauts in the Space Station than anyone else on land – and calling at iconic cities on 6 continents, The Ocean Race is a truly global sporting competition with adventure and sustainability at its heart, and sailors testing the limits of human ambition and performance.
Sailing’s toughest offshore races have long been bastions of male dominance, but that’s about to change in a dramatic way. When The Ocean Race Atlantic departs New York City on 1st September, every one of the six IMOCA teams racing across the Atlantic will carry identical crew composition: two men and two women. It’s the first time in the event’s 53-year history that gender parity has been mandated, and it represents a seismic shift in how elite ocean racing operates.
The requirement comes after steady progress. The 2014-15 Ocean Race saw just 18% female participation. By 2022-23, that had risen to 28%, with teams required to carry at least one woman. This new 50/50 rule takes that principle and flips it on its head. Rather than tokenism, it demands genuine balance across every team.
Francesca Clapcich, who became the first Italian woman to win The Ocean Race in 2022-23, will skipper Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing in the Atlantic event. She sees the mandate as more than symbolic. “This puts world-class female sailors in the most visible, high-performance context in offshore racing,” she says. “It sends a message to every young sailor watching that this sport has a place for them. The rules of the game are changing, and that belonging isn’t something you have to earn by shrinking yourself to fit in.”
Paul Meilhat, who raced aboard Biotherm in 2022-23 with a 50/50 crew on three of the seven legs, agrees the shift matters. Having sailed alongside women for two decades, he reckons they’re simply better. “Their contribution is every bit as important as the men on the team,” he says. “Different experiences, skills and ways of thinking make you stronger. In the end, you want the best team possible.”
The transatlantic sprint from New York to Lorient will follow the Gulf Stream, but the race organisers have recognised that lasting change needs more than rule changes. They’ve lined up a series of clinics, talks and water-based activities aimed at widening the pipeline. The Magenta Project is hosting two technical skills clinics for women interested in marine careers. Brooklyn Bridge Sail Club will run beginner sessions for underrepresented communities in New York, while French organisers are offering similar programmes in Lorient. There’s also a documentary screening and discussion about women’s leadership in ocean sciences and conservation.
Rebecca White, Senior Advisor at The Ocean Race, frames it squarely. “The ocean is for everyone, but opportunities within sailing have historically been limited. We’re committed to turning the tide.” She points out that mandating equal crews in elite competition is rare across all sports. “We hope this inspires others to take steps towards greater equality, and that one day rules like these won’t be needed because equal representation has become the norm.”
For New Zealand’s ocean racing community, The Ocean Race Atlantic offers a practical lesson. The athletes themselves have already endorsed the direction, and the results speak for themselves. Better crews make better decisions at sea. Whether the sport’s other governing bodies follow suit remains to be seen, but come September, six IMOCA boats will prove it works.
