Tune in September 1 for the start of an all-new ocean crossing adventure, The Ocean Race Atlantic. This is the third installment in The Ocean Race family of crewed IMOCA races, in addition to the around the world race and The Ocean Race Europe. New to this event is a 50/50 rule that requires each team of four sailors to include two men and two women. Each boat will also have an OBR contributing to OnBoard Live Show and posting to the race tracker for a glimpse behind the scenes.
There will be six teams competing in this first edition of the race:
- Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing, skippered by Francesca Clapcich
- Team Malizia, skippered by Boris Herrmann
- United by the Ocean, skippered by Paul Meilhat
- DMG MORI Sailing Team, skippered by Kojiro Shiraishi
- Embrace The Challenge, skippered by Oliver Heer
- MSIG Europe, skippered by Conrad Colman
Five of these skippers are Vendée Globe veterans, and all have their sights set on the 2028 solo around the world race. The Vendée Globe is capped at 40 sailors, which means qualifying is an increasingly competitive challenge. The requirements have changed this cycle to reward competitor consistency and allow for a more equitable approach to qualification. (Many will remember the outcry when maternity leave nearly derailed Clarisse Cremer’s 2024 campaign.)
Instead, a complex system of points and miles will now determine who’s on the start line in 2028. Longer races and fewer people aboard count for more points towards the IMOCA Globe Series, and each skipper’s nine best finishes in Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 events are counted, so the more miles sailed the better. The top 37 finishers in the IMOCA Globe Series will earn spots in the Vendée Globe. The final three spots are typically awarded as wild card entries.
For the 2024 race, Heer just made the cut after a grueling transatlantic in which he lost power and hand steered around the clock, ultimately scoring enough points to stay in the running for a wildcard spot, and competing in his first Vendée Globe the next year. Shiraishi has previously raced in three Vendée Globes, while Colman has done two. Herrmann made waves during the 2023 Ocean Race as a media darling before competing in his second Vendée Globe in 2024. Mielhat has also raced in two as well as the Ocean Race 2023 as skipper of Biotherm. Francesca Clapcich, representing America, made a name for herself in two Ocean Race campaigns (most notably winning the 2023 race with 11th Hour) and is campaigning for a Vendée Globe debut in 2028.
“Racing fully crewed changes everything—the boat, the rhythm, the decisions,” said Clapcich. “It’s a different discipline, and I’m looking forward to learning from a strong team around me. [The team] all brings experience in offshore sailing I don’t have yet, and that’s exactly what I need at this stage. Having a crew that reflects real balance onboard, not just on paper, matters to me too.”
But it’s not just the skippers who bring a wealth of IMOCA experience to the fleet. The benches are deep on these boats, including Justine Mettreaux, Sam Davies, Will Harris, Nico Lunven, and Mariana Lobato, just to name a few familiar faces.
The official start will take place 100 miles offshore to avoid sailing at speed through nearshore debris fields and marine mammal habitats, but a parade out of New York Harbor will give spectators plenty to see. The ceremonial start will be streamed on their website at 1pm local time on Tuesday. Until then, the fleet will be based at Brooklyn Bridge Marina, and fans will also be able to watch Speed Runs on 28th and 29th August.
For more on this year’s race and to follow the tracker, click here.
