The Ocean Race

32,000 nautical miles, five souls aboard, a finish in the Red Sea: The Ocean Race 2027 pushes the boundaries of crewed round-the-world racing once again.

A fresh start

On 1 January 2027, the IMOCA 60s will slip their lines from Alicante, the race's historic home port. Destination: Amaala, Saudi Arabia — a first in the race's history. Between these two points, approximately 60,000 km of ocean, the screaming depressions of the Deep South, equatorial heat, and the fickle winds of the Red Sea.

The Ocean Race remains one of the three monuments of world sailing, alongside the Olympic Games and the America's Cup. But this edition marks an unprecedented geographical turning point that will redraw racing strategies.

From the Whitbread to the foiling era: half a century of transformation

The race has lived through three distinct lives.

The pioneers (1973-2001). It all began under the name Whitbread Round the World Race. In 1973, 17 yachts left Portsmouth. It was Mexican Ramon Carlin, aboard Sayula II, who took the win — a complete outsider. In the following decades, figures like Sir Peter Blake forged the race's legend. Blake finally won the race in 1989-90, after multiple attempts.

The Volvo professionalization era (2001-2019). The Swedish sponsor transformed the adventure into a media and sporting powerhouse. One-design classes — Volvo Open 70 then Volvo Ocean 65 — tightened the gaps and controlled budgets.

The technological era (since 2019). Renamed The Ocean Race, the event integrated IMOCA 60s from 2023, merging the DNA of the Vendée Globe with crewed racing. Foils entered the dance. Speed exploded. So did the stakes.

The course: Alicante – Auckland – Amaala

The 2027 route breaks the mould. While the Mediterranean start remains classic, the Middle Eastern finish represents a major strategic rupture.

• Start: Alicante (Spain) — 1 January 2027
• Key stopover: Auckland (New Zealand) — the pivot between Southern Ocean legs and the climb back to the northern hemisphere
• Finish: Amaala (Red Sea, Saudi Arabia) — an unprecedented final destination

Other stopovers will be announced soon. But the profile is clear: crews will have to chain together depressions in the Roaring Forties, then switch to a radically different register — light winds, oppressive heat, surgical tactical navigation in the approaches to the Red Sea.

A hybrid course that will reward versatility as much as pure speed.

Four sailors, one woman minimum, one onboard reporter

The crew format is one of the strong markers of this edition. Each IMOCA carries five people:

• 4 sailors responsible for performance
• 1 On Board Reporter (OBR) dedicated exclusively to producing images and videos — they don't touch helm or winch

Gender diversity is mandatory: at least one woman must be among the four sailors. A rule that pushes teams to build genuine female development pathways.

With only four pairs of hands for a 60-footer with foils over 32,000 miles, fatigue management becomes a strategic parameter of the highest order. Every watch matters. Every mistake costs dearly.

Life aboard: freeze-dried and extreme amplitudes

No glamour on a racing IMOCA. Food relies almost exclusively on freeze-dried rations — every superfluous gram is banned. The sailors endure vertiginous temperature swings: -5°C in the Southern Ocean, up to +40°C in the tropics and approaching the Red Sea.

All in a habitat designed for speed, not comfort. Permanent humidity, foil noise, sleep fractured into 20-minute chunks. The longest and toughest event in world professional sport doesn't steal its title.

The contenders

The final entry list isn't yet complete, but several teams are already structuring the fleet:

• 11th Hour Racing Team — winner of the previous edition, the American team has set the preparation standards for this format
• Team Malizia — the German outfit, deeply committed to both sustainability and high-level competition
• Holcim - PRB — recent machines, stated ambitions

Race direction is entrusted to Phil Lawrence.

Find the entered boats and compare their specifications on spencer.club.

The OBR, now an indispensable media weapon

The mandatory presence of an onboard reporter transforms each boat into a floating production studio. It's no longer a bonus: it's a rules requirement.

For sponsors, real-time storytelling now weighs as much as the rankings. Raw images from the Southern Ocean, faces marked by fatigue, manoeuvres filmed at water level — all of this feeds a global media machine that justifies the investments.

The ability to tell the story has become a selection criterion on par with the racing record.

Ocean, science and sustainability

The Ocean Race uses its platform as a laboratory for ocean health. Sustainability is displayed as a core value of the event. The boats regularly carry sensors to collect scientific data in areas that research vessels rarely reach.

A fascinating paradox: these ultra-fast racing machines also become environmental sentinels, crossing the most remote ocean deserts on the planet.

No prize money, just glory

A detail that speaks volumes about the race's DNA: no cash prize rewards the winner. Victory is sufficient unto itself. Prestige, sporting achievement, a place in history — that's what drives crews to risk months of their lives over 60,000 km of ocean.

The teams have now entered the critical preparation phase. The countdown to 1 January 2027 has begun.

Follow the race news and complete calendar on spencer.club.