Atlantic racing thriller

The Ocean Race Atlantic delivers thrilling transatlantic debut.

Photography by The Ocean Race

18 September 2026

The inaugural Ocean Race Atlantic has delivered a dramatic transatlantic contest, with just 27 minutes separating the first four IMOCAs after a demanding race from New York to Lorient, France.

United by the Ocean, skippered by Paul Meilhat, claimed victory after a closely fought Atlantic crossing that saw six fully crewed IMOCAs race east from New York.

The new event marked several firsts for The Ocean Race, including its first point-to-point transatlantic race in 53 years and the first IMOCA event featuring 100 percent mixed-gender crews.

It also introduced the daily Super Sprint competition and expanded live coverage from the boats, including OnBoard Live connections and 24-hour streaming from deck cameras.

United By The Ocean powers across the Atlantic on its foils during The Ocean Race Atlantic.

11th Hour Racing sails past the Statue of Liberty during The Ocean Race Atlantic. Photo Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Atlantic

The Ocean Race Atlantic, on board MSIG Europe. Photo by Georgia Schofield

Illustration of Ocean Live Park in Lorient, arrival of The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026. Photo : Jean-Louis Carli / The Ocean Race Atlantic

Young visitors meet The Ocean Race’s albatross mascot at the Ocean Live Park in Lorient.

Try Sailing during the Fan Day on Sunday 13th of September 2026 in Lorient, last day of the Ocean Race Atlantic. Photo : Jean-Louis Carli / The Ocean Race Atlantic

The racing proved equally compelling. After less than 10 days at sea, just 27 minutes separated the leading four boats at the finish in Lorient, with United by the Ocean taking the win ahead of 11th Hour Racing.

DMG MORI Global One finished third, while Team Malizia completed the leading quartet.

New York provides spectacular start

The six-boat fleet assembled at Brooklyn Bridge Marina before sailing past the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazzano Bridge on its way into the Atlantic.

Rather than starting close to shore, the racing began from a virtual starting line 150 nautical miles offshore, designed to keep the fleet away from known marine mammal and ocean megafauna habitats.

Once racing was underway, the fleet encountered increasingly demanding conditions.

Winds strengthened towards 20 knots as the boats headed east, with Team Malizia initially leading the closely grouped fleet.

A developing weather system then brought stronger winds and rougher seas, pushing both boats and crews hard.

DMG MORI Global One suffered an electronic blackout, MSIG Europe reported problems with its furling system and Team Malizia dealt with a ballast leak followed by an impact to its port foil. Embrace the Challenge also suffered damage when part of its mainsail tore away.

For more than 48 hours, the crews battled through difficult conditions before the weather eased and the focus shifted back from survival to racing.

Racing for the Ocean Teams Challenge winners celebrate on stage at The Ocean Race Atlantic awards night.

Representatives from Spain and France take to the stage during The Ocean Race Atlantic awards night. Photo Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Atlantic

Teams and race personnel celebrate on stage as The Ocean Race Atlantic looks ahead to Alicante. Photo Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Atlantic

Team Malizia celebrates its Super Sprint success at The Ocean Race Atlantic awards night. Photo Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Atlantic

Four-way battle for Lorient

A high-pressure system ahead of the fleet compressed the race as the leaders slowed, effectively resetting the contest.

Team Malizia remained furthest north, United by the Ocean and 11th Hour Racing occupied the middle of the course, while DMG MORI Global One approached from further south.

With the finish approaching, the gaps continued to shrink. Four boats that had been separated by 50 nautical miles on Monday were just 30 miles apart a day later, before the margin dropped to around 10 miles in the final stages.

Meilhat and his United by the Ocean crew ultimately prevailed, with all four leading boats finishing within 27 minutes.

The result also produced an intriguing comparison between IMOCA generations. United by the Ocean and second-placed 11th Hour Racing represented the previous generation of boats, while the newer DMG MORI Global One and Team Malizia finished third and fourth respectively.

The newer boats demonstrated their speed in the event’s Super Sprint competition, which rewarded the fastest IMOCA over a 20-minute period each day.

Team Malizia won four of the daily contests to take overall Super Sprint honours, while DMG MORI Global One recorded four second places.

The Ocean Race 2027 next

Attention now turns towards the next edition of The Ocean Race, with the fully crewed round-the-world race scheduled to start from Alicante, Spain, on 17 January 2027.

The Ocean Race Atlantic provided teams with an important competitive test ahead of that start, while also introducing new sporting and broadcast concepts that could offer a glimpse of what lies ahead in the round-the-world event.

The Atlantic race also incorporated The Ocean Race’s ocean health and education programs, with activities in Lorient including exhibitions, talks, documentary screenings, sailing experiences and STEM programming.

More than 2,000 children participated in educational activities during the Lorient program, while local businesses, associations and NGOs were involved in the Ocean Live Park celebrations.

theoceanrace.com