The Ocean Race Atlantic is set to bring out the best of a strong IMOCA fleet

The Ocean Race Atlantic will bring together the leading offshore sailors in the world this September, as a fleet of IMOCA boats races from New York to Lorient in a high-intensity transatlantic showdown. That was the message delivered at an inauguration event held in Lorient, France on Thursday this week.

The Ocean Race Atlantic will bring together the leading offshore sailors in the world this September, as a fleet of IMOCA boats races from New York to Lorient in a high-intensity transatlantic showdown. That was the message delivered at an inauguration event held in Lorient, France on Thursday this week.

This is a new chapter for The Ocean Race, introducing a fully-crewed, gender-balanced format (two women and two men, plus an on board reporter) on a point-to-point race course designed to showcase the best the sport has to offer.

“This is the time of the event build-up that I love as everything begins falling into place when we start to meet the sailors and teams,” said Johan Salén, Director of The Ocean Race. “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.”

At the heart of The Ocean Race Atlantic is a simple but powerful concept: each four-person race crew is split equally between women and men, racing flat-out across the Atlantic. The format reflects a broader shift in the sport and builds on a trend from recent editions of The Ocean Race, where teams have been incorporating more balance into crew selection and giving more opportunities to female sailors.

For sailors, the appeal is clear. “It’s a completely mixed crew race… which is really positive and I’m glad to be able to take part,” said Justine Mettraux, sailing with Germany’s Team Malizia. “We will need to be on form from the start and try to have a good transatlantic race.”