With less than a year remaining until the start of The Ocean Race 2027, anticipation is building for what promises to be one of the most demanding editions in the event’s history. On 17 January 2027, the world’s elite offshore sailors will set sail from Alicante, Spain, embarking on a record-breaking opening leg to Auckland, New Zealand—the longest first leg ever sailed in the race’s 53-year history.
Covering approximately 14,000 nautical miles, the epic passage will take crews across the Atlantic, around the Cape of Good Hope and deep into the Southern Ocean before reaching the Pacific. The route sets an uncompromising tone for a race widely regarded as the toughest fully crewed challenge in professional sailing.
The 2027 edition will follow a truly global course, with confirmed stopovers including Auckland and Itajaí, Brazil, before further ports in the USA and Europe are revealed. The race will culminate with a groundbreaking Grand Finale at AMAALA on the Red Sea, marking a new chapter for the event.
Sailed aboard cutting-edge IMOCA foiling yachts, teams will face extreme conditions while racing under a mixed-gender crew format, reinforcing the race’s commitment to inclusivity at the highest level. Alongside competition, sustainability remains central, with the Racing for the Ocean programme once again integrating science, education and ocean advocacy throughout the race.
