---
title: "The Ocean Race 2027: 17 January start, route and teams"
description: "Starting from Alicante on 17 January 2027, a record 14,000-mile first leg to Auckland, a finish at AMAALA: the route, the format and the teams entered."
url: "https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/blog/the-ocean-race-2027-alicante-start-route-teams"
lang: "en"
---

# The Ocean Race 2027: 17 January start, route and teams

Published November 7, 2026 by [Antoine Labbe](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/about)

![The IMOCA Malizia-Seaexplorer in The Hague during The Ocean Race 2023](https://www.offshoreraces.app/photos/race-the-ocean-race.jpg)

*Photo: Kliedbrucher, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malizia-Seaexplorer_im_Hafen_von_Den_Haag.jpg)*

**In short.** The next edition of The Ocean Race, the fully crewed round-the-world race sailed in legs, starts from **Alicante on 17 January 2027**. The first leg, about **14,000 miles** to Auckland, is the longest opening leg in the race's history, with arrival in New Zealand expected on 20 February. The race is sailed in IMOCAs by crews of four including at least one woman, and finishes at AMAALA on the Red Sea. Four IMOCAs are entered so far.

## The route

The fleet leaves Alicante, the start port for the sixth edition in a row, sails down the Atlantic, rounds the Cape of Good Hope, crosses the Southern Ocean and enters the Pacific to reach **Auckland** ([IMOCA](https://www.imoca.org/en/news/news/with-one-year-to-go-the-ocean-race-2027-promises-the-ultimate-test-in-offshore-sailing)). Unlike previous editions, there is no Cape Town stopover. Auckland will host the race for the twelfth time.

The race then goes on to **Itajaí** in Brazil, the United States and Europe, before a first-ever finish at **AMAALA** on the Red Sea ([Yachting New Zealand](https://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/node/37588)). The IMOCA class gives about 32,000 miles in total ([IMOCA](https://www.imoca.org/en/the-ocean-race)). The remaining stopovers and their dates are still to be confirmed. The track of the last edition, from Alicante to Genoa, is on [The Ocean Race page](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/the-ocean-race).

| Milestone | Date | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start from Alicante | 17 January 2027 | IMOCA |
| Arrival in Auckland (leg 1) | 20 February 2027 | Yachting New Zealand |
| Next stopovers | Itajaí, United States, Europe | Yachting New Zealand |
| Final finish | AMAALA, Red Sea | Yachting New Zealand |

## The format: IMOCAs with four aboard

Each team has **four sailors, including at least one woman**, plus an onboard reporter ([IMOCA](https://www.imoca.org/en/the-ocean-race)). They race the same foiling IMOCAs as the Vendée Globe, sailed with a crew. The race also counts in the IMOCA Globe Series championship as a grade 1 event, the highest: it scores points towards qualification for the [Vendée Globe 2028](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/blog/vendee-globe-2028-start-date-qualification-skippers) ([Vendée Globe 2028 notice of race](https://www.vendeeglobe.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/avis-de-courses_2028.pdf)).

## The teams entered

The IMOCA class lists four registered boats ([IMOCA](https://www.imoca.org/en/the-ocean-race)):

| Boat | Skipper | Country |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United by the Ocean | Paul Meilhat | France |
| Embrace The Challenge | Oliver Heer | Switzerland |
| Malizia 4 | Boris Herrmann | Germany |
| DMG MORI Global One | Kojiro Shiraishi | Japan |

Malizia 4 and DMG MORI Global One are new 2028-generation IMOCAs ([Vendée Globe](https://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/article/2028-generation-imoca-launches-keep-coming)). Boris Herrmann is currently sailing Malizia 4 solo in the Route du Rhum, a good chance to watch it on the [live tracker](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/route-du-rhum/live). Paul Meilhat launched his IMOCA in Lorient in July 2026 with his Portuguese co-skipper Mariana Lobato. New Zealander **Conrad Colman** has also announced a team, Aotearoa Ocean Racing, the first New Zealand-flagged boat in more than a decade ([Yachting New Zealand](https://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/node/37588)). More entries may follow before the start; a new IMOCA costs several million euros, as explained in [how much does an offshore racing boat cost](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/blog/offshore-racing-boat-price-ultim-imoca-class40).

## Recent winners

The last edition, in 2022-2023, was won by **11th Hour Racing Team**, skippered by American Charlie Enright ([Wikipedia, 2023 The Ocean Race](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_The_Ocean_Race)). It linked Alicante to Genoa in seven legs, including the longest in the race's history, from Cape Town to Itajaí through the Southern Ocean. The year's other starts are in [the 2027 offshore racing calendar](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/calendar/2027), and the class on [the IMOCA page](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/classes/imoca).

## Frequently asked questions

### When does The Ocean Race 2027 start?

On 17 January 2027, from Alicante, Spain.

### What is the route of The Ocean Race 2027?

A first leg of about 14,000 miles from Alicante to Auckland via the Cape of Good Hope and the Southern Ocean, then stopovers in Itajaí, the United States and Europe, and a finish at AMAALA on the Red Sea. Not all stopovers were confirmed by late 2026.

### What boats race in The Ocean Race 2027?

IMOCAs, the 60-foot monohulls of the Vendée Globe, with a crew of four including at least one woman, plus an onboard reporter.

### Which teams are in The Ocean Race 2027?

Four IMOCAs are registered: United by the Ocean (Paul Meilhat), Embrace The Challenge (Oliver Heer), Malizia 4 (Boris Herrmann) and DMG MORI Global One (Kojiro Shiraishi). Conrad Colman has announced a New Zealand team.

### When do the boats reach Auckland?

The first leg is expected to finish in Auckland on 20 February 2027, after about five weeks at sea.

In this article

1. The route
2. The format: IMOCAs with four aboard
3. The teams entered
4. Recent winners
5. Frequently asked questions

## Keep exploring

Read next

- [Corentin Horeau, the IMOCA keeping pace with the Ocean Fifty · November 7, 2026](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/blog/corentin-horeau-macsf-imoca-route-du-rhum-2026)
- [Route du Rhum 2026: the IMOCAs and their skippers · October 2, 2026](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/blog/route-du-rhum-2026-imoca-skippers)
- [Vendée Globe record: from 109 days to 64 · October 2, 2026](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/blog/vendee-globe-record-history)

Races in this article

- [The Ocean Race · Next start: Jan 17, 2027](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/the-ocean-race)
- [Vendée Globe · Next start: Nov 12, 2028](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/vendee-globe)

Topics

[IMOCA](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/classes/imoca) · [2027](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/calendar/2027)

## Races in this article

- **[The Ocean Race](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/the-ocean-race)**
  The fully crewed round-the-world race, sailed in legs.
  Start: Alicante · Finish: AMAALA, Red Sea (2027) · Next start: January 17, 2027
  [IMOCA](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/classes/imoca) VO65
- **[Vendée Globe](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/vendee-globe)**
  The solo, non-stop, unassisted race around the world.
  Start: Les Sables-d'Olonne · Finish: Les Sables-d'Olonne · 24,300 nm · Next start: November 12, 2028
  [IMOCA](https://www.offshoreraces.app/en/classes/imoca)