The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026 is officially underway across the North Atlantic, with Team Malizia taking the early initiative following a closely contested fleet departure off New York, according to official race communications. Six high-performance IMOCA yachts set sail following a virtual start line deployment located roughly 150 nautical miles offshore, clearing the coastal zone after a period of restricted speeds implemented to protect local marine mammals.
Fleet Departs New York Waters Under Slower Speeds
The opening leg of the inaugural trans-Atlantic race faced initial delays due to light wind conditions along the North American coastline. Before reaching the designated offshore start coordinates, crews navigated a mandatory slow-speed transit zone designed to safeguard marine life.
Once the virtual start signal sounded at 16:00 peninsular time, the fleet encountered 17 to 18-northeast winds and a gentle sea swell measuring 0.8 meters. These conditions allowed the 60-foot IMOCA foiling monohulls to settle quickly into downwind angles, averaging speeds between 15 and 18 nudos as they pushed southeast.
Team Malizia Sets Early Pace in Tight Grouping
Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia seized a narrow advantage during the opening hours, though the entire six-boat fleet remained tightly packed on the water. Francesca Clapcich, skipper of 11th Hour Racing, noted the early speed differential demonstrated by the German-flagged entry. “Malizia seems to be setting a different pace than the others,” Clapcich remarked, emphasizing her crew’s priority to stay within striking distance of the frontrunners.
Alongside Team Malizia and 11th Hour Racing, the competing roster features prominent international crews: United by the Ocean, co-skippered by Paul Meilhat and Mariana Lobato; Embrace the Challenge, led by Oliver Heer; DMG MORI Sailing Team, skippered by Kojiro Shiraishi; and MSIG Europe, helmed by Conrad Colman. United by the Ocean crewmember Sara Stone highlighted the strategic weight of the initial positioning. “The next few hours after the start will be very important while the fleet remains grouped,” Stone explained. “Small gains now could make a big difference in the coming days.”
Super Sprints Introduce Short-Format Speed Trials
The opening day also marked the debut of a new competitive feature for the 2026 edition: the Super Sprints. Designed as a 20-minute parallel speed competition, the format evaluates the precise distance covered by each yacht within a fixed window to establish an independent leaderboard separate from the overall trans-Atlantic standings. In the inaugural speed trial, Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia posted the fastest distance, finishing ahead of DMG MORI Sailing Team and Embrace the Challenge.
The 3,000-Mile North Atlantic Test to Lorient
With the opening sprints concluded, the fleet faces an arduous 3,000-nautical-mile journey across the North Atlantic toward Lorient, France, a historic hub for ocean racing. Weather routing and tactical positioning will dictate the leaderboard as boats seek to leverage a developing low-pressure system forming to the north. Connecting with this weather system promises high-speed reaching conditions, but miscalculating the approach risks dropping crews into softer winds.
Crews will continue pushing eastward while monitoring routing files and onboard data systems. Official organizers will publish subsequent fleet position updates and tracker reports as the IMOCA fleet deepens its offshore passage toward European waters.
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