The Ocean Race is turning its attention to Alicante after the Atlantic race, with the 15th edition of the round-the-world event set to start on 17 January 2027. The city will host the departure for a sixth consecutive edition, before the IMOCA fleet tackles a record opening leg to Auckland.

Main image: Ocean Live Park in Alicante during the 2023 edition. © Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race.

Video: the countdown to Alicante is on

Watch the official video on YouTube.

Ten days at Ocean Live Park

Teams are due to arrive in Alicante from 3 January. Before the start, Ocean Live Park will offer ten days of free public activities on the waterfront, beside Race Headquarters and The Ocean Race Museum.

Visitors will be able to see the boats and sailors up close, explore the race village and discover the science and technology behind the event. The programme combines sailing and entertainment with activities for families, schools and young people, while ocean health and protection remain central themes.

For the host city and region, the return is also a chance to bring sport, tourism and the marine environment together. Regional minister Marián Cano highlighted Alicante’s role as an international showcase, while mayor Luis Barcala emphasised the opportunity for visitors to meet the teams and enjoy the atmosphere before the fleet leaves.

A 14,000-mile first leg to Auckland

According to the organisers, the opening leg will cover 14,000 nautical miles, approximately 26,000 kilometres. The route from Alicante to Auckland takes the crews out of the Mediterranean, down the Atlantic through the doldrums and into the Southern Ocean before turning towards New Zealand.

Mariana Lobato, co-skipper with Paul Meilhat of Atlantic winners United by the Ocean, sees preparation and planning as the priority for a leg that takes the fleet nearly halfway around the world. The team’s Atlantic campaign has helped build towards that challenge.

The IMOCA United by the Ocean sailing with its black mainsail
United by the Ocean under sail. © Vincent Curutchet.

Teams prepare for the next challenge

Oliver Heer, skipper of Embrace the Challenge, is preparing for his first round-the-world Ocean Race. Boris Herrmann’s Team Malizia is working with a new boat, while DMG MORI GLOBAL ONE comes into the build-up after a podium finish in The Ocean Race Atlantic.

Conrad Colman, who skippered MSIG Europe in the Atlantic race, is still finalising his plans to participate. For the New Zealander, the prospect of finishing the opening leg in Auckland gives the project a particular personal appeal.

The route beyond New Zealand

After Auckland, the announced itinerary includes Itajaí in Brazil, St. Pete-Clearwater in the United States and Cascais in Portugal, before the final passage down the Red Sea to AMAALA. The organisers say another Mediterranean stopover is likely to be added; it has not yet been confirmed.

For now, Alicante is the gathering point: ten days for the public to experience the race village, and a final preparation period for the teams before the start on 17 January.

Race yachts sailing off Alicante with the city and mountains behind them in 2023
The fleet off Alicante during the 2023 edition. Archive image. © Carlo Borlenghi / The Ocean Race.

For more information, visit The Ocean Race’s official website.