Crossing the line first in New York to Lorient won't be the only thing that matters when six IMOCA teams tackle The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026. There's a second scoreboard running the whole way across, and it has nothing to do with boat speed.
It's called the Racing for the Ocean Teams Challenge, and it measures what teams are doing for the planet rather than how fast they're doing it.
Built in collaboration with IMOCA and backed by 11th Hour Racing, the event's Impact Partner, the challenge scores all six crews against 30 sustainability criteria spanning operations, science, education, sustainable boat building, climate impact and advocacy.
Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts count too, along with each team's own projects aimed at making a positive difference beyond the racecourse. The aim is to recognise whoever, collectively and individually, is making the strongest contribution to ocean health, climate action and equity in the sport.
Holcim PRB won the inaugural edition at The Ocean Race Europe 2025.
For the Atlantic leg, the competition has grown. New awards will go to the team with the lowest carbon footprint, the individual crew member judged to have made the best effort, the strongest support for access and equity, and the most effective ocean science communications, all sitting alongside an overall winner.
"Sailors in The Ocean Race spend more time at sea than almost anyone else, so they understand the growing pressures it faces first-hand," said Lucy Hunt, Ocean Impact Director at The Ocean Race. "This gives them a unique platform to inspire others, speak authentically about why the ocean matters and explain why protecting it is so important."
Many crews are already running their own ocean health and climate initiatives. Hunt says the challenge is designed to push that work further.
"Many of the teams are already leading initiatives in ocean health and climate action, and the Racing for the Ocean Teams Challenge is designed to recognise those efforts, encourage them to go even further, and motivate others to take action alongside them," she said. "By making this a competition, we're showing that success in our sport isn't just about crossing the finish line first, it's also about the positive impact teams can have beyond the racecourse."
Winners will be revealed at The Ocean Race Atlantic Awards Night in Lorient in September. The trophy itself is crafted from recycled ocean plastic, fittingly enough. Alongside it, winners receive €1,000 for their Impact Partner project, to support further environmental and social change.
The Atlantic race marks the first point-to-point competition in The Ocean Race's 50-year history. It's run in partnership with 11th Hour Racing under a shared mission to advance ocean science and literacy, demonstrate sustainable event excellence, and champion equity and inclusion through the first-ever mandatory 50-50 gender-balanced crew.
