One week out from New York, and the countdown to something genuinely new in offshore racing has begun.
The Ocean Race Atlantic starts on 1 September, sending six IMOCA teams sprinting across the North Atlantic to Lorient, France. It's the first running of this event. Two new-generation IMOCA boats will race for the very first time, and every crew in the fleet will sail under a 50-50 rule, two women and two men, side by side.
New Zealand has skin in this one. MSIG Europe carries the NZL flag among the six-strong fleet, racing alongside Team Malizia (GER), Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing (USA), United by the Ocean (FRA), DMG MORI Sailing Team (JPN) and Embrace The Challenge (SUI).
Each boat will carry an on-board reporter this time round, giving fans a closer look at life offshore than ever before, with daily updates through the OnBoard Live Show and streaming direct from each boat via the official race tracker.
Speed is the story here. These are foiling IMOCAs, built to fly, but a transatlantic sprint asks more of a crew than raw pace. Navigation, tactics, weather, fatigue and reliability all have to line up, and that challenge is sharper still for the Malizia and DMG MORI teams, who are racing brand new boats for the first time under real race pressure.
The North Atlantic in early September can be brutal or brilliant, depending which side of a weather system you're on. Strike it right, and the 24-hour distance record of 641 nautical miles is genuinely within reach.
The race sits alongside the inaugural Racing for the Ocean Teams Challenge, with teams measured across a range of sustainability metrics as they go. Impact Partner 11th Hour Racing is backing the push, with shared goals around ocean science, sustainable event delivery, and equity and inclusion.
Along the way, the fleet will gather ocean and climate data for scientific research. Both New York and Lorient are running full programmes of Try Sailing days and Ocean Health and Literacy initiatives while the boats are in town.
Francesca Clapcich, skipper of the US-flagged 11th Hour Racing boat and a winner of the 2022-23 round-the-world race, is expecting fireworks. "I think we will see some high speeds and if we are lucky with the weather at the end of the summer, we could see a record-breaking transatlantic," she said. "It is pretty special to be in New York for the start, as we have a lot of supporters for our team here and it will be great to give them an opportunity to experience our sport."
Paul Meilhat, who won The Ocean Race Europe last summer and co-skippers United by the Ocean, points to what the finish means. "This is a classic transatlantic route and a race where we have a chance to bring the story of what we experience on the ocean to life," he said. "The finish in Lorient, the 'Sailing Valley' that is home to so many of us, makes the arrival even more special."
Fans can watch it all unfold through The Ocean Race's digital channels, with the OnBoard Live show streaming daily at 1100 EDT. The ceremonial start from New York on 1 September, past the Statue of Liberty, streams from 12 noon EDT.
For anyone within reach of Brooklyn Bridge Marina, the fleet is berthed there in the lead-up to the start, with Speed Runs open to watch on 28 and 29 August. Then it's out to open water, and a start line further offshore, before the real racing begins that evening.
Lorient will be waiting at the other end. The free Ocean Live Park runs from 9 to 13 September, with sailor meet-and-greets, ocean health displays, concerts and family entertainment lined up for the fleet's arrival. For MSIG Europe and the Kiwis following its progress, that arrival will carry a little extra weight.
