2026 RORC Transatlantic Race

Yes, every yacht racing under IRC has a theoretical shot at glory. Yes, the leaderboard will matter. But for many crews lining up in Marina Lanzarote this January, the race west is about something else entirely: shared dreams, first crossings, family bonds, youthful curiosity and the quiet satisfaction of racing an ocean under sail.

This is the human fleet — and it is every bit as compelling as the sharp end.

Dreams, firsts and rediscovered joy

At the smaller end of the fleet sits Stimmy, a Sun Fast 3300 sailed double-handed by Finnish offshore legend Ari Huusela and owner Annika Paasikivi. On paper, it’s a modest entry. In reality, it’s one of the race’s most powerful stories.

Huusela brings close to 100,000 ocean miles, including a solo, unsupported Vendée Globe finish after 116 days at sea — a feat that places him among sailing’s most resilient figures. Paasikivi, by contrast, is stepping into the blue for the very first time. Her longest ocean passage to date? A 500-mile delivery from Gibraltar to Lanzarote aboard Stimmy.

For Huusela, the project has rekindled something rare. “For me, this is a relaxed, happy project,” he says. “Our goal is simple: enjoy the sailing and finish safely.”

His experience filters into every detail of their preparation, from redundancy planning to the psychology of endurance. The autopilot, he notes, is “the third crew member.” And morale, he insists, is performance-critical. “Looking forward to a good cup of coffee can motivate you to clean the boat,” he smiles. “Happiness is performance enhancing.”

It’s a partnership built not on pressure, but on shared discovery — proof that even after a lifetime at sea, the ocean can still feel new.

Family legacy across an ocean

If Stimmy represents mentorship, Jackknife is about legacy.

Sailed by father-and-son team Andrew and Sam Hall, the vintage J/125 marks a return to familiar ground — and unfinished business. The Halls have contested the RORC Transatlantic Race four consecutive times since 2022 aboard their Lombard 46 Pata Negra, winning their class but also suffering the Atlantic’s cruelty, most notably a broken rudder that ended their 2024 campaign prematurely.

Now they return in a lighter, narrower boat with serious offshore pedigree.

“This is a childhood dream becoming reality,” says Sam. “This is the boat Dad and I started with. Just getting her to the start line feels like a fairytale.”

Life aboard Jackknife won’t be easy — 14 to 16 days of minimalist living — but the race is about more than comfort or results. It’s about shared memories, resilience, and a family narrative still being written, mile by mile.

Youth, curiosity and the academic Atlantic

Germany’s Walross 4 brings a very different energy to the fleet — youthful, inquisitive and quietly determined. Nine of the ten crew are university students, most of whom have never crossed an ocean before.

Skipper Mattias Kahnt sees the campaign as both sporting and educational. “Success for such a young crew will be measured individually,” he explains. “For me, a healthy crossing for both the crew and the boat is the biggest priority.”

Their 18-ton wooden yacht is built for survival rather than speed — heavy, comfortable and reassuringly traditional. They expect to be at sea longer than most, and they welcome that. Proper bunks, a real galley and cooked meals are part of their strategy.

While lighter boats survive on freeze-dried rations, Walross 4 will fight fatigue with food, humour and shared experience — discovering the Atlantic not as conquerors, but as students of it.

Comfort, camaraderie and the joy of arrival

The Solaris 55 Team 42, owned by Bernard Giroux and skippered by Dan Segalowicz, sits at the intersection of ambition and appreciation. They know they are neither the lightest nor the fastest boat in the race, but that has never been the point.

After a challenging 2024 edition, their emotional bond with the yacht has deepened.

“Crossing the finish line and feeling we made it is an immense pleasure,” says Giroux. “The boat becomes almost human. I’m immensely grateful to her.”

For Team 42, the transatlantic is about comfort, camaraderie and disconnection — weeks defined only by wind, waves, sun and stars. In a hyper-connected world, that purity is victory enough.

A pod of forty-foot flyers

The 2026 entry list has also formed a compelling ‘pod’ of 40-foot offshore racers, each bringing pedigree, personality and Atlantic credentials.

Marc Lepesqueux returns aboard his beloved Sensation, a 19-year-old Class40 veteran that competed in the very first RORC Transatlantic Race in 2014. Based in Cherbourg, this will be Lepesqueux’s fourth RORC crossing — a testament to enduring commitment rather than chasing the latest carbon weapon.

Joining him is Kornog2, a Pogo 12.50 sailed double-handed by Yvan Osselin and Gilles Colubi. With Route du Rhum credentials and proven downwind pace, they bring serious form and Normandy grit to the fleet.

Completing the trio is Rock’n’Roll, a 2009 Owen Clarke design owned by Afanasy Isaev and representing Warsash Sailing Club. Last year, she crossed the Atlantic in under 18 days with a Corinthian crew — a performance that earned respect across the fleet.

A race measured in heart as well as speed

Across all these stories, one truth emerges: the RORC Transatlantic Race is not defined by velocity alone.

These sailors know they may finish behind the professionals. They accept that. But victory comes in many forms — a first ocean crossing completed, a father and son sharing a dream, a crew of students discovering endurance, a partnership built on trust, a boat surfing west into history.

When they finally reach Antigua, whether after 14 days or more than 20, their triumph will be real — etched not in silverware, but in memory.

The RORC Transatlantic Race, in association with the International Maxi Association and Yacht Club de France, starts from Marina Lanzarote on 11 January 2026.

The horizon is long. The reasons for sailing it are longer still.