Runners & Riders Line Up for the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race

Three days into the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race, the fleet has made its collective decision — and it’s the decision that has shaped Atlantic crossings for generations. Every boat has committed to the southern escape from the Canary Islands, pressing down the African coast before turning west for Antigua, avoiding the lighter air to the north and positioning early for the trade winds that will define the race.

Beyond the polished bow waves of the front-running contenders, the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race carries a deeper, more enduring story — one written not in corrected time calculations, but in courage, companionship and personal ambition stretched across 3,000 miles of open Atlantic.

With fewer than fifty days until the start cannon cracks across Marina Lanzarote, the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race is already shaping up to be one of the most compelling offshore contests of the decade. Nineteen boats are currently entered for the 3,000-mile charge west to Antigua — and more contenders are expected to join the line as the winter trade winds begin to settle in.

In the 2025 revival of the Admiral’s Cup—one of sailing’s most prestigious and storied international events—it was the twin-sailed warhorses of the Yacht Club de Monaco that seized the moment. At the heart of this historic campaign was Jolt—or more precisely, Jolt 3 and Jolt 6—a two-boat arsenal that fired on all cylinders and carried Monaco to its first-ever Admiral’s Cup triumph.

After the roar of sails and the thunder of applause that marked the triumphant comeback of the Admiral’s Cup in 2025, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has wasted no time in charting the course for the next chapter of offshore sailing’s most storied contest. The Club today confirmed that the 2027 Admiral’s Cup will run from 15–30 July, a full fortnight of world-class racing that promises to carry forward the magic, momentum, and sheer theatre of the 2025 revival.

## A Principality Crowned: Monaco Wins the 2025 Admiral’s Cup The revived Admiral’s Cup, long considered the unofficial world championship of offshore sailing, returned in 2025 after a 22‑year absence. And in a watershed moment, the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM)—making its very first appearance—secretly emerged as the 2025 Admiral’s Cup champions. Monaco’s debut was nothing short of sensational, combining precision sailing with strategic mastery across inshore Solent races, a demanding Channel leg, and a nail‑biting Rolex Fastnet Race finale. Runner‑up on the podium was the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, with Italy’s Yacht Club Costa Smeralda claiming third

The Rolex Admiral’s Cup fleet spent a wild second night offshore, taking on the long, punishing beat through the Celtic Sea. The wind wasn’t ferocious, but the sea state was—big Atlantic swell, relentless chop, and a hard-earned haul towards one of offshore racing’s most iconic landmarks: the Fastnet Rock. Standing 54 metres tall, forged from Cornish granite, the lighthouse marks more than just a turning point in the Rolex Fastnet Race. In its 100th edition, it’s a century-old beacon of salt, grit, and glory.

After the cannon roared, the fleet scattered like gulls in a gale. Black Pearl (YCCS), skippered by Stefan Jentzch, wasted no time — tacking straight toward the mainland shore. She sniffed out a lift and took it like a thief in the night, gaining ground fast. But out near the island side, Jolt 3 (YCM) helmed by Peter Harrison, was all business — early leader on the water and staying sticky to the fleet like barnacles on a buoy.

As the Admiral’s Cup fleet thundered west toward Start Point, the gloves were off and the tactics got real. The leaders split north of the rhumb line—Black Pearl taking the high road, while Eric de Turckheim’s Teasing Machine dug in low and fast to the south. Black Pearl rounded Start Point with a boat length to spare over Jolt 3, both storming along at nine knots. Slightly offshore, Rán and Teasing Machine were pushing harder, notching up close to ten.

Wouldn’t be the first time a Jean-Pierre Kelbert design came in sideways and stole the silverware. His initials are stamped on the transom — literally — and his boats have a reputation for upsetting the pecking order in offshore racing. The 34-foot JPK 1050 might just be the sharpest new weapon in a fleet of 73, and it’s already shown a flash of brilliance.

Revived by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) for its centenary year and to be held biennially thereafter, the 2025 edition promises high-performance racing, intense offshore challenges, and a celebration of sailing heritage.

The fight to claim the prestigious monohull line honours prize in the centenary edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Rolex Fastnet Race is lining up to be a tough one between the world’s fastest 100ft maxi yachts. The winner of the Erivale Trophy for monohull line honours will follow a long line of the most significant offshore racing yachts of all time, such as Rambler 88, Comanche, ICAP Leopard 3, Alfa Romeo, Stealth, Steinlager 2, Congere, Nirvana, Condor, American Eagle, Gitana IV, Stormvogel, Latifa, among many others.

Less than two months now remain until the start of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, this year coinciding with the Royal Ocean Racing Club's centenary. Another huge fleet has entered. While 2023’s 50th edition of the event, that back in 1925 caused the RORC to be founded, saw a record 430 boats set sail, the 2025 entry list indicates that even this figure may be exceeded when the race starts from Cowes on 26 July, bound for Cherbourg-en-Cotentin via the famous Fastnet Rock off southwest Ireland.