St. Pete-Clearwater hosting transatlantic leg of The Ocean Race

St. Pete-Clearwater will be a stop on the Ocean Race 2027 as competitors take on the Atlantic crossing.

“The Ocean Race has always been defined by the cities and communities that embrace it, and this new transatlantic leg showcases everything the race stands for,” said Richard Brisius, Race Chairman of The Ocean Race.

“Departing from St. Pete-Clearwater and arriving in the historic sailing waters of Cascais, is a way to connect two coastal cities with enormous passion for the ocean.”

Florida has welcomed the race five times before.

The transatlantic leg concludes in Cascais, Portugal, which has a colorful maritime heritage. Cascais is a destination renowned for sailing and is located just 30 kilometers west of Lisbon

During the Volvo Ocean Race era, Florida hosted the event five times — with Fort Lauderdale welcoming the fleet in the 1989–90, 1993–94, and 1997–98 editions, and Miami in 2001–02 and 2011–12.

For the first time, the race’s American leg turns to the Gulf Coast, with St. Pete-Clearwater in the spotlight.

The Ocean Race will be based at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, right along the downtown waterfront from 4 to 16 May 2027 and has the support of the University of South Florida (USF), home to one of the United States leading marine science programs and ocean health research efforts.

The IMOCA fleet will be berthed at the waterfront by USF during the stopover.

“The Ocean Race embodies much of what our community already represents: a deep tradition of ocean racing and a strong commitment to ocean science, sustainability, marine innovation, STEM education, and tourism,” said Rob Britts, the Stopover Director for St. Pete-Clearwater.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome this event and the global spotlight it brings, but we’re even more excited about the lasting legacy it can create for our community.”

The 15th edition of The Ocean Race departs Alicante, Spain on 17 January 2027, sending the foiling IMOCA fleet on the longest opening leg in race history with an epic 14,000 nautical mile passage to Auckland, New Zealand.

The route then returns to South America via Itajaí, Brazil, before heading north to the United States and the new transatlantic leg from St. Pete-Clearwater to Cascais.

The race concludes with an exciting sprint down the Red Sea to AMAALA, marking the first time in race history that sailors have competed on the waters of the Red Sea.

This will be the second edition to feature the cutting-edge, foiling IMOCA 60 fleet — the fastest fully-crewed offshore race boats ever built — and will require each team to include at least one female sailor at all times.

The race continues its landmark Racing for the Ocean sustainability program, to drive action for ocean health.

St. Pete-Clearwater expects the exposure as a race stopover host to significantly boost visitation and to further propel it as a key marine tourism destination in the US.

St. Pete-Clearwater hosting transatlantic leg of The Ocean Race

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