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Organizers of The Ocean Race, the world’s premier offshore sailing competition, have announced that St. Petersburg, Florida has been selected as the only North American race port for the 2027 edition of the 30,000-mile sailing challenge around the world. The 12-day event will feature a race village, team boat viewings, sailing and ocean-themed exhibits, and STEM and ocean science programming.

Why it matters

The Ocean Race is considered one of the most iconic and challenging sailing events in the world, attracting thousands of spectators. Hosting this prestigious event will put St. Petersburg on the map as a marquee sailing destination and provide a significant economic boost to the region through increased tourism and spending.

The details

The Ocean Race is a fully crewed offshore sailing race that begins in Alicante, Spain on January 17, 2027. St. Petersburg is scheduled to be the fourth stop out of less than 10 total stops, with the fleet arriving on May 4 and departing on May 16, 2027. The 60-foot foiling sailboats will be docked at the waterfront by the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, and the Ocean Live Park race village will be based at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club along the downtown waterfront.

The Ocean Race 2027 begins on January 17, 2027 in Alicante, Spain.The St. Petersburg stop is scheduled for May 4 through May 16, 2027.

The players

The Ocean Race

The world’s premier offshore sailing competition, considered the ‘Mount Everest of sailing’ where teams race around the world over many months.

Visit St. Pete-Clearwater

The local tourism organization that worked to bring The Ocean Race to the St. Petersburg area.

University of South Florida St. Petersburg

The university where the 60-foot foiling sailboats will be docked during the St. Petersburg stop.

St. Petersburg Yacht Club

The location of the Ocean Live Park race village along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront.

Mirko Groeschner

The director of host cities and marketing for The Ocean Race.

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What they’re saying

“The Ocean Race is maybe the most iconic, toughest in all of the sailing world. I’ve heard it described as the Mount Everest of sailing, where you quite literally are racing right the way around the world over many months.”

— Steve Grimes, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater chief marketing officer

“The around the world race is a massive journey. So, these sailors are on the boat non-stop sailing for a number of consecutive days. So, the leg from Itajaí in Brazil up to St. Pete, Clearwater will take about three weeks. So, three weeks, imagine that, three weeks, constant racing, constant battling with wind and waves, changing directions all the time, not much sleep.”

— Mirko Groeschner, Director of host cities and marketing for The Ocean Race

“This is more than just a race to bring people to the destination and a race watch on TV. This is the research, the sustainability aspects, the connections to what’s going on down at USF and the College of Marine Sciences, the research hub down there. This is a pretty incredible event.”

— Brian Lowack, President and CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater

What’s next

Race officials and local authorities are still working out the details of the event, including the specific locations for the various activations and sailing events throughout the St. Petersburg and Pinellas County area.

The takeaway

Hosting The Ocean Race 2027 will be a major coup for St. Petersburg, establishing the city as a premier sailing destination and providing a significant economic boost through increased tourism. The event will also showcase the region’s commitment to ocean research and sustainability through partnerships with the University of South Florida.