The New IMOCA Generation Faces Its First Atlantic Test

The new generation of IMOCAs is here — but how fast are they really? The Ocean Race Atlantic provides the first major test as a fleet of brand new cutting-edge and modified IMOCA 60s takes on a 3,000-mile transatlantic sprint from New York to Lorient. Among the boats attracting plenty of attention are Boris Herrmann’s new Malizia and Kojiro Shiraishi’s DMG MORI — two of the latest designs pushing the IMOCA rule in their search for even more offshore performance. But they’re not alone. New boats, extensively reworked existing designs and teams preparing for everything from The Ocean Race to the Vendée Globe, fully crewed, double handed or solo, there are plenty of unanswered questions about how this new generation will stack up. So, it has been no surprise that there is a great deal of interest in this major offshore race as some of the new breed crossed the start line for the transatlantic sprint. In Part 1 of our Ocean Race Atlantic coverage, we take a closer look at the boats and teams lining up in New York as they headed out into the Atlantic.