Every entry racing under IRC has the chance of winning the race, but on top of that is the human side of the challenge. Crews driven by personal journeys, family bonds, youthful ambition, adventure, and the simple joy of racing an ocean under sail. These motivations are diverse, but the spirit, especially in the performance cruisers, is shared.
Dreams, firsts, and lifelong ambitions
Currently the smallest boat in the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race is Stimmy, the Sun Fast 3300 raced two-handed by Finnish ocean-racing legend Ari Huusela and owner Annika Paasikivi. Their story is one of mentorship, courage and first steps into the blue.
Ari has close to 100,000 ocean miles behind him, including finishing the Vendée Globe alone, unsupported, and after 116 days at sea. Annika, a highly regarded Finnish business leader, only completed her first-ever oceanic sail in Stimmy when the pair delivered the boat 500nm from Gibraltar to Lanzarote. For her, everything is new; for Ari, everything is suddenly joyful again. “For me, this is a relaxed, happy project,” he explains. “Our goal is simple: enjoy the sailing and finish safely.”
Ari’s wisdom filters into every aspect of their preparation, from redundancy in electrical systems such as the autopilot, to the crucial psychological habit of rewarding oneself daily. “The autopilot is our third sailor and for the human crew, looking forward to a good cup of coffee can motivate you to clean the boat!” smiled Ari. More importantly, he sees the race as an adventure to share: “When you’re two, it’s much easier. You keep each other happy. That makes everything work. Happiness is performance enhancing!”
Family, legacy and a return to roots
The father-and-son team of Andrew and Sam Hall on Jackknife, racing their vintage J/125, brings another powerful human thread. The Halls have done this race four times in a row since 2022 in their Lombard 46 Pata Negra. The team has won their class but also suffered brutal setbacks, including a broken rudder that ended their race early in 2024. The transatlantic has been both generous and unforgiving to them.
This year marks their return to the race on the lighter, narrower Jackknife, a boat with legendary offshore pedigree. “It’s a childhood dream becoming reality,” Sam says. “This is the boat Dad and I started with and just getting her to the start line feels like a fairytale.” The theme is clear: their race is as much about family legacy as performance. And while Jackknife is fast, living aboard her for 14–16 days will be “another challenge on its own.”
Youth, curiosity and the academic spirit
If Jackknife is about legacy, then Germany’s Walross 4 is about youthful adventure. Nine of the 10 crew are university students, most crossing an ocean for the first time. Their skipper, Mattias Kahnt, sees the race not only as a sporting challenge but as part of a bigger cultural and educational voyage. “Success for such a young crew will be measured individually,” he says. “For me, a healthy crossing for the crew and the boat is the biggest priority.”
Their 18-ton wooden yacht is built for survival, not speed, with proper bunks, a real galley and heavy equipment onboard. They expect to be out longer than most and they embrace that. “We are happy to enjoy the ride a little longer,” Mattias admits. They even see food as a strategic weapon: proper cooked meals and humour to keep spirits high while faster competitors slurps on freeze-dried rations.
Comfort, camaraderie and racing for the joy of it
The Solaris 55 Team 42, owned by Bernard Giroux and skippered Dan Segalowicz, combine ambition with the sheer pleasure of being at sea. They know they are not the lightest or fastest, yet their emotional connection to the boat, strengthened after a difficult 2024 edition is profound. “Crossing the finish line and feeling we made it is an immense pleasure,” Bernard says. “The boat becomes almost human; I’m immensely grateful to her.” This is a crew motivated by camaraderie, comfort and the beauty of being disconnected from the world for weeks - “only wind, waves, sun and stars,” added Bernard.
A pod of forty-foot flyers
The latest wave of entries for the RORC Transatlantic Race has created a new ‘pod’ of competitive 40-foot offshore racers, each with its own story and pedigree.
Marc Lepesqueux returns with his much-loved vintage Sensation Class40, now 19 years old and still going strong. Based in Cherbourg, Sensation took part in the very first RORC Transatlantic Race back in 2014 and 2026 will mark his fourth transatlantic with RORC, adding another chapter to his long-running commitment to the race.
Also joining the fleet is Kornog2, a Pogo 12.50 sailed double-handed by Yvan Osselin and Gilles Colubi. The first Pogo 12.50 to compete in the race was Aloha in 2015, and this year’s entry carries serious form - Colubi’s Pogo placed fifth in the 2022 Route du Rhum. The duo hail from Normandy and bring both offshore experience and plenty of enthusiasm to the starting line.
Completing this group of 40-foot downwind specialists is Rock’n’Roll, owned by Afanasy Isaev and representing Warsash Sailing Club in the UK. The 2009 Owen Clarke design made a strong impression last year by completing the race in under 18 days with a corinthian crew, proving themselves over the Atlantic’s full range of conditions.
A race measured in heart as well as speed
Across these stories a single theme emerges: the race is not defined by speed alone. These sailors chase something rarer; personal challenge, companionship, emotional fulfilment, and memories that may outlast the silverware.
They will almost certainly finish behind the professional contenders. They know that. But in their worlds, victory comes in many forms: a father and son living a dream; a novice ocean sailor learning from a Vendée Globe finisher; a boat full of students discovering the Atlantic; a cruising yacht crew finding joy in every wave; a downwind flyer surfing west. When they finally reach Antigua, whether after 14 days or more than 20, their triumph will be no less real.
The RORC Transatlantic Race in association with the International Maxi Association and Yacht Club de France will start from Marina Lanzarote on 11th January 2026.
