Beyond the front-running contenders of the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race lies a remarkable group of sailors for whom the 3,000-mile crossing represents something deeper than the pursuit of corrected time victory. Every entry racing under IRC has a chance of winning, but equally important is the human side of the challenge. These crews are driven by personal journeys, family bonds, youthful ambition, adventure, and the simple joy of crossing an ocean under sail. Their motivations differ, but the spirit, especially within the performance cruisers, is shared.
Dreams, firsts, and lifelong ambitions
The smallest boat currently entered is Stimmy, a Sun Fast 3300 raced two-handed by Finnish ocean racing veteran Ari Huusela and owner Annika Paasikivi. Their story is one of mentorship, courage, and first steps into bluewater sailing.
Ari has close to 100,000 ocean miles, including completing the Vendee Globe alone and unsupported after 116 days at sea. Annika, a well-respected Finnish business leader, completed her first ocean passage when the pair delivered Stimmy 500 miles from Gibraltar to Lanzarote. For her, everything is new; for Ari, everything feels joyful again. “For me, this is a relaxed, happy project,” he explains. “Our goal is simple: enjoy the sailing and finish safely.”
Ari brings his experience into every aspect of their preparation, from redundancy in electrical systems such as the autopilot to the psychological routine 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!” he says with a smile. Most importantly, he sees the race as an adventure to share: “When you are two, everything is easier. You keep each other happy. Happiness increases performance.”
The father and son team of Andrew and Sam Hall aboard Jackknife, their vintage J/125, brings another powerful human narrative. They have completed this race four times since 2022 aboard their Lombard 46 Pata Negra, winning their class but also suffering severe setbacks, including a broken rudder that ended their 2024 race early. The Atlantic has been both generous and unforgiving to them.
This year, they return in the lighter, narrower Jackknife, a boat with legendary offshore credentials. “It is a childhood dream becoming reality,” Sam says. “This is the boat Dad, and I started with, and getting her to the start line feels like a fairytale.” Their race is as much about family legacy as it is about performance. And while Jackknife is fast, living aboard her for 14 to 16 days will present its own challenges.
If Jackknife is about legacy, Germanys Walross 4 is about youthful exploration. Nine of the ten crew are university students, most of whom have never crossed an ocean. Their skipper, Mattias Kahnt, sees the race as both a sporting challenge and a valuable cultural and educational journey. “Success for such a young crew will be measured individually,” he says. “For me, the priority is a healthy crossing for the crew and the boat.”
Their 18-ton wooden yacht is built for survival rather than speed, equipped with real bunks, a functional galley, and heavy gear. They expect to be at sea longer than most competitors, and they welcome that. “We are happy to enjoy the ride a little longer,” Mattias says. They even consider food a strategic advantage: cooked meals and humor to boost morale, while faster teams rely on freeze-dried rations.
Comfort, camaraderie, and racing for the joy of it
The Solaris 55 Team 42, owned by Bernard Giroux and skippered by Dan Segalowicz, blends ambition with the pure pleasure of passage making. They know they are not the lightest or the fastest, yet their emotional connection to the boat deepened after a difficult 2024 edition. “Crossing the finish line and knowing we made it brings immense pleasure,” Bernard says. “The boat feels almost human; I am deeply grateful to her.” This is a crew inspired by camaraderie, comfort, and the beauty of being offline for weeks with only wind, waves, sun, and stars.
The newest wave of entries has formed a competitive pod of 40 foot offshore racers, each with a different story.
Marc Lepesqueux returns with his much loved vintage Sensation Class40, now 19 years old and still competitive. Based in Cherbourg, Sensation raced in the very first RORC Transatlantic Race in 2014. The 2026 edition marks his fourth crossing with RORC.
Joining the fleet is Kornog2, a Pogo 12.50 sailed double handed by Yvan Osselin and Gilles Colubi. The first Pogo 12.50 to race this event was Aloha in 2015, and this years entry continues a strong tradition: Colubi placed fifth in the 2022 Route du Rhum. The duo, both from Normandy, bring experience and enthusiasm.
Completing this fast downwind group is RocknRoll, owned by Afanasy Isaev and representing Warsash Sailing Club in the UK. The 2009 Owen Clarke design impressed last year by finishing in under 18 days with a Corinthian crew, proving itself across the Atlantic’s varied weather.
Across these stories, a single theme emerges: the race is not defined by speed alone. These sailors pursue something deeper: personal challenge, companionship, emotional fulfillment, and memories that surpass silverware.
They will likely finish behind the professional teams. They know this. Yet in their worlds, victory takes many forms: a father and son living a dream, a novice learning from a Vendee Globe finisher, students discovering the Atlantic, a cruising crew savoring every mile, and a 40-footer surfing west. When they reach Antigua, whether after 14 days or more than 20, their triumph will be just as real.
The RORC Transatlantic Race, held in association with the International Maxi Association and Yacht Club de France, will start from Marina Lanzarote on 11th January 2026.
