The 15th Ocean Race · Start from Alicante · 17 January 2027
Watch The Ocean Race Start from a Boat in Alicante
What is The Ocean Race?
The round-the-world race that keeps coming back to Alicante
The Ocean Race is a crewed round-the-world sailing race, and Alicante is where it begins. The 2027 edition is the 15th, and the start on 17 January 2027 will be the city's sixth in a row. The race headquarters and The Ocean Race museum are here as well.
The first leg is about 14,000 nautical miles to Auckland, the longest opening leg in the race's 54-year history. The fleet races in the IMOCA class, and the teams named so far include Team Malizia with Boris Herrmann, Embrace the Challenge with Oliver Heer, and United by the Ocean Team with Mariana Lobato and Paul Meilhat.
Ashore, the race village, Ocean Live Park, runs from 8 to 18 January on the Muelle de Levante, close to the Paseo de la Explanada. Alicante's marina sits at the foot of the old town, so the village and the boat are easy to combine on foot.
15th edition
Alicante's sixth consecutive start, on 17 January 2027.
About 14,000 NM
First leg to Auckland, the longest opening leg in the race's 54-year history.
IMOCA class
Teams named so far include Team Malizia, Embrace the Challenge and United by the Ocean Team.
Ocean Live Park
The race village on the Muelle de Levante, from 8 to 18 January.
Watching from the water: what we know and what we do not
A start worth seeing from the sea, if the rules and the weather allow
A race start is the one moment the whole fleet is together. From a boat you see it from the sea side, with your own group and your own skipper, rather than over someone's shoulder on the quay.
Here is what we cannot tell you yet. The City of Alicante's race information gives no start time and says nothing about spectator boats or exclusion zones. On-water viewing areas will be set by the organisers and the Capitanía Marítima, and they must be confirmed before you sail. Your skipper works within them, whatever they turn out to be.
Your own deck
Your group and your skipper, with no crowd in front of you and no fixed seat.
Coats, not swimwear
This is a winter outing. Dress for cold and wind, and do not expect swim stops: our normal Alicante season runs June to October.
A marina in the middle of town
The Marina Deportiva has 744 berths at the foot of the old town, so there is no transfer at either end of the day.
The village before or after
Ocean Live Park runs from 8 to 18 January, so the boat and the village fit into the same weekend.
Our Ocean Race charter offer
Skippered boats only, on request
For 17 January we offer skippered charters only, and availability is on request because this date falls well outside our normal season. We plan the departure around the start time once it is published, stay within the permitted areas, and do not sail if the skipper judges that the conditions are wrong. No licence is needed from anyone on board.
Private yachts, with skipper
Sailboats, catamarans and motor yachts for your own group. On our Alicante pages, a skippered sailboat or catamaran for a day runs roughly €150 to €700 depending on size, and a motor yacht with skipper starts around €800 a day. For January we confirm the boat and the price for your date.
See yacht charter in AlicanteLarger groups
Bringing a bigger party? Tell us your numbers and we will tell you honestly what is possible on this date. Event boats are arranged on request, subject to availability and season.
Explore large group chartersBringing clients or a team? Combine the start with a structured corporate programme: see corporate charters in Alicante.
The Ocean Race start in Alicante: practical information
Date, time, race village and viewing from the water
Start date
Sunday 17 January 2027, from Alicante.
Start time
The City of Alicante's race information does not give one. Check the organisers' schedule closer to the date; we plan the charter around it.
Ocean Live Park
The race village, on the Muelle de Levante close to the Paseo de la Explanada, from 8 to 18 January.
Viewing from the water
Areas will be set by the organisers and the Capitanía Marítima. Confirm them before you sail; we do this with you.
Race facts on this page come from the City of Alicante. Anything not stated there, including the start time and on-water rules, is left open here on purpose.
It is January. Here is the honest version.
It is winter on the Mediterranean, so we run skippered boats only and the weather decides. If the skipper or the marina calls it off, you get a full refund or another date, but a race start will not wait for a better forecast. If that risk suits you, we would love to take you out.
The Ocean Race Alicante: frequently asked questions
On 17 January 2027. It is the 15th edition of the race and Alicante's sixth consecutive start. The city's race information does not give a start time, so check the organisers' schedule closer to the date.
That is what we would like to arrange, on a skippered boat and on request. It depends on two things that are not settled yet: the on-water viewing areas, and the weather on the day.
We do not know yet, and we will not guess. On-water viewing areas will be set by the organisers and the Capitanía Marítima, and they must be confirmed before you sail. Your skipper stays within whatever is published.
We do not sail if it is not safe. If the skipper or the marina calls it off, you choose another date or a full refund. The race start itself will not move for us, so a bad forecast can mean missing it from the water. Ocean Live Park is ashore on the Muelle de Levante as a fallback.
No. For this date we only offer boats with a professional skipper, so nobody in your group needs a qualification.
On our Alicante pages, a skippered sailboat or catamaran for a day runs roughly €150 to €700 depending on size, and a motor yacht with skipper starts around €800 a day. January availability is on request, so we quote for your date, your group and your boat.
Do not plan on it. It is January, and our normal Alicante season, when the sea is above 20°C, runs June to October. Bring warm layers and something windproof.
Alicante on the water, the rest of the year
If you would rather be on this water when it is warm, the season runs June to October. See boat rental in Alicante, a boat party in Alicante or a full-day boat trip to Tabarca.
Explore other charters
Discover more ways to enjoy the Valencia coast
Ask about The Ocean Race start, 17 January 2027
Tell us your group size and we will come back with what is possible for that date. Availability is on request, and viewing areas and weather are confirmed before you sail.