The Ocean Race again an official partner of the Yacht Racing Forum 2026

Coastal Race of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 in Boka Bay, Montenegro on September 20, 2025 © Vincent Curutchet / The Ocean Race Europe 2025

The Ocean Race will once again be featured at the Yacht Racing Forum 2026 as an official partner of the event.

"Our relationship goes back to the very beginning of the Yacht Racing Forum, when The Ocean Race (then the Volvo Ocean Race) supported the inaugural edition held in Monaco in 2008 ", said Bernard Schopfer, the CEO of the Yacht Racing Forum. " Nearly two decades later, we are proud to count one of the world's most iconic sporting events among our valued partners. "

Much more than a sailing race, The Ocean Race has established itself as a unique global platform that combines elite sport, sustainability, science, education and international business engagement.

Racing under the banner "United by the Ocean", it connects continents, major cities, global businesses, governments, NGOs, and millions of fans through a shared purpose: protecting the ocean while showcasing one of the toughest team sporting challenges on the planet.

Its global reach is remarkable. The 2022-23 edition generated a cumulative television audience of 1.7 billion, alongside 33.8 million social video views and more than 5,400 hours of television coverage worldwide. Pioneering initiatives like on board reporters and Innovative technologies such as the new OnboardLive system have brought the action offshore directly to fans in real time, creating new 'always on' storytelling opportunities for teams and partners.

The Ocean Race also stands apart through its authentic sustainability credentials. Sustainability is embedded within the core of the event, not treated as a separate CSR initiative. The latest edition achieved a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with the previous race while operating under a climate-positive model. At the same time, participating boats collected more than four-million ocean science data points from some of the most remote areas of the planet, reinforcing the race's position as a leading platform for ocean health and climate action.

For host cities, partners and teams, the commercial value extends far beyond media exposure. Free-to-enter Ocean Live Parks attracted 1.8 million visitors during the last edition, creating powerful opportunities for public engagement, hospitality, customer activation and stakeholder relations. The race also provides an exceptional environment for executive networking, business development, and partners often comment about a halo-effect in terms of employee engagement and long-term relationship building through engagement with the compelling human story of the race.

Unlike many sporting events that last only days or weeks, The Ocean Race unfolds over several months and across multiple continents, providing a continuous stream of content, innovation stories, sustainability narratives and human adventures that sponsors can activate throughout an extended campaign period.

The Race HQ and The Ocean Race Museum has been in Alicante, Spain since 2009, where the event has generated over 1.65 million visitors, 8,000 jobs, with a direct impact of €467 million on GDP, and an estimated media impact of €200 million.

This has led to The Ocean Race once again being designated as an Event of Exceptional Interest, leading to significant tax incentives for commercial partners of teams and the Race in Spain.

At the Yacht Racing Forum 2026, we will explore how The Ocean Race continues to redefine the commercial, environmental and sporting potential of sailing, and why it remains one of the most compelling partnership platforms in global sport.