The Transat CIC 2024 solo race from Lorient will finish into New York, just as the very first pioneering race did in 1960.
The Transat CIC, formerly known as the OSTAR, has been making ocean racing history since 1960. The 2024 start from Lorient, France is on 28 April, and is set to bring solo ocean racing’s biggest, most modern IMOCA and Class40 fleet to the very heart of New York City.
This historic transatlantic race has variously finished in New York, Newport Rhode Island and Boston over the years. New York offers so much, not least passing the Statue of Liberty and arriving in the ‘city that never sleeps’ docking against the Manahattan skyline.
After they finish the Transat CIC race, the raceboats will be berthed at the ONE°15 Brooklyn Marina in the heart of Brooklyn Bridge Park, between Piers 4 and 5, very close to Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights. With a fleet of 33 IMOCA 60 yachts including many of the latest, cutting edge foiling designs representing nine different nations.
The city of New York is inextricably linked to the long history of solo ocean racing.
Some years before anyone had really worked up the idea of racing solo around the globe, in 1957 English yachtsman Colonel Herbert ‘Blondie’ Hasler proposed a solo race across the Atlantic from Plymouth to New York.
And so on 10 June 1960 the Observer Singlehanded TransAtlantic race set off with five intrepid solo skippers starting off Plymouth, not all on the day.
Racing the biggest boat in the fleet, the 40 footer Gypsy Moth III, English yachtsman Francis Chichester won, crossing the finish line in the approaches to New York after 40 days 12 hours and 30 minutes.
Remarkably all five of the starters finished, French pioneer Jean Lacombe on his 21.5 footer Cap Horn reaching New York fifth after 74 days having started three days late and taking the most southerly route close to the Azores.
With a fleet of 33 IMOCA 60 yachts including many of the latest, cutting edge foiling designs representing nine different nations.
Competing in this fleet will be James Harayda who will race under the US flag and 13 of the latest Class40s which includes Italians Alberto Bona (IBSA) and Ambrogio Beccaria (Alla Grande – Pirelli) who will be among the favourites to win.
As such this will represent by far the biggest and most significant gathering of modern ocean racing yachts to be hosted in New York for many years and it will represent a great draw to sailing, boating and non-sailing fans alike to come and visit the race fleet after their race.
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