Transatlantic Race 2025
Adventure and Uncertainty Await Competitors Readying for Epic Battle Across the North Atlantic
Enjoying a spectacular evening cocktail reception overlooking Newport Harbor, one competitor in the upcoming Transatlantic Race 2025, which starts tomorrow off Castle Hill Lighthouse just after 1 pm, summed up his simmering anxiety this way: “I’m not yet comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Distance racing is inherently an uncomfortable sport. It can be, in turns, thrilling, boring, maddening and elating. But, it’s consistently uncomfortable. Crossing the North Atlantic—known for its inclement weather, cold water and perpetually damp conditions—takes that to an extreme beyond what most sailors know. Of course, therein lies the allure. The distance, the weather and the history all play a part in making this race—which was first sailed in 1866 but hasn’t occurred since 2019—a bucket-list challenge for many sailors.
“This will be my first Transatlantic Race, and I think the length of the race is what stuck out to me the most,” says Morgan Murphy (at left with brother Liam), who will be sailing on the 82-foot Ikigai, alongside her dad and brother. “It’s my dad’s fifth Transatlantic race. Growing up and watching him prepare for the races and cheering him all the way, it’s just such an endeavor. Now to be a part of it, it’s something I’m very excited for.”
The Transatlantic Race 2025 is organized by the New York Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, with support from the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Storm Trysail Club. The race will start from Newport, R.I., on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, and finish off Cowes, England, one to three weeks later. The competitors will cover a distance of approximately 3,000 miles. IRC handicap scoring will determine the winners in each division. The 2025 edition will be the 32nd Transatlantic sailing competition organized by the New York Yacht Club. The race is sponsored by Peters & May and Helly Hansen.
Click here for the current entry list.
