IMOCA and Virtual Regatta launch the 2026 season of the official offshore virtual championships
by IMOCA and Virtual Regatta 23 Apr 09:43 PDT
IMOCA and Virtual Regatta launch the 2026 season of the official offshore virtual championships © Virtual Regatta
IMOCA and Virtual Regatta announce the renewal of their partnership around the IMOCA Virtual Series, the official virtual offshore racing championship of the IMOCA Class. Both partners are committing to a new season, continuing a collaboration that brings real offshore racing and its online counterpart closer together.
This partnership confirms a shared ambition: to make offshore racing accessible to as many people as possible, enabling sailing enthusiasts, gamers and navigation fans to take part virtually in the major races on the IMOCA Globe Series calendar.
A virtual championship at the heart of the IMOCA season
Created in 2022, the IMOCA Virtual Series is the official virtual offshore racing championship dedicated to the IMOCA Class. Hosted on the Virtual Regatta Offshore platform, it allows players from around the world to take a virtual start in the main races on the IMOCA calendar.
More than one million unique players have already taken part in the championship, with the number of finishers multiplied by six over two seasons.
Throughout the season, participants accumulate points based on their results in each virtual race. An overall standings table is used to crown the IMOCA Virtual Series champion each year.
The format replicates the key strategic challenges of offshore racing: route selection, weather analysis, sail management and anticipation of ocean conditions, all within an environment inspired by the real conditions faced by skippers.
The season schedule
The 2026 IMOCA Virtual Series season will follow the highlights of the IMOCA calendar, with several major races taking place simultaneously in both real and virtual format.
The programme includes:
- 3rd May: 1000 Race
- 7th June: Vendée Arctique - Les Sables d'Olonne
- 1st September: The Ocean Race Atlantic
- 17th September: Défi Azimut - Lorient Agglomération
- 1st November: Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe
The calendar will be supplemented by exclusively virtual races, giving players more opportunities to compete throughout the season.
The top players will be recognised at the end of the championship, with the title of 2026 IMOCA Virtual Series Champion at stake — an accolade that has now become a benchmark within the eSailing ecosystem.
In their words
Antoine Mermod, President of the IMOCA Class: "We are delighted to continue this partnership with Virtual Regatta. It gives players the opportunity to immerse themselves in the emotions and strategic challenges experienced by our skippers at sea. More than one million participants in two seasons — that is proof that this ambition is widely shared. See you on 3rd May for the launch of the IMOCA Virtual Series and the 1000 Race, the first stage of a virtual championship that will deliver its verdict at the end of the year."
Tom Gauthier, Deputy Managing Director of Virtual Regatta: "Continuing this adventure with the IMOCA Class confirms the place of the virtual world within the offshore racing ecosystem. In just a few seasons, the IMOCA Virtual Series has established itself as the benchmark virtual championship, driven by a community that awaits each start with the same anticipation as the skippers themselves. This new season will bring the two worlds even closer together and consolidate a championship that we want to build over the long term, in step with the IMOCA Class calendar."
www.virtualregatta.com/offshore-game