Sailing
How fast are IMOCA boats? Inside the machines racing The Ocean Race Atlantic
Watch the Ocean Race live and for free on DAZN
A 60-foot sailing boat covering more than 640 nautical miles in a single day sounds almost impossible.
But that is the level of performance produced by the latest generation of IMOCA yachts, the high-tech foiling machines currently racing across the Atlantic.
The six boats competing in The Ocean Race Atlantic are designed to combine extreme speed with the strength needed to survive some of the toughest conditions in offshore sailing.
Watch The Ocean Race Atlantic live and free on DAZN.
So just how fast are they, and what makes an IMOCA so different from an ordinary yacht?
How fast can an IMOCA boat go?
The Ocean Race Atlantic
The best measure of IMOCA speed comes from the incredible distances these boats can cover over 24 hours.
During The Ocean Race in 2023, Team Malizia covered 641.13 nautical miles in 24 hours, setting the race record for distance sailed in a single day.
That works out at an average speed of around 26.7 knots — approximately 49.5 km/h or 30.7 mph — sustained for an entire day.
That performance came during a transatlantic leg, making it particularly relevant to the challenge facing crews in The Ocean Race Atlantic.
The boats can also reach considerably higher peak speeds for shorter periods when wind and sea conditions allow.
How big is an IMOCA?
IMOCA stands for the International Monohull Open Class Association, and the boats are built around a strict 60-foot rule.
The maximum hull length is 18.28 metres, while overall length can reach 20.12 metres. The boats can be up to 5.85 metres wide, with a maximum draught of 4.5 metres and a mast reaching around 29 metres above the water.
Despite those dimensions, modern IMOCAs are remarkably light. Current-generation boats can weigh around eight tonnes.
Keeping weight down is crucial. Less mass allows the boat to accelerate more quickly and make better use of the enormous forces generated by its sails and foils.
How do IMOCA foils make the boats faster?
The Ocean Race Atlantic
The most recognisable feature of a modern IMOCA is the pair of large foils extending from either side of the hull.
These wing-shaped appendages generate lift as the boat accelerates, helping to raise part of the hull out of the water.
That reduces drag and allows the boat to travel much faster than a conventional displacement yacht.
The introduction of foils has transformed the IMOCA class over the last decade, with designers continually searching for ways to generate more lift while maintaining control in rough offshore conditions.
The foils can also be adjusted depending on the wind angle, sea state and tactical demands of the race.
How much sail does an IMOCA carry?
The numbers above deck are just as striking.
A modern IMOCA can carry around 260 square metres of sail upwind and as much as 600 square metres downwind.
That downwind sail area is larger than three tennis courts, giving the boat enormous power when the crew finds the right combination of wind angle, sail choice and foil setup.
The mast itself stands around 29 metres high, roughly equivalent to a nine-storey building.
Why The Ocean Race Atlantic is a perfect test of IMOCA speed
Anne Beaugé
The Ocean Race Atlantic sends the fleet from New York to Lorient across roughly 3,000 nautical miles of the North Atlantic.
The route combines fast reaching conditions, changing weather systems and major tactical decisions, meaning outright speed alone is not enough.
Crews must balance performance with reliability, knowing that pushing too hard can damage sails, foils or other critical equipment hundreds of miles from land.
Weather routing also plays a huge role. Teams are constantly trying to position themselves in the strongest and most favourable winds while avoiding conditions that could slow them down or place unnecessary strain on the boat.
That combination of raw speed, cutting-edge technology and endurance is what makes the IMOCA fleet one of the most advanced classes in offshore sailing.
When conditions line up, a 60-foot yacht averaging almost 50 km/h for 24 hours shows just how far modern offshore racing technology has come.
