Glossary · Racing
Offshore racing
Also called: Course au large, large, offshore, ocean racing, course océanique
Sailing races on the open sea, over days or weeks, far from the coast.
Offshore racing differs from inshore regattas in length and commitment: boats sail day and night, non-stop or in legs, fully self-sufficient. It is raced single-handed, double-handed or crewed, on boats of different classes (IMOCA, Ultim, Ocean Fifty, Class40, Figaro…).
Its great events are the transatlantic races (Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre) and the round-the-world races (Vendée Globe, The Ocean Race), plus record attempts.