11TH HOUR RACING

An IMOCA is one of the most advanced and demanding sailboats in the world - and it’s built for racing around the planet.

Short for International Monohull Open Class Association, the IMOCA was created for extreme offshore competition, including the Vendée Globe. Every IMOCA is 60-feet (18.28 meters) long and designed to be sailed by just one person, often for weeks at a time, without assistance.

What makes an IMOCA special is the balance between innovation and equality. The rules tightly control size and safety, but allow freedom in design, which means boats are constantly evolving. Modern IMOCAs use foils - curved appendages that lift the hull out of the water - to go faster and more efficiently, while onboard systems must be reliable enough to survive the Southern Ocean.

These boats are powerful and physical. Sailing an IMOCA means managing speed, routing strategy, sail changes, repairs, sleep deprivation, and the ocean itself - alone or in short crew configuration. It’s a true test of seamanship, resilience, and decision-making.

In short: an IMOCA isn’t just a boat. It’s a high-performance racing machine - and a platform that pushes sailors to their absolute limits.