DMG MORI SAILING TEAM : 2026, a year for new challenges
A new IMOCA, crew races, new personalities to join the Team and the emergence of new young Japanese skippers, the DMG MORI Sailing Team is preparing an ambitious four-year cycle, as highlighted by its iconic Japanese skipper, Kojiro Shiraishi.
“This year, we are building a brand-new boat with Multiplast. We are going to end the construction with our team in our yard which is completely new for us. The Ocean Race Atlantic will be the first challenge, sailed with a crew. We will need more experience. That has guided the choice of the shore team and will also guide the choice of the crew. This is essential to perform. 2026 is the year for innovation but also the year for new challenges. After 6 years of experience, we are now stepping up a gear. However, we stay true to our philosophy of inspiring and challenging young skippers at the DMG MORI Academy, keeping the door open to future opportunities in The Ocean Race."
An innovative IMOCA
After the two last Vendée Globe races, the DMG MORI Sailing Team has launched the construction
of a latest-generation IMOCA. Designed by naval architect Guillaume Verdier and the team's design
office, with the unique feature of being equally capable of performing well with a crew or solo, the
new DMG MORI GLOBAL ONE II will be unveiled in late spring 2026 and christened in July.
Crewed races, a first
While the sports program in previous years was mainly based on solo races, the future program will
include two major crew races, The Ocean Race Atlantic starting from New York in 2026 and The
Ocean Race around the world starting from Alicante in 2027.
New skills
To strengthen and diversify the team’s skills, Nicolas Lunven, skipper of the Figaro PRB and 6th in the last edition of the Vendée Globe, will join the team in charge of sports and technical optimization. The team will be joined for the first training sessions by Samantha Davies, an ultra-experienced sailor who has competed four Vendée Globe.
© anne beauge
The DMG MORI Sailing Academy
Launched in 2022, the DMG Mori Sailing Academy has enabled four young skippers to gain experience on the Mini and Figaro circuits. Federico Sampei, Hajime Kokumai and Alexandre Demange have competed in two Mini seasons. Laure Galley has competed in two Mini seasons, followed by two seasons in Figaro. In 2026 and 2027, the DMG Mori Sailing Academy will refocus on the Mini circuit integrating two young Japanese skippers Koki Sawada and Kodai Endo.
Laure Galley: “I am very grateful for the opportunity that was given to me to get started in offshore racing! The knowledge I gained over the past 4 years is invaluable: boat work, meteorology, trimming, project management… Nothing was left aside but I feel I still have a lot to learn!"
DMG MORI SAILING TEAM, the program:
2026
May - June: Launch of the new IMOCA
June–July: Training
1st September: Start of The Ocean Race Atlantic, New York
Sept–Dec: The Ocean Race preparation around the world
2027
17th January: Start of the first leg of The Ocean Race, Alicante – Auckland
September: Start of the Mini Transat, La Rochelle – Salvador de Bahia
2028
12th November: Start of the Vendée Globe
Source : DMG Mori Sailing Team
Teams info
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•••A second Japanese around the world: An international and multicultural program
And that makes two! Japanese skipper Masa Suzuki is launching his Vendée Globe 2028 campaign at the helm of a 2006 daggerboard IMOCA, “Milai 22.” He will be the second Japanese sailor to take on the challenge of sailing …
•••