Aotearoa Ocean Racing's Conrad Colman joined by top trail biker for Transat Café l'OR
On Sunday, eighteen double-handed crews will depart from Le Havre to embark on the Transat Café l’OR, formerly Transat Jacques Vabre, a storied transatlantic race that has sailed this oceanic course since 1993.
For the Transat Café l’OR Aotearoa Ocean Racing's Conrad Colman has been joined by top French ultra-distance runner Mathieu Blanchard, who is new to sailing. Blanchard won the 625km Yukon Artic Ultra earlier this year, and will then take on the TransMartinique, a 134 km trail run through the rugged terrain of Martinique, after the race finish.
Covering 4,350 nautical miles, from the English Channel down into tropical trade winds, their destination is Fort-de-France, Martinique. In this 17? edition, the IMOCA fleet joins Ultim, Ocean Fifty and Class40.
Earlier this month, Aotearoa Ocean Racing (AOR), New Zealand’s newest national sports team, has announced its European strategy during the first-ever Kiwi Marine Technology Symposium held in Lorient, France.
Organised in partnership with regional economic agencies Brétagne Next and Audelor, the two-day symposium brought together innovators, athletes, and business leaders under the Brittany sunshine to explore the shared future of marine technology and ocean racing. A VIP delegation of guests took part in curated sessions, sailing experiences with AOR skipper and co-founder Conrad Colman, and visits to leading marine technology companies including SeAir, FC Cube, Avel Robotics, and Lorima.
“This event is about connection—between innovation, nations, and people who share the ocean as a stage,” said Conrad Colman, co-founder and skipper of AOR. “France and New Zealand are world leaders in both performance sailing and sustainable marine technology. Bringing those worlds together here in Lorient is the start of something powerful.”
In attendance were diplomatic representatives from both France and New Zealand, professional sailors, global tech and marine enterprises, and well-known New Zealand athletes including Liv Mackay, strategist for the New Zealand SailGP team The Black Foils, and Michael Ruru, half-back for local rugby club Vannes. The event also featured a special virtual address from legendary former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick, underscoring the growing sense of antipodean pride and connection.
Co-founder Rowan Gyde presented AOR’s long-term vision to establish a sustainable and collaborative pathway between France and New Zealand. The strategy focuses on building economic partnerships, developing talent pathways, and fostering innovation across both marine technology and ocean racing sectors.
“Our mission goes beyond sport,” said Gyde. “We see a real opportunity to strengthen diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties between our two nations while inspiring the next generation—especially women, youth, and Maori and Pasifika sailors—to see offshore sailing and marine innovation as a future they can belong to.”
Delegates also heard from other pioneering New Zealand organisations including KiwiFibre, an Otautahi Christchurch company advancing harakeke flax composites; the New Zealand Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata in Le Quesnoy, which celebrates the century-long bond formed during the First World War; and sustainability leaders Ocean Restoration Aotearoa (ORA) and EnviroStrat, who shared practical examples of regenerative marine initiatives underway across Aotearoa. Looking ahead, Colman and Gyde turn their attention to the Transat Café l’Or, a double-handed transatlantic race from Le Havre, France to Martinique, in which Colman will compete alongside elite French ultrarunner Mathieu Blanchard.
Preparations are also underway for The Ocean Race (Global), set to begin in January 2027, with a historic stopover in Auckland announced for March 2027 before the race concludes in the Red Sea.
Co-founder Rowan Gyde presented AOR’s long-term vision to establish a sustainable and collaborative pathway between France and New Zealand. The strategy focuses on building economic partnerships, developing talent pathways, and fostering innovation across both marine technology and ocean racing sectors.
“Our mission goes beyond sport,” said Gyde. “We see a real opportunity to strengthen diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties between our two nations while inspiring the next generation—especially women, youth, and Maori and Pasifika sailors—to see offshore sailing and marine innovation as a future they can belong to.”
Delegates also heard from other pioneering New Zealand organisations including KiwiFibre, an Otautahi Christchurch company advancing harakeke flax composites; the New Zealand Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata in Le Quesnoy, which celebrates the century-long bond formed during the First World War; and sustainability leaders Ocean Restoration Aotearoa (ORA) and EnviroStrat, who shared practical examples of regenerative marine initiatives underway across Aotearoa. Looking ahead, Colman and Gyde turn their attention to the Transat Café l’Or, a double-handed transatlantic race from Le Havre, France to Martinique, in which Colman will compete alongside elite French ultrarunner Mathieu Blanchard.
Preparations are also underway for The Ocean Race (Global), set to begin in January 2027, with a historic stopover in Auckland announced for March 2027 before the race concludes in the Red Sea.