The oldest of the singlehanded races, The Transat (formerly OSTAR) was created in 1960 from a bet between a handful of British sailors to find out if they were capable of crossing the Atlantic singlehanded.

Despite 50 registration requests, only five sailors took the start from Plymouth, including one Sir Francis Chichester, who triumphed after 40 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes at sea. The legend was born.

The greatest names in ocean racing will associate their name with it: Éric Tabarly, Alain Colas, Philippe Poupon and Loïck Peyron, the only sailor to have won it three times. Armel Le Cléac'h won in 2016, when he set a reference time of 12 days, 2 hours, 28 minutes and 39 seconds on board his VPLP-Verdier Banque Populaire VIII, before winning the Vendée Globe a few months later.

In 2020, as The Transat CIC was preparing to celebrate its 60th anniversary, the pandemic forced OC Sport Pen Duick, the organising company, the CIC, the Title Partner, and all of the event's institutional and private supporters, to cancel the event a few weeks before the start. The next edition of the event was due to take place four years later. To write this new chapter, Lorient will be the starting point for the race in 2024 and also in 2028, as the city has committed itself to two editions.