around the world yacht race auckland

GLOBE 40: A LIFELONG DREAM

The GLOBE 40 is a Round the World race, which is accessible to both informed amateurs and professional skippers. It is a Round the World, which combines competitive performance, adventure and travel, a Round the World whose course takes skippers off the beaten track and offers up some unique stopovers, a Round the World on a craft that is accessible both competitively and financially.

The Class40 is the benchmark monohull for offshore racing with the 60-foot Imoca Vendée Globe.

It is an international support which gives the Globe40 a planetary dimension.

The 1st edition of the Globe40 has been given in Tangier, Morocco on June 26, 2022. This will be the first offshore race start on African soil.

After more than 30,000 miles sailed and 8 legs crossed, the arrival of the Globe40 will be in Lorient, the leading European hub for ocean racing.

A double race

The Globe40 is a double-handed race with the possibility of changing one of the two skippers at each stage.

The race program

Tangier the great start venue.

• Start from Tangier on June 26, 2022
• Arrival of the first Class40 in Cape verde on July 05, 2022
• Start from Cape Verde on July 17, 2022

Mauritius Island

• Arrival of the first Class40 in Mauritus island on August 18, 2022
• Start from Mauritius island on septembre 11, 2022
• Arrival of the first Class40 in Auckland on Octobre 06, 2022
• Start from Auckland on Octobre 29, 2022 at 12pm
• Arrival of the first Class40 in Tahiti on Novembre 08, 2022
• Start from Tahiti on Novembre 26, 2022
• Arrival of the first Class40 in Ushuaia on Decembre 15, 2022
• Start from Ushuaia on January 08th, 2023
• Arrival of the first Class40 in Recife on 25th January 2023
• Start from Recife on 5th February 2023

Grenada island

• Arrival of the first Class40 in Grenada island on 14th February 2023
• Start from Grenada island on 24th February 2023

Lorient Agglomeration

• Arrival of the first Class40 in Lorient Agglomeration on March 13, 2023

VIRTUAL REGATTA AND THE GLOBE40 LAUNCH A 2ND VIRTUAL EDITION IN 2024

INTERVIEW – LISA BERGER

INTERVIEW – MUSSULO 40 JOSÉ CALDAS

INTERVIEW – INTERACTION TEAM VOILE YANNIG ET ERWAN LIVORY

INTERVIEW – JANGADA 40

THE GLOBE40 2025/ 2026 PRESENTS ITS FIRST ENTRIES TOGETHER WITH AN OUTLINE OF THE COURSE

Partners of the legs.

MAURITIUS ISLAND

GRENADA ISLAND

LORIENT AGGLOMÉRATION

Official suppliers

00(33) 1 47 04 61 14

[email protected]

5 rue de l’Amiral Hamelin 75016 Paris

Quality worth making room for

Round the world like it’s 1973

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

It’s a windy, uncertain day on the harbour when Translated 9 arrives.

The Italian crew of 12 hang off the sides of the vessel, waving and cheering as the Sky Tower comes into view.

After more than a month at sea, the Viaduct is the first dry land they’ll stand on since they left Cape Town for the second leg of the Ocean Global Race, an eight-month race around the world that sees Auckland play host to scores of intrepid sailors during the Christmas period.

The Italians yell out to a media vessel as they approach the shore. 

What are they looking forward to most? Champagne.

They look sun-burned, exhausted and happier than anybody else in this hemisphere – and they haven’t even yet realised they’ve won.

The racers are circumnavigating the globe with the technology level of 1973, in honour of the 50th anniversary of its first incarnation as the Whitbread Round the World Race.

That means sextants, paper charts and fax machines instead of GPS, iPhones and computers.

One hundred and thirty-two racers are coming through Auckland after around a month braving the Southern Ocean and the Roaring Forties, before leaving in mid-January for the difficult turn south of Cape Horn en route to Punta del Este in Uruguay.

From there the yachts will cross the Atlantic for Southampton, where they will make ground some eight months after they first left.

Heather Thomas is the skipper for the Maiden, a 58-foot yacht with an all-women crew sailing to raise funds for girls’ educational programmes around the world.

She saw the Maiden across the finish line by Auckland’s Royal Yacht Squadron in mid-December, after 38 days at sea.

Thomas said time at sea goes quickly, at least until the end is in sight.

“You kind of forget everything else exists. It’s definitely quite exciting coming into land after being out for that long,” she said. “But I find it goes really quickly until the last couple of days, when you can see land.”

She said the hardest part about a long sea voyage is the sleep deprivation.

“The exhaustion is probably the worst part of it. There are times when you are just absolutely exhausted, and that makes everything really difficult,” she said. “The storms are not that bad – yet.”

The crew slept in four-hour shifts on their trip across the bottom span of the planet, while Thomas and her first mate both did six hours on, six hours off.

She said it means the crew is seldom all on deck together, so a bit like in a student flat, she sometimes needs to call meetings for everyone to air grievances about which chores are not being done.

But despite all being cooped up on a 58-foot space for weeks at a time, she said tempers hadn’t flared on board.

“I don’t think we ever have any huge arguments, that I’m aware of anyway,” she said. “I feel like I probably would know.”

One crew member mentions how she’d been on toilet cleaning duty since Cape Town (which does seem like a point of contention) – but on the whole, the crew seem pretty bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for people who just crossed an ocean.

They’re from all over – the United Kingdom, USA, South Africa, India, Afghanistan, France and French Polynesia.

“We’re all here for the same goal,” Thomas said. “It’s not like a normal job where maybe you don’t love what you do. Everybody here loves what they do and they want to be here and work towards the same end goal.”

What’s that end goal? “To win.”

Maiden is second overall at the moment. If they can beat Translated 9 in the next two legs they could become the first all-female crew to win an around-the-world race.

“They’re tough competition,” Thomas said.

Maiden was the first all-female boat to race around the world, back in 1989. Skipper Tracey Edwards led the team to second place.

“It definitely broke down a lot of barriers for females in the industry,” Thomas said.

After that, Edwards sold the boat and it was lost from public record for some years.

Then in 2014, she rediscovered it abandoned in the Seychelles. 

A crowd-funding campaign saw it returned to her ownership and returned to its former glory.

Now the boat travels with the hope of raising money to improve the rights of girls to an education around the world and identify opportunities for girls in STEM subjects.

Auckland Council events organisation Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is hosting the crews while they are in town.

Head of major events Chris Simpson said the Ocean Globe Race stopover holds unique significance for Tāmaki Makaurau. 

“Auckland is considered the spiritual home of the Ocean Globe Race so naturally our region has a strong connection with this event,” he said. “It’s a thrill to be able to host the sailors and their teams for the race’s significant anniversary on the Waitematā, and we encourage Aucklanders and visitors to get down to the Wynyard Quarter and enjoy the stopover.”

The boats will leave Auckland for Uruguay on January 14.

Leave a comment

Join the Conversation Subscribe to Newsroom Pro to unlock commenting on articles. Start your 14-day free trial now or sign in . Please note: All commenters must display their full name to have comments approved. Click here for our full community rules.

Start your day with a curation of our top stories in your inbox.

We've recently sent you an authentication link. Please, check your inbox!

Sign in with a password below, or sign in using your email .

Get a code sent to your email to sign in, or sign in using a password .

Enter the code you received via email to sign in, or sign in using a password .

Subscribe to our newsletters:

Sign in with your email

Lost your password?

Try a different email

Send another code

Sign in with a password

I agree to Newsroom's Terms and Conditions

Back to the future: Ocean global race comes to Auckland

Share this article

Translated 9 sailing into Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig

Tamaki Makaurau welcomed the first of 14 yachts competing in the Ocean Global Race (OGR) with Italian entrant Translated 9 crossing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron finish line of leg 2 at lunchtime.

The event celebrates 50 years since the first Whitbread Round the World yacht race using technology and yachts employed in those early days.

The crew have just paper charts and sextants to calculate their routes and books and cassette tapes to pass the many hours at sea between stops.

GPS, iPhones and computers are banned as are the latest developments in yacht racing technology with the likes of foils, daggerboards, canting keels and wing sails eschewed for good old fashioned nylon sails, ropes and heavy keels.

And the sailors themselves are described as ordinary rather than the professionals employed since the competition graduated to the Volvo Ocean Race in the early 1990s.

The youngest sailor, 17-year-old Ryder Ellis of Auckland, is on board the yacht Explorer sailing near the back of the fleet.

“I’ve been sailing since I was a little boy,” Ellis said before the yachts left Southampton in September. “My grandma Penny Whiting has run her sailing school for many years and taught thousands of people to sail. My father Carl has been in America’s Cup campaigns and done all sorts of sailing so I’ve always been around sailors and sailing.”

Bringing the event to Auckland is special for the crews, organisers and observers honouring the memory of Sir Peter Blake, one of the greatest sailors to take part in the Whitbread racing. Blake competed in five Whitbreads, skippering Lion New Zealand to second place in 1985, then winning every leg of the 1989 event skippering Steinlager II. Both of Blake’s former yachts sailed alongside Translated 9 as she powered into the Waitemata Harbour.

Don McIntyre, founder of the OGR, said he wanted to recreate that feeling, where “ordinary” sailors could experience that special adventure.

“To sail into Auckland on the 50th anniversary of the Whitbread with the support of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and a fleet of exciting yachts as they were 50 years ago is a dream come true for the 200 sailors, partners and supporters involved,” McIntyre said. “We know Auckland and our hosts the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will turn on something special as they always have.”

Chris Simpson, Head of Major Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited said that Auckland is considered the spiritual home of the Ocean Globe Race and the region has a strong connection with this event. “It’s a thrill to be able to host the sailors and their teams for the race’s significant anniversary on the Waitematā,” he said, “and we encourage Aucklanders and visitors to get down to the Wynyard Quarter and enjoy the stopover.”

The Ocean Global Race yachts will be at the Wynyard quarter they leave for Punta Del Este in Uruguay on January 14. See more at oceangloberace.com

Latest from New Zealand

Pro-Palestine protesters march during Ziggy Marley song

Ziggy Marley takes to the stage at Womad NZ on Saturday, March 16, opening his set with a song, Shalom Salaam which directly references the current Israel-Palestine conflict. As he sang, a line of Pro Palestine protesters marched across in front of the crowd. Video / Ilona Hanne

Drone light show brings Middle-earth to FMG Stadium

Pāua to the people: Coromandel locals block poachers

Councillors remain set on increasing pensioner unit rent

Big data needs big storage solutions

Published on December 12th, 2023 | by Assoc Editor

Ocean Globe Race: Roaring into Auckland

Published on December 12th, 2023 by Assoc Editor -->

The Italian Swan 65 Translated 9, skippered by Vittorio Malingri, crossed the finish line on December 12 to take first in line honors, provisional IRC and Flyer Class in the 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race. The second leg of the race began on November 5 for the 7250nm course to Auckland, New Zealand.

This will herald their second IRC win, having taken the title in the Leg One race, Southampton to Cape Town. The ten-strong crew were determined to retain the prestigious title in the Cape Town to Auckland leg and their dogged determination paid off.

“We went south, you have to go south, that is how you sail around the world,” said Malingri. “Some days in the fog it was one degree, four degrees. We didn’t see the sun for two weeks! But we are so happy to be here. New Zealand is an amazing country.”

Vittiorio, whose father Franco, and uncle, Doi, took part in the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973. And now his son Nico, is the first mate on board Translated 9.

“It feels so good to be here,” noted Nico Malingri. “It feels just amazing. It was a technical leg and we didn’t have any big storms so we managed to push at the right time and keep cool when it was necessary. The crew performed amazingly.”

The OGR, a race celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Whitbread Round the World Race, means Translated 9’s triumphant return to Auckland is particularly poignant. The yacht and her crew have deep historical connections to the Whitbread and Auckland. In 1977, she sailed into the city under the name ADC Accutrac, skippered by Claire Francis, the first woman to skipper a Whitbread yacht.

“It was a very mild Indian Ocean,” observed Translated 9 navigator Simon Curwen. “Loads of high pressures, no big systems, not too much damage. We’re short a spinnaker pole that folded in half, but apart from that we’re in pretty good shape.”

Translated 9 took the most southerly route of the fleet only being forced north to round the third-way point enroute from Cape Town. They battled with Pen Duick VI throughout the leg with things getting particularly interesting when Pen Duick VI, skippered by Marie Tabarly, took the controversial decision to sail through the Bass Strait between Tasmania and Australia.

For a while, it looked like the gamble might have paid off but Translated 9’s position continued to offer the better winds, aiding her perfectly around the often difficult Cape Reinga. It’s notorious for producing some surprises for rounding the North Island but not so on this occasion.

Translated 9’s finish was followed by Pen Duick VI, Spirit of Helsinki, and Maiden.

The third leg will start January 14, taking the fleet 4980 nm to Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Event information – Race rules – Entry list – Tracker

No longer racing: • Swan 51 Godspeed (USA) – quit after Leg 1

The 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race (OGR) is a fully crewed, retro race, in the spirit of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race, marking the 50th Anniversary of the original event. Racing without computers, GPS, and high-tech materials, they navigate with sextants and paper charts. Seven of the fleet are former Whitbread competitors.

Starting in Southampton (UK) on September 10, the OGR is a 27,000-mile sprint around the Globe, divided into four legs that passes south of the three great Capes. The fleet is divided in three classes with stop-overs in Cape Town, South Africa; Auckland, New Zealand; and Punta del Este, Uruguay before returning to Southhampton in April 2024.

2023-24 Ocean Globe Race: FIRST LEG: Start 10 September 2023. 7670 miles. First boats finish 9-21 October 2023. SECOND LEG: Start 5 November 2023. 7250 miles. First boats finish 14-23 December 2023. THIRD LEG: Start 14 January 2024. 4980 miles. First boats finish 9-18 February 2024. FOURTH LEG: Start 5 March. 6550 miles. Finish 1-10 April 2024.

Source: OGR

Tags: Ocean Globe Race

Related Posts

Dramatic start for Ocean Globe Race →

Final leg for 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race →

Ocean Globe Race arrives in Uruguay →

Karma’s gonna track you down →

© 2024 Scuttlebutt Sailing News. Inbox Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. made by VSSL Agency .

• Privacy Statement
• Advertise With Us

Get Your Sailing News Fix!

Your download by email.

• Your Name...
• Your Email... *
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Practical Boat Owner

• Digital edition

Ocean Globe Race 2023: everything you need to know

• Katy Stickland
• August 23, 2023

The Ocean Globe Race will see 14 boats and their crews circumnavigating the world without the use of modern equipment, in the spirit of the 1973 Whitbread Race

All 14 teams taking part in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race will be racing with similar gear and boats as those who raced in the Whitbread Races of old. Credit: Philip McDonald Credit: Philip McDonald

What is unique about the Ocean Globe Race?

The Ocean Globe Race is a round-the-world yacht race, held to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973.

The Whitbread Round the World was the forerunner of The Volvo Ocean Race and The Ocean Race.

The first edition in 1973 started from Portsmouth and was the first fully crewed round the world yacht race.

Ramón Carlin, who skippered the Swan 65, Sayula II to victory in the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973-74. Credit: Getty

It followed the route of the great Clipper ships.

18 yachts – between 45ft-74ft- crossed the start line.

The 1973 Whitbread Race was won by the standard production Swan 65 yacht, Sayula II , skippered by Mexican Ramón Carlin. The yacht was crewed by family and friends, not professional sailors; this helped make yacht racing not just for the elite, but for the ordinary sailor.

What is the Ocean Globe Race?

The 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race is a 27,000-mile round the world yacht race with no assistance and without the use of modern technology.

This means the teams can’t use GPS , chartplotters , electric winches , spinnaker socks, Code 0 furling, electric autopilots, mobile phones,  computers, iPads or use synthetic materials like Spectra, Kevlar or Vectron.

Navigation will be done by sextant , paper charts and the stars.

Their only means of communication is via registered, licensed maritime-approved HF Single Side Band (SSB) Radio . HAM Radio transmission is banned.

Navigation is by sextant only. Here, the skipper of Outlaw, and the oldest entrant in the race, Campbell Mackie, 73,  and Outlaw’s crew, British sailor, India Syms take sights. Credit: OGR 2023/Outlaw/Spirit of Adelaide

Weather forecasts will be received via the radio or stand-alone paper print HF Radio weather fax.

Each boat can only carry no more than 11 sails (sloop) or 13 sails (ketch). Teams will be subject to a time penalty if they have to use replacement sails.

Approved items include desalinators, refrigeration, non-GPS digital cameras, electric clocks and headsail furling .

Teams will be penalised for using replacement sails during the 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race. Credit: Translated 9

The teams will also carry emergency gear, including a GPS chartplotter/AIS MOB plotting and locating system with a sealed screen for emergency use only by authorized crew, AIS Transponder and Alarm, Radar transponder and Alarm, Two SOLAS liferafts (200% crew capacity).

Every week, the team needs to run the boat’s engine for 30 minutes, with the prop turning.

Each boat should also carry standard operating procedures documents for man overboard (MOB), fire, dismasting, steering loss , grounding , serious injury, jury rig and other emergencies. Each team will have already carried out an MOB jury rig and emergency steering trials.

Where does the race start and finish, and what is the route?

The Ocean Globe Race 2023 will start at 1300 on 10 September 2023 from the Royal Yacht Squadron start line at Cowes, Isle of Wight.

The route of the 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race. Credit: OGR 23

It will have four legs.

The first leg – 6,650 miles – is from Southampton to Cape Town . The first boats are expected to finish between 9-21 October 2023.

The second leg – 6,650 miles – is from Cape Town to Auckland, New Zealand . It starts on 5 November 2023. The first boats are expected to finish between 14-23 December 2023

The third leg – 8,370 miles – is from Auckland, New Zealand to Punta del Este, Uruguay . It starts on 14 January 2024. The first boats are expected to finish between 9-18 February 2024.

The fourth leg – 5,430 miles – is from Punta del Este, Uruguay to Southampton . The first boats to cross the finish line are expected 1-10 April 2024.

Each team must reach port no later than 48 hours after the restart of the next leg or will be disqualified. A minimum stop of three days is mandatory, but the clock starts with the gun.

Which teams are taking part in the Ocean Globe Race?

218 sailors – 65 women and 153 men – will sail from Southampton. The teams are made of 23 nationalities including 96 crew from France, 31 from Finland, 18 from the UK, 18 from the USA, 11 from Italy and 6 from South Africa.

Tracy Edwards’s Maiden is the only all-female crew taking part. This was the case in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race.

Just in 1989-90, Maiden will be the only yacht racing with an all female crew. Credit: The Maiden Factor/OGR 2023

The captain, chief mate or one designated Ocean Yachtmaster must sail the entire race.

All entrants – who have to undergo a medical examination and have completed an approved medical/survival training course – must have onboard for each leg:

• 1 Ocean Yachtmaster
• 1 Yachtmaster
• 1 under 24 year old
• Maximum 70% crew swap at any stopover
• Maximum 33% professional crew ( 24-70 year old, paid to go sailing)

70% of the crew (including the Yachtmaster Ocean and Yachtmaster) registered for the start leg must complete a 1,500-mile non-stop ocean voyage all together in the entered yacht, after March 2023

The Ocean Globe Race has three classes:

• Adventure Class (47ft-56ft) is limited to 12 places, with a minimum crew of seven;
• Sayula Class (56.1ft-66ft) is limited to eight places, with a minimum crew of eight;
• Flyer Class is limited to eight places for yachts previously entered in the 1973, 1977 or 1981 Whitbread, or ‘relevant’ historic significance and ‘approved’ production-built, ocean-certified, sail-training yachts generally 55ft to 68ft LOA.

Adventure Class

There are 5 teams in this class.

Triana – France

The core of the Triana crew. Credit: Projet Triana/OGR2023

Led by Franch media entrepreneur, Jean d’Arthuys, the crew of Triana includes professional French sailor, Sébastien Audigane, who has sailed six roundings of Cape Horn and is a double holder of the Jules Verne Trophy – in 2017 on IDEC with Francis Joyon, and 2005 on Orange 2 with Bruno Peyron.

Audigane is the First Mate onboard  Triana, a 1987-built Swan 53, designed by German Friers.

Sterna – South Africa

The crew of Sterna have completed several Atlantic crossings on the Swan 53; the team are pictured in Martinique, ahead of their second transatlantic crossing. Credit: Allspice Yachting

Allspice Yachting entered the Ocean Globe Race in December 2019 after founder Gerrit Louw was inspired by the 2018 Golden Globe Race.

The Swan 53, Sterna of Allspice Yachting will be skippered by professional South African sailor, Rufus Brand, who hopes the race will allow him to fulfil his dream of circumnavigating the world.

The First Mate and navigator is South African Melissa Du Toit.

Sterna of Allspice Yachting is a modified Swan 53, built in 1988. Some of the yacht’s unique features include a custom keel with an improved righting movement, a 135hp engine (instead of the normal 85hp engine) and expanded water and diesel tanks for offshore sailing .

Allspice Yachting bought the yacht in 2021 for the Ocean Globe Race, and a crew sailed her from Grenada to the boat’s home port of Cape Town to prepare Sterna for the race.

Galiana WithSecure – Finland

The skipper of Galiana WithSecure , Tapio Lehtinen hopes the Ocean Globe Race will result in a new generation of offshore Finnish yacht racers. Credit: Sanoma Media Finland Kaikki oikeudet/Juhani Niiranen/HS

The Swan 55 will be skippered by the 2018 and 2022 Golden Globe Race veteran, Finnish sailor, Tapio Lehtinen. First mate is Ville Norra, who has a history of sailing keelboats and offshore.

The Galiana WithSecure team is one of the youngest taking part in the Ocean Globe Race , with the majority of those on board under 30 years of age; only two members of the team have ‘strong racing DNA’, while the others come from Optimist, Sea Scout or other sailing backgrounds.

Lehtinen is a veteran of the 1981-82 Whitbread Race when at the age of 23, he earned a place as watch captain on Skopbank Finland , a C&C Baltic 51 skippered by Kenneth Gahmberg.

His motivation for entering the Ocean Globe Race with a young team is to encourage young Finnish sailors into ocean sailing; Lehtinen also wants to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the world’s oceans and has only partnered with companies and organisations which promote solutions to this global problem.

Outlaw – Australia

Some members of the Outlaw crew. Credit: Aïda Valceanu/ OGR2023

The Baltic 55, Outlaw , is a Whitbread Race veteran, having raced in the 1985-86 edition as Equity and Law .

Built in 1984 to Lloyds of London specifications, the Douglas Peterson-designed Outlaw will be skippered by Campbell Mackie.

The Australian sailor has 70,000 ocean miles under his belt, having taken part in the 2015-16 Clipper Round the World Race and the 2017-18 edition, where he was First Mate on Sanya , the winning boat.

First Mate is Dutch professional sailor, Rinze Vallinga.

Godspeed – USA

The crew of Godspeed is made up of American military veterans. Credit: Skeleton Crew

The Swan 51, Godspeed is the only American boat to enter the race.

The skipper is Taylor Grieger, a former US Navy veteran, who has assembled a crew made up of representatives from the US military services.

Grieger suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after years spent as a US Navy rescue swimmer. Along with friend, Stephen O’Shea, he sailed a leaking 1983 Watkins 36CC from Pensacola, Florida, through the Panama Canal and down the South American coast to Cape Horn . The film of their voyage – Hell or High Seas – has been released.

Following this, Grieger set up Skeleton Crew Adventures, to help other veterans to recover from PTSD through sailing.

Sayula Class

There are four entries in this class.

Explorer – Australia

The crew of Explorer, skippered by Mark Sinclair. Credit: Don McIntyre/ OGR2023

Explorer was designed by Olin Stephens and was launched in 1977. The boat is owned by the founder of the Ocean Globe Race, Don McIntyre.

The yacht will be skippered by 2018 and 2022 Golden Globe Race veteran, UK-born Australian Mark Sinclair , who has circumnavigated the world with one stop.

The Yachtmaster Offshore, a former Royal Australian Navy Commander, has over 60,000 sailing miles under his belt.

Explorer ‘s Chief Mate is Terry Kavanagh, a liveboard sailor from Ireland who was circumnavigating the world aboard his yacht when he decided to take part in the race. He also has experience sailing in Arctic Norway.

White Shadow – Spain

Crew training aboard White Shadow in the Mediterranean. Credit: OGR/ White Shadow

The only Spanish entry in the Ocean Globe Race, White Shadow is a Swan 57, built in 1978.

The yacht will be skippered by owner French offshore racer, Jean-Christophe Petit, who has also completed four Atlantic crossings .

The mixed crew  – from France, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Argentina, Belgium and Colombia – are aged from 20 to 57.

Evrika – France

The Swan 65, Evrika . At the time, the Swan 65 was the largest GRP construction yacht , and was one of the designs that led the racing circuit in the 70s-80s. Credit: Sophie Dingwall

Previously owned by Pink Floyd’s Rick Wright, who lived aboard her in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, Evrika also has strong racing credentials, having won the Swan Cup in the 1980s.

The Swan 65 was built in 1982 with a ketch rig ; the yacht has been extensively restored for the race including a new teak deck, and remodelling down below, including layout changes in the forward cabin. Nearly all changes were in keeping with the yacht’s original style and materials.

Evrika will be skippered by French sailor and boat builder Dominique Dubois.

Originally the team was to race the Swan 651, Futuro , but in February 2023, the boat was blown from its cradle during Storm Gérard; the damage cost more than the value of the boat.

Dubois then bought Evrika from Brit Richard Little, who had entered the Ocean Globe Race, but later withdrew.

Spirit of Helsinki – Finland

The crew of Spirit of Helsinki prepare to leave Finland for the race start in Southampton. Credit: OGR2023 / Team Spirit of Helsinki

Designed by German Frers and built by Nautor in 1984, the Swan 651 sloop, Spirit of Helsinki was built specifically for the Whitbread Round the World Race and was raced to third place in the 1986 edition under the name Fazer Finland .

The all Finnish crew is led by hotel entrepreneur and amateur sailor and racer, Jussi Paavoseppä.

First Mate is professional sea captain Pasi Palmu, who has worked as a full-time racing sailor and sailing coach for over 15 years.

Flyer Class

There are 5 entries in this class.

Maiden – UK

The Maiden crew: Skipper: Heather Thomas (UK), First Mate: Rachel Burgess (UK) Crew: Willow Bland (UK) Lana Coomes (USA), Payal Gupta (India), Ami Hopkins (UK), Vuyisile Jaca (South Africa), Junella King (Antigua), Molly Lapointe (Porto Rico/USA), Kate Legard (UK), Najiba Noori (Afghanistan), Flavia Onore (Italy), Dhanya A Pilo (India). Credit: The Maiden Factor-Kaia Bint Savage

Maiden is the only UK entry in the race.

The Bruce-Farr 58ft yacht will be skippered by British sailor, Heather Thomas, 26 and her crew will be all female – just as in the 1989-90 Whitbread Race when the boat was skippered by Tracy Edwards.

Thomas, who was previously a watch leader on the training vessel James Cook, run by the Ocean Youth Trust North, has previously sailed the Pacific leg of the 2015-16 Clipper Round the World Race with the Da Nang Viet Nam team, after winning a place onboard.

The yacht was skippered by Wendy Tuck, who went on to become the first woman to win a round the world yacht race when she led her Sanya Serenity Coast team to victory in the 2017-18 edition of the Clipper Race .

The Maiden team ranges in age from 18 to 42, with the majority of the crew competing in all four legs of the race.

Previously to the Ocean Globe Race, Maide n has been sailing around the world to promote education for girls through The Maiden Factor.

Pen Duick VI – France

Marie Tabarly has sailed Pen Duick VI since she was a child. Credit: James Tomlinsen

Led by the daughter of French sailing legend, Éric Tabarly, the Pen Duick VI team’s goal is not just the race, but to raise awareness of the Elemen’Terre project, which looks at environmental and social global issues.

Marie Tabarly is one of two female skippers in the race (the other is Maiden ‘s skipper, Heather Thomas).

The professional racing sailor, who competed in the 15th Transat Jacques Vabre with Louis Duc aboard the IMOCA 60, Kostum Lantana Paysage , has extensive offshore experience, having sailed Pen Duick VI since childhood. She has also recently completed a circumnavigation of the world with Pen Duick VI .

At 73ft LOA, Pen Duick VI is the largest yacht taking part in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race

The 73ft Pen Duick VI was built specifically by Éric Tabarly for the 1973-74 Whitbread Race.

The yacht dismasted twice in the race – during the 1st and 3rd legs, but she was repaired and went on to win the 1974 Bermuda-Plymouth race, the 1976 Atlantic Triangle Race and the 1976 OSTAR.

Renamed Euromarché, the yacht came 5th in the 1981-82 Whitbread Race.

Neptune – France

Designed by André Mauric, Neptune was launched in July 1977, before racing in the 1977-78 Whitbread Race to 8th place.

The 60ft aluminium sloop will be skippered by professional ophthalmologist Tanneguy Raffray, who is one of France’s most successful International 8 metre class racers, aboard Hispania IV , which he restored.

Neptune racing in the 1977 Whitbread Race. Credit: Ocean Frontiers OGR/ GGR/CG580

The refit of Neptune for the Ocean Globe Race was overseen by Finot-Conq naval architect, Erwan Gourdon, who is also part of the crew, and included four watertight bulkheads, furling headsails and a new sail plan.

The team also includes French sailor, Bertrand Delhom, who aims to become the first sailor with Parkinson’s disease to race around the world.

Translated 9 – Italy

The Translated 9 crew has a party in Rome ahead of leaving for the start village in Southampton, UK. Credit: Antonio Masiello

The first edition of the Whitbread Round the World Race was won in 1974 by the family and friends of Mexican Ramón Carlin, who skippered the Swan 65 yacht, Sayula II.

The Translated 9 team is following in their wake; 1,000 amateurs, new to ocean sailing, applied for a position on the 13-strong crew.

The Swan 65 is being skippered by owner Marco Trombetti and professional racer and boat designer Vittorio Malingri , who was the first Italian to race in a Vendée Globe (1993) and was part of Giovanni Soldini’s crew on the TIM trimaran.

British skipper Clare Francis and the crew of ADC Accutrac together in 1977 Whitbread. They’re looking forward to meeting the crew of Translated 9 at the Whitbread Reunion on 5 September. Credit: Dr Nick Milligan

Malingri’s son Nico is First Mate and has also previously sailed with Giovanni Soldini

With Nico, Malingri also holds the Dakar to Guadeloupe 20ft Performance record, having sailed 2,551nm in 11 days, 1 hour, 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

The crew also includes 2022 Golden Globe Race veteran, Simon Curwen, who took line honours in the race and was first in the Chichester Class.

The Sparkman and Stephens’s designed Translated 9 was originally ADC Accutrac , which was raced to 5th place by British skipper, Clare Francis in the 1977 Whitbread Around the World Race.

L’Esprit d’Equipe – France

The L’Esprit d’Équipe team. Credit: Team L’Esprit d’Équipe

The Philippe Briand-designed 58ft yacht was built by Dufour and has strong Whitbread Race roots.

It is the only boat in the Ocean Globe Race to have won at Whitbread Race (in the 1985-86 edition, skippered by Lionel Péan; it was the smallest boat in this edition. Modifications to save weight included shortening the boat’s rear arch, moving the keel further back and installing a 27m mast)

The French team is led by professional boat builder and sailor, Lionel Regnier, a seasoned racer, who won the OSTAR in 2005 and has taken part in three Mini Transats, and numerous Class 40 races, including the 2006 and 2014 Route du Rhum

His First Mate is Pierre-Yves, who has project managed most of Lionel’s races since 2003 and has raced in the Transat Jacques Vabre.

Continues below…

Ocean Globe Race 2023 to start from Southampton

The Ocean Globe Race - which is being held to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Round the…

Whitbread race veterans invited to 50th anniversary reunion

A reunion for all Whitbread Round the World race crew and skippers is being held in the run up to…

Coming of age: the 1970s yacht designs that have stood the test of time

Sailing in the 1970s was characterised by innovation, enthusiasm, mass participation and home boatbuilding. Rupert Holmes reports

How sailing gear has changed over the decades

Peter Poland reflects on pulling out the lead line, lobbing a Walker log over the stern and unpacking a sextant…

Which boats will be raced during the Ocean Globe Race?

L’Esprit d’Équipe is the only boat in the Ocean Globe Race to have won at Whitbread Race (in the 1985-86 edition. Credit: RORC / James Mitchell / James Tomlinson

All boats in the Adventure and Sayula classes must be ocean-going GRP production yachts designed before 1988 and from an approved design list which includes the Swan 47, Swan 47, Swan 48, Swan 51, Swan 53, Swan 55, Swan 57, Swan 59, Swan 61, Swan 65, Swan 651, Nicholson 55, Baltic 51, Baltic 55, Baltic 64, Oyster 48 and Grand Soleil 52.

The Baltic 55, Outlaw was previously raced in the 1985-86 Whitbread Race. Credit: Outlaw Team

All yachts must be fitted with a bow crash bulkhead. A main watertight bulkhead and watertight door are recommended immediately forward of the saloon along with a second watertight bulkhead forward of the rudder post.

Severn former Whitbread Race boats will be taking part in the Ocean Globe Race:

• Maiden (previously Disque D’Or 3 , 1981-82 Whitbread; raced as Maiden in 1989-90 Whitbread)
• Pen Duick VI (1973-74 Whitbread; raced as Euromarché in the 1981-82 Whitbread)
• Translated 9 (previously ADC Accutrac , 1977-78 Whitbread)
• Neptune (1977-78 Whitbread)
• L’Esprit d’Equipe (previously 33 Export , 1981-82 Whitbread; L’Esprit d’Equipe , 1985-86 Whitbread; Esprit de Liberté , 1989-90 Whitbread)
• Outlaw (previously Equity and Law , 1985-86 Whitbread)
• Spirit of Helsinki (previously Fazer, Finland , 1985-86 Whitbread)

How can I follow the Ocean Globe Race?

All 14 boats taking part in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race can be seen at the Ocean Village Marina in Southampton from 29 August 2023. Credit: Ocean Frontiers OGR/ GGR/CG580/Pic suppliers

The Ocean Globe Race village at Ocean Village, Southampton will open to the public from 29 August 2023 until the race start. It is free to enter.

Daily events will include celestial navigation demonstrations (2-4, 6 September from 14:00 hrs), as well as a chance to see the 14 boats and meet their crews.

Tours will take place every day from 29 August between 13:o0 hrs and 17:00 hrs and can be booked via Eventbrite in advance or on the day ( https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ocean-globe-race-2023-pontoon-access-tickets-700811284417 ).

Visitors taking a tour will have the option to make a small charitable donation before the tour which will go to support the Blue Marine Foundation, Ocean Youth Trust (South) and The Maiden Factor Foundation.

Tuesday 29 August, 11:00 hrs – Official Ribbon Cutting Friday 1 September, 13:30 hrs – A Welcome from the City of Southampton Friday 1 September, 18:30 hrs – MDL Captain’s Dinner and Charity Auction Saturday, 2 September, 13;00 hrs – Writer and broadcaster, Paul Heiney talks about his tales of sailing the Atlantic single-handed Tuesday 5 September, 17:30 hrs – Whitbread Veterans Reunion Thursday 7 September, 10 hrs – OGR Final Press Conference Friday 8 September, 18:00 hrs – MDL Whitbread 50th Anniversary Farewell Hog Roast Party Saturday 9 September, 14:00 hrs – OGR Teams’ Public Farewell presentation Sunday 10 September, 09:00 hrs – Full Teams parade of honour from MDL Race Village to their yachts 13:00 hrs – RACE START – Royal Yacht Squadron start line, Cowes, UK. Viewing of the start line can be seen from the beaches in Gurnard, Isle of Wight or Lepe Beach in the New Forest.

The race can be followed via the Ocean Globe Race website and Facebook page .

The teams can also be followed via YB Tracking .

Enjoyed reading this article?

A subscription to Practical Boat Owner magazine costs around 40% less than the cover price .

Print and digital editions are available through Magazines Direct – where you can also find the latest deals .

PBO is packed with information to help you get the most from boat ownership – whether sail or power.

• Take your DIY skills to the next level with trusted advice on boat maintenance and repairs
• Impartial in-depth gear reviews
• Practical cruising tips for making the most of your time afloat

Follow us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter

• CLASSIFIEDS
• NEWSLETTERS
• SUBMIT NEWS

Cape Town, Auckland and Punta del Este confirmed ports for the 2023 Ocean Globe Race

Related Articles

Most Incredible Drone Shots from The Ocean Race

Charlie enright: "there's nothing like the ocean race".

11th Hour Racing Team skipper Charlie Enright reflects back on his amazing experience in The Ocean Race...

The Ocean Race Europe 2025 will start from Kiel, Germany

Where is the next route.

Cracking the code of The Ocean Race track

Charlie Enright recognised as US Sailing's Yachtsman of the Year for 2023

Liz wardley sets new record in transatlantic row.

After 44 days at sea, The Ocean Race sailor crossed the finish line in Antigua...

• Racing with Purpose

Inspired by the Ocean

At The Ocean Race we believe that we have the platform to educate, inspire and accelerate action for our blue planet at this critical time in history. Learn here how we are doing it.

• Skip to main content
• Skip to header right navigation
• Skip to site footer

Albom Adventures

Capturing the essence of travel through photography

Inspiring New Zealand travel through photography

Volvo Ocean Race Around the World – Auckland Stopover

This is a historic article from the last Volvo Ocean Race, held in 2017 / 2018. It will be updated when the next race takes place if it passes through Auckland (but they always do) .

Auckland knows how to throw a party, and I could feel the excitement in the air as I approached. The City of Sails is perfectly situated for a stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race Around the World. Auckland has been a host for nearly all of the races since its inception in 1973.

A gruelling test of skill and endurance, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s longest and most challenging yacht race, and is often considered the world’s most difficult professional sporting event.

It takes 9-months to sail 45k miles around the world. The last race spread a message of sustainability and clean seas. It was in Auckland on a stopover before starting its most difficult leg, sailing the Southern Ocean to Brazil.

Previously called the Whitbread Round the World Race, it runs every three years. The 2017 installation began in in Spain on 22 October and reached New Zealand after the sixth of its eleven legs to circumnavigate the globe. The most challenging leg was after our temperate island, crossing the Southern Ocean from Auckland New Zealand to Itajai Brazil.

As American expats who have been living in and exploring NZ for over 20 years, we see things from both a local’s perspective and from that of a visitor. Therefore, we understand what it’s like to come here and have things be similar, but not always exactly what we are used to. We share the information on this page from this perspective.

Spreading a message of sustainability and saving our oceans

More than just a challenge, during the last instalment of the race the teams were spreading the United Nation’s message of sustainability and promoting the UN campaign “Clean Seas: Turn the Tide on Plastic”.

Taking this a step further, the UN partnered a yacht skippered by Dee Caffari. She led a young team of 10 sailors, most of whom were under age 30. The team’s guiding mission was to amplify the United Nation’s environmental message throughout the race.

Named “Wisdom”, the Volvo Ocean Race mascot is an albatross (in honour of the world’s oldest wild bird). He helped spread a message of sustainability at each of the 2017 Volvo Ocean Race stopovers.

More images of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race Auckland stopover

While the fleet was on a stopover in New Zealand, the city created a race village to celebrate.

The stopover weekend featured pro-am races (crew plus invited guests). It served as an opportunity for the teams to sail before heading off on their next leg , from New Zealand to Brazil.

See the fleet from the water

The Volvo Ocean Race Around the World will be returning to Auckland in 2022. During the 2017 race, we found two places to watch the boats. First, from behind the pit lane (the team bases located next to the ANZ Viaduct Event Centre), and later we saw them from Queen’s Wharf while standing next to The Cloud.

However, the best way to see the boats is from out on the water. If you are in Auckland in 2022 and don’t have a boat, here are few fun options for getting out on the water (although you may not see the Volvo boats from all of them):

• Race or sail on a former America’s Cup yacht
• Go on a whale and dolphin watching adventure
• Kayak out to Rangitoto Island and then hike to the top of this Volcano
• Enjoy a sunset dinner cruise

Images from the prior Volvo Ocean Race Auckland stopover

The first time we headed to Auckland to see the Volvo Ocean Race fleet was in 2014. Here are our highlights from that year.

* The current number of sailors allowed on each of the ocean racing boats in the Volvo Ocean Yacht Race can be between 5 and 10, and that number is determined by gender. An all-male crew is a maximum of 5, all-female is a maximum of 7, and if it is 50-50, they can sail with a crew of up to 10 sailors.

More about the Volvo Ocean Race and the Auckland stopover

• You can click here to download a map of the 2017 Auckland race village .
• All teams race a Volvo Ocean 65 . With the boats all built to the same specs, the race is about skill and endurance rather than craftsmanship and technology.
• Former New Zealand winning skippers include Sir Peter Blake on the Steinlager 2 and Graham Dalton on the NZ Endeavour. Mike Sanderson, a third New Zealand skipper, also won, but he was skippering a Dutch yacht.
• The seven teams competing in the 2017-18 race were: AkzoNobel (Netherlands), Dongfeng (China), Mapfre (Spain), Vestas 11th Hour (USA/Denmark), Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag (Hong Kong),   Turn the Tide on Plastic (United Nations), and Brunel (Netherlands).
• The Big Three in world sailing events are the Volvo Ocean Race, along with the Ameria’s Cup challenge and the Olympics.
• The fanfare around it is one of the many festivals in Auckland .

Though the race is long since over, our planet’s health continues to be an issue. Please share the message of sustainability and clean seas by pinning this to Pinterest:

Do you follow each installment of the Volvo Ocean Race?

More from Auckland you might also like … starting with these 75 free and nearly free things to do in the city

Mission Bay Auckland: a New Zealand Getaway only 15 Minutes from CBD

12 Unique Things to Do in South Auckland: Unmissable Fun

Auckland to Wellington Drive Options: Our 16 Favourite Stops

40 Rainy Day Indoor Activities in Auckland New Zealand

For more tips … join Explore New Zealand, the country’s largest NZ travel and photography group on Facebook (free).

About Rhonda Albom

Capturing the essence of travel through photography, Rhonda Albom is the primary author and photographer at Albom Adventures. She is an American expat based in New Zealand. She travels the world with her husband.

Reader Interactions

Indah Nuria

March 22, 2018 at 4:36 am

This is one interesting events to enjoy. I remember seeing similar race in Lac Leman, Geneva. It was cool!

Erin Gustafson

March 22, 2018 at 3:32 am

We do know about the Volvo Ocean Race as my husband works for Vestas and we’ve been following along somewhat from Copenhagen. Unfortunately, the 11th hour boat had a tragic collision outside of Hong Kong, so it hasn’t been perfect for “our team.” I too applaud the sustainable focus and love the attention being drawn to alleviating ocean plastic. Thank you for sharing the Auckland perspective! Would be fun to see the boats up close and personal!

Rhonda Albom

March 22, 2018 at 1:00 pm

How fun to be part of the action in some way. I was sad to read about the tragedy and opted not to include it my write up as I am more focused on the positive message and the amazing endurance of the athletes. I hope you do get to see the boats close up.

March 21, 2018 at 2:53 pm

I have followed the Volvo Ocean Race – what an incredible event! I love that they are supporting the reduction of plastic waste with the “Clean Seas: Turn the Tide on Plastic” campaign. I’ve been to Auckland and seen the America’s Cup yachts – what an iconic sailing destination.

Sandy N Vyjay

March 21, 2018 at 2:28 pm

The Volvo Ocean Race is an epic one. Covering a distance of 45,000 kms. is tremendous. The yachts look so sleek and beautiful. However, it must be indeed a test of endurance for the sailors as they compete in the race. What is heartening is the fact that this is much more than a race. Spreading the message of sustainability and keeping the seas clean is such a laudable effort.

Carol Perehudoff

March 21, 2018 at 4:56 am

What an event! I can’t believe it’s a 9 month commitment. Talk about dedication. It must be such a fun sailing event. I can’t believe I’d never heard of it before. And I do love the sustainable message.

Debra Schroeder

March 21, 2018 at 1:23 am

This sounds like such an exciting event to watch, let alone participate in. I totally love how they’ve adopted a sustainable theme this year. Plastic kills so much sea life it’s incredible. Love the tips on where and how to see the races.

March 21, 2018 at 12:19 am

Excellent that they’re doing so much to encourage sustainability and reduce plastic waste. The only thing I knew about yacht racing before this was from Lost — thanks for the informative post!

March 20, 2018 at 3:46 pm

I’m always so impressed by long-term sailors..9 months is a long time! I could never do it – have a bit of a fear of the deep sea which I don’t like to admit – but kudos to those who have the drive to do it. Especially with those tight quarters! Love the sustainability message being brought to the masses.

March 20, 2018 at 2:18 pm

How great it would be to be part of this race. Just finishing would be a huge achievement. I like that the U.N. is partnering to draw attention to micro-plastics in our oceans.

March 20, 2018 at 6:45 am

What a unique concept for the race! I really appreciate their zeal, enthusiasm and goal. I have never done sailing but this does look interesting. Great pics.

March 19, 2018 at 3:09 pm

I like the idea behind this race because it has a sports component but an awareness and goodwill components too. It is great that they are stopping in several cities spreading a positive message. I can see how this race turns difficult. For what I see, it takes a while to complete.

March 19, 2018 at 2:40 pm

That sounds like a lot of fun and hard work, all at the same time. Very long race. When we lived in Martinique they had a race like this, except it just went around the island. It took 7 days and there were a lot more than 7 boats. I think it took a whole week because of all the parties. It was fun to watch though.

Chris Bloomfield

March 19, 2018 at 5:20 am

A race around the world is awesome! I have never heard of this and am grateful for your article. It is great that they are spreading the message of clean oceans and sustainability. I so want to see this in person, even if it is only one section of the race.

March 19, 2018 at 4:01 am

So cool that they promote sustainability to the large crowds who view this race. It would be a dream come true for me to attend this – just something about ocean racing!

March 19, 2018 at 12:07 pm

Perhaps it is doing a stopover near where you live. There are 11 stops in this year’s race.

Paul F. Pietrangelo

March 19, 2018 at 2:53 am

I loved the all women Team SCA . Cleaning the ocean is very important especially since I enjoy cruising the sea. Big ships are great but I wouldn’t like to cruise the ocean on a small ship. Nope, not for me. See ya Rhonda.

Cruisin Paul

March 19, 2018 at 12:06 pm

I was pretty impressed by an all women’s team also. There isn’t one this time, although the UN boat is skippered by a woman. The numbers on the ship are maximum 5 if all male, maximum 7 if all female, maximum 10 if split 50/50. Plus they are allowed one reporter – another job I would not want.

Harmony, Momma To Go

March 19, 2018 at 1:03 am

Ive been reading a book about a family who sails around the world! What a cool experience, but yeah those sailors are tight on space. This is something I would love to do but maybe on a luxury liner!

March 19, 2018 at 12:04 pm

I am happy to sail locally, but I am a fair weather sailor. I don’t know if I would even be happy on an ocean crossing in a cruise ship.

March 18, 2018 at 7:24 pm

Race against Plastic – good that they are dedicating this sailing race to a race that humanity needs the most. It must be a great event to witness. I had no idea of any such races that can be witnessed by the general public – good to know about that. Have met few sailors who have sailed around the world and they have such interesting stories to tell.

March 19, 2018 at 12:03 pm

I was really impressed that they took this opportunity to do some good with the race.

March 18, 2018 at 4:32 pm

I would love to watch that race. They have a very important advocacy, especially at this time when environmental issues seem to be ignored by politicians. I bet the sailors were welcomed very warmly in NZ!

March 18, 2018 at 4:50 pm

I am pretty sure they all love it here in New Zealand. It’s cooler than some of their other stops, and it’s a really important one, as the next leg is the most difficult. However, my understanding is the biggest party for the boats takes place at the next stop in Brazil, where the event draws more people than the town’s population.

March 18, 2018 at 2:36 pm

So Aukland’s nickname is the “City of Sails”? I didn’t know that. These ocean races are famous all over the world and my husband is in awe when he can catch a glimpse of some of these yachts. I’m glad to hear that UN decided to spread the message of clean seas. We really need to raise awareness about that.

March 18, 2018 at 4:51 pm

Yes, Auckland is the city of sails. Like your hubby, I am in awe of these yachts and of the endurance and perseverance of the sailors.

March 18, 2018 at 10:46 am

It’s fun to see all of the bright colors of each boat! I’m glad to see people are making an effort to address plastic waste. I’m finding more ways to reduce the plastic I use and throw out, so I’m excited to see others are bringing awareness to plastic waste.

March 18, 2018 at 12:09 pm

I agree. I was so happy to see the UN boat with the huge sail reminding us about Clean Seas.

March 17, 2018 at 6:01 pm

I’ve ever heard of the Volvo Ocean Race but it sounds like something amazing to witness firsthand! I’m completely intrigued by this.

March 17, 2018 at 9:34 pm

Did you know it as the Whitbread Races?

Annette @ A French Collection

March 17, 2018 at 1:59 pm

Rhonda what an exciting day! The excitement is palpable through your photos. I’ve done a lot of sailing including ocean racing and yes, the facilities below are very minimal. What a super idea to have a yacht interior model for people to experience for themselves what it’s like. Love your post… Annette

I have done local racing, in the Hauraki Gulf, but I have never done open water sailing or racing. It must be exciting, but I am a bit of a fair weather sailor.

Margherita Ragg

March 22, 2015 at 8:19 am

Your posts are making me want to visit New Zealand more and more. I didn’t know about this race, but I’m getting into sailing so it’s even more interesting for me! Thanks!

March 16, 2015 at 2:22 am

Rhonda, Wow! The race sounds like a lot of fun to watch. I love the huge portraits…very cool!

March 16, 2015 at 8:28 am

Those huge portraits were amazing, and a different color from the other side. Plus each stand had the team information on the side facing the marina.

March 16, 2015 at 1:14 am

Wonderful story, great catch! Beautiful photos!

Paula McInerney

March 15, 2015 at 1:16 pm

Awesome photos and The Volvo Ocean Race looks an amazing opportunity to view.

stevebethere

March 15, 2015 at 10:47 am

Looked like a good day loved all the pics Rhonda especially your face one hahaha!

Have a floatastic Sunday 🙂

Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor

March 15, 2015 at 12:54 am

I LOVE that there is an al-women crew! Ah, looking at your photos is so reminding me of our time in NZ and seeing the Volvo boats previously!

March 14, 2015 at 9:53 pm

I can’t imagine how hard it would be to sail all around the world. I really like that there’s a woman’s team! Thanks for all the great pics and the info to go along with them. Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

March 14, 2015 at 8:04 pm

Hi Rhonda .. this is something my mother would have loved to see … me not so much, but if I could get to NZ and see them easily – then yes! Hurricane Pam is wreaking its havoc … I enjoy keeping track of the races, but certainly don’t follow them – glad you featured the sole woman skipper ..

Enjoy – perhaps having another look around … cheers Hilary

March 14, 2015 at 2:26 pm

Looks like a cool event. Today, I start my vacation. We’re not going anywhere, but I’m thrilled to be off work for a week. Woo hoo!

March 15, 2015 at 3:07 pm

Sometimes the best vacations are in your own town. I have been focusing on Auckland, and really finding so many cool things.

Comedy Plus

March 14, 2015 at 1:34 pm

No, I’ve not followed this race. In fact this is the first I’ve heard about the race. Way cool, but sailing is not my thing. I know it’s yours, but too much work for my old body.

The yachts are gorgeous though.

Have a fabulous day. 🙂

Ocean sailing isn’t my thing either. I am a fair weather sailor. These competitors are really much stronger people than I will ever be.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Privacy Overview

Ocean Globe Race finish into Auckland

Final festive ocean globe race finish into auckland.

They may not be top of the fleet, but White Shadow ESP (17) could certainly be awarded first prize for the most entertaining arrival.

• Spinnaker and smiles as Spanish White Shadow ESP (17) crosses the finish line at 08:19 (NZLT) after 46, 7 hours, 19 minutes at sea.
• Sterna SA (42) and Explorer AU (28) getting festive on the high seas.
• Families fly in from around the world to spend holidays with crews in Auckland.
• Two Legs down, Two to go – including Cape Horn in Ocean Globe Race. Race Start Leg 3 (Auckland to Punta Del Este, Uruguay) January 14th!

Under a grey, cloudy Auckland sky the scene was brightened in Waitemata Harbour by the Swan 57’s billowing spinnaker, a spontaneous kitchen utensil musical performance and dance moves from the ecstatic crew. At 08:19 (NZLT), after 46 days, and 7 hours they crossed the New Zealand Yacht Squadron finish line heralding the final pre-Christmas OGR arrival in Jellicoe Harbour.

Not only were they the first OGR yacht to arrive under spinnaker, but also to use coffee pots and baking trays as instruments during their final approach. The international crew hailing from France, Argentina, Spain, and Italy certainly know how to ramp up an entrance.

After a painfully challenging final few days with fickle winds forcing slow progress around the notorious unpredictable Cape Reinga, it made frustrating Yellow Brick tracker viewing for the families eagerly awaiting their arrival. But they were determined to make it in time for the OGR Christmas party on the 23rd – which they did, with enough time to sleep and shower!

Skippered by Jean-Christophe Petit, White Shadow sits 11th on the leaderboard, provisionally 11th in IRC rankings and third in Sayula Class. Eleven of the 13 OGR yachts are already safely docked having completed Leg 2, Cape Town to Auckland, after what many of the fleet considered an easier-than-expected Southern Ocean experience. They have Cape Horn to face in Leg 3, so maybe they should be careful about what they wish for!

Jean-Christophe Petit was emotional as he stepped foot onto the Jellicoe Harbour pontoon.

“It’s a blended feeling, very excited and super happy to arrive, but sad to leave the oceans because they were really great. But, more happy than sad. For all of us, the seas were a lot less rough than we anticipated. When we received the warning from the OGR about the bad weather we were taking it very seriously, we thought let’s do it safely, and then little by little you get acquainted with regularly 30 knots, 45, and 50 knots and you think fu…..k! We should have done it like this before!! We’re a little disappointed because we arrive late, but our objective is always to say, “If you want to win a race you have to arrive.” – Jean-Christophe Petit, skipper of White Shadow.

Meanwhile, two yachts will be spending Christmas on the high seas. South African entrant Sterna SA (42) and the Australian Swan 57, Explorer AU (28). Both had to return to South Africa to carry out essential maintenance which disqualified them from Leg 2, however, they’ll continue racing in Leg 3, Auckland to Punta Del Este, Uruguay which starts January 14th.

But the resilient crews are making the most of their Christmas at sea – a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most. It’s Elvis Christmas carols on the cassette player on board Sterna which is not to everyone’s taste according to skipper Melissa Du Toit, but apart from musical choices, Christmas plans are going well.

“We are planning a secret Santa, and we have our resident ex-chef (Justin) onboard who’ll be preparing a special Christmas dinner. We have our decorations up and the crew are all planning special surprises.” – Melissa du Toit, skipper of Sterna.

And it’s hardly a surprise to OGR followers that Team Explorer is focusing on food, which of course there will be plenty of onboard.

“Decorations up. Roast dinner. Mince pies… It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas:).” Tweeted Explorer. Who also appear to be using their tweets as Santa lists.

“Dear Santa. We’ve been very good. Please can we have a new genoa? Ps, and a surprise!”

To be honest, if they’d been very good they’d be in Auckland by now!! But let’s see what Santa thinks. At the time of writing Explorer had 2300 nm, Sterna 2700 nm with an estimated arrival date of January 7th/8th.

While some are taking the long stopover in Auckland as an opportunity to fly home many have family and friends flying in.

Youth crew, Aaro Immonen, the Finnish round-the-worlder on board the Swan 651 Spirit of Helsinki FI (71) is looking forward to seeing his mother and two sisters who waved him off in Southampton at race start. The former Whitbread boat (ex-Fazer) is sitting 3rd in line honours and 4th in provisional IRC.

“I’ve heard there’s a Finnish import store in Auckland so we’re going looking for some traditional Finnish foods. And no, I haven’t started my Christmas shopping yet, last minute as always.” – Aaro Immonen, youth crew of Spirit of Helsinki.

Maiden’s UK (03) Lana Coomes, whose family are flying in for Christmas, explains how the crew plans to celebrate the festive season. They crossed the line 4th in Auckland so clearly have much to celebrate – but not before maintenance is completed.

“We’ve a lot of different nationalities and countries on board so we’re all planning on coming together and having one big Christmas dinner featuring dishes from around the world. I’m planning on making a little cocktail from Puerto Rico – it’s a special Christmas beverage called Coquito that’s delish.” – Lana Coomes, crew of Maiden.

Margault Demasles from Triana FR (66) plans on spending Christmas day having a BBQ on the beach, an interesting change from her normal cold French festive season.

Meanwhile, Tapio Lehtinen, skipper of Galiana WithSecure FI (06) has very fond memories of sailing into Auckland on board Skopbank of Finland in the 1981/82 Whitbread.

“I’m looking forward to the Christmas fruit cake which I enjoyed 42 years ago when I was here. It must be the rum in it that makes it so special.” – Tapio Lehtinen, skipper of Galiana Withsecure FI (06)

With two legs of the OGR completed and two to go Don McIntyre reflects on the race since start day on September 10th in Southampton.

“These sailors can feel very proud of themselves for having achieved so much during the first two legs. To take on the oceans in the spirit of the Whitbread races is something very special. These sailors are real adventurers, and they achieve what they have through hard work, skill, determination and a lot of passion. They’re proving anyone can sail like it’s 1973 and better still we’ve got two more legs to go. Thanks to all the crew, their managers, to all the family and friends who support them. And to loyal OGR followers – thank you – keep following it’s only going to get better. And finally, a big thank you to Tataki Auckland Unlimited for their support in bringing the race to your wonderfully welcoming city.” – Don McIntyre, OGR funder and organizer.

So, after 103 days since the race started, it’s time for the OGR crew to take a little time to enjoy all that New Zealand has to offer. Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten Sterna and Explorer are still sailing – Don and Jane will be keeping a very watchful eye!!

And the good news is the yachts are docked in Jellicoe Harbour, Auckland, so come and have a look at Iconic yachts that are racing around the world in the spirit of the Whitbread races. Seven former Whitbread yachts are among the fleet.

The OGR race office is located in The Kiosk, Jellicoe Harbour at Wynyard Quarter, Wynyard Marina where official programs and some official OGR merchandise and posters are available.

Opening times will be limited over the Christmas period.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread, the OGR is hosting a Whitbread Reunion on January 11th, 6pm – 8pm, in Auckland.

All Whitbread and Volvo Race veterans are invited but need to register with OGR first for details.

For more information contact  [email protected] .

The OGR team wishes you all a very happy festive season and a Happy New Year!! And see you in 2024 for lots more racing around the world like it’s 1973!!!!

by Ocean Globe Race

YachtBoatNews

Related articles.

Swan American Regatta

SORC Eleuthera Race

United States SailGP Team

J/70 Midwinter Championship 2020

Cole Brauer becomes first American woman to sail solo, nonstop around world

A joyful Cole Brauer returned in her boat Thursday to A Coruña, 130 days after sailing away from the Spanish port city.

Completing the epic voyage made the 29-year-old the first American woman to sail around the world nonstop, with no one else aboard. Brauer’s solo feat, which unfolded over approximately 30,000 miles, was also good for a second-place finish in rigorous Global Solo Challenge.

“Amazing finish!!!! So stoked!” Brauer wrote on Instagram. “Thank you to everyone that came together and made this process possible.”

Brauer provided regular updates on her voyage, which began Oct. 29, as her Instagram following burgeoned from less than 100,000 to almost half a million. Along the way, the East Hampton, N.Y., native shared battles with high winds, monstrous waves and maintenance issues on her Class 40 monohull, named “First Light.”

The 5-2, 100-pound sailor, who learned to sail at the University of Hawaii, posted clips of herself getting bruised ribs when suddenly flung across the interior of her boat and self-administering fluids intravenously to ward off dehydration. Her journey took her around the three great capes — Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Australia’s Cape Leeuwin and South America’s treacherous Cape Horn — and through Point Nemo, an area in the Pacific Ocean so far from any land that the nearest humans are often orbiting overhead in the International Space Station.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by COLE BRAUER OCEAN RACING (@colebraueroceanracing)

According to race organizer Marco Nannini, over half of the 16 entrants in this installment of the event have had to retire before completing it. One passed a kidney stone at sea, per Nannini, before making landfall in New Zealand for medical assistance, and another was semi-submerged and out of contact for “24 very long hours prior to rescue” after a collision in the remote Pacific.

Brauer joins a group of fewer than 200 people known to have sailed solo around the world without stopping. The first, according to a list maintained by the International Association of Cape Horners , was England’s Robin Knox-Johnston in 1969.

The first woman to accomplish the feat, per Nannini, was Australia’s Kay Cottee in 1988. Brauer is the 18th.

“It was a long and emotional day,” Nannini wrote Thursday, “which started well before sunrise after a sleepless night monitoring Cole’s progress, meeting her at sea, watching her sail at First Light into A Coruna and celebrating her outstanding achievement. Well done Cole!”

Brauer was the youngest competitor in the Global Solo Challenge field — and the only woman. Of making her mark in a “fully male-dominated world,” as she put it in a recent interview with NBC , Brauer said, “I think that it takes a lot of strength to actually push and to strive into this industry, and I really want women to understand that it’s possible.”

“It would be amazing if there was just one other girl that saw me and said, ‘Oh, I can do that, too,’” she said .

She had lived a life of adventure. Then came the ultimate sailing race.

Last year, Brauer won the opening leg of the One-Two Yacht Race , which involved sailing solo from Rhode Island to Bermuda. All competitors picked up a second sailor for the return trip, and Brauer finished first again with teammate Catherine Chimney as they became the first all-female duo to win the race overall.

Each leg of that competition took approximately three days, barely a toe in the water compared to the duration of Brauer’s just-completed circumnavigation, but the first three days of the Global Solo Challenge were some of the hardest for her. She endured a “ pretty rough, rough, rough start ” making her way around the Spanish coast after departing A Coruña, an experience she described on Instagram as a “trial by fire.”

The second day of the event began with Brauer vomiting — “I’ve never had seasickness before in my life,” she told her followers, adding that she may have suffered from food poisoning — and shortly thereafter she gave herself the IV on the advice of her medical team.

Brauer shared plenty of posts in her usually upbeat demeanor, but a Dec. 8 video found her “ angry that things keep going wrong” with her boat. “Right now, I have been feeling just broken,” Brauer said with emotion. But she was smiling at the camera the next day while engaging in some “ self care ” as some technical issues got ironed out.

By Christmas Eve , Brauer was past Cape Leeuwin, close to the halfway point of the journey as she began the long, challenging stretch across the Pacific. After dodging some strong weather systems and enduring others, she passed Cape Horn and was finally back in the Atlantic in late January. Of course, there were still some “ horrendous conditions ” to deal with, but Brauer also shared excitement about the media coverage her exploits were attracting.

“So excited to move sailing into the mainstream!” Brauer wrote on Instagram late last month. “For far too long sailing and racing has been in the shadows maybe partially due to its attempts to keep its ‘traditions’ but those ‘traditions’ have also pushed really amazing sailors out of the industry due to burn out rates and unnecessary exclusivity. This hasn’t been easy one bit but it makes it all worth it to see that we are taking this industry from the dark and bringing it into the light.”

After making her long-awaited return to dry land, she told NBC , “It was really emotional, because I see my parents, I see my friends, my family — I see everyone — and this dream has become a reality.”

• Harvard offers a lot to star guard Malik Mack. Except big NIL money. 2 hours ago Harvard offers a lot to star guard Malik Mack. Except big NIL money. 2 hours ago
• Gonzaga is no stranger to March, even when it’s not quite Gonzaga 2 hours ago Gonzaga is no stranger to March, even when it’s not quite Gonzaga 2 hours ago
• NFL free agency: Who got better, who got worse, and what questions remain? 1 hour ago NFL free agency: Who got better, who got worse, and what questions remain? 1 hour ago

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• AP Top 25 College Football Poll
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Cole Brauer becomes first American woman to race sailboat alone and nonstop around world

After a 130-day journey, a jubilant Cole Brauer arrived back in A Coruña, Spain to become the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself. (March 7)

This photo provided by Cole Brauer Ocean Racing shows Brauer as she became the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself when she arrived Thursday, March 7, 2024, in A Coruña, Spain. (James Tomlinson/Cole Brauer Ocean Racing via AP)

• Copy Link copied

A CORUNA, Spain (AP) — Alone, Cole Brauer braved three oceans and the elements as she navigated her sailboat for months.

When she and her 40-foot (12.2-meter) sailboat arrived Thursday in A Coruna, Spain, the 29-year-old became the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself, traveling across about 30,000 miles (48,280 kilometers).

Brauer, all 5-foot-2 (1.6-meter) and 100 pounds (45.4 kilograms) of her, is one of more than a dozen sailors competing in the Global Solo Challenge. Brauer was the youngest and only woman in the group that set sail in October from A Coruna.

The starts were staggered. Brauer took off Oct. 29. As of Thursday, some in the field had dropped out of the race.

The race took Brauer south along the west coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope and then eastward toward Australia. From there, she continued east where Brauer faced the unpredictable, treacherous and deadly Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America before continuing northeast across the Atlantic Ocean toward Spain.

The race took her 130 days to complete.

“This is really cool and so overwhelming in every sense of the word,” NBC News reported Brauer saying before drinking Champagne from her trophy Thursday while being celebrated by family and fans.

While Brauer is the first American woman to race around the globe alone by sea, she is not first woman to do so. Polish sailor Krystina Chojnowska-Liskiewicz finished her 401-day voyage around the globe on April 21, 1978, according to online sailing sites .

Kay Cottee of Australia was the first woman to achieve the feat nonstop, sailing off from Sydney Harbor in Australia in November 1987 and returning 189 days later.

The global voyage is not an easy one, even on a vessel with a full crew.

“Solo sailors, you have to be able to do everything,” Brauer told the NBC “Today” show Thursday. “You need to be able to take care of yourself. You need to be able to get up, even when you’re so exhausted. And you have to be able to fix everything on the boat.”

Satellite communications allowed Brauer to stay in touch with her racing team and connect with fans on social media, where she posted videos from the race and her boat, “First Light.”

Along the way she encountered 30-foot (9.1-meter) waves that tossed her about the boat, according to NBC News.

She injured a rib and even gave herself an IV to fend off dehydration.

Sailing solo means not just being a skipper but a project manager, said Marco Nannini, the race’s organizer. That means steering the vessel, making repairs, knowing the weather and keeping yourself healthy, he said.

“The biggest asset is your mental strength, not the physical one,” Nannini said. “Cole is showing everyone that.”

One of Brauer’s social media posts from Dec. 8 showed her frustration.

“I haven’t really had the bandwidth to get into everything that’s been going on the past 48 hours, but the short version is the autopilot has been acting up again and I needed to replace some parts and do a rudder recalibration,” she wrote. “For once the light air is actually helping, but it’s been exhausting, and I’m sore and tired.”

“It’s all part of the journey, and I’m sure I’ll be feeling better once the work is done and I’ve gotten some sleep,” Brauer added. “But right now things are tough.”

But she’s handled the tough, even though some in the sport believed it wouldn’t be possible due to her gender and small frame.

“I push so much harder when someone’s like, ‘no, you can’t do that,’ or ‘you’re too small,’” Brauer said.

“It would be amazing if there was just one other girl that saw me and said ‘Oh, I can do that, too,’” she added.

This story has been updated to remove an erroneous reference to Brauer being the first American woman to circumnavigate the globe alone in a sailboat.

You are using a very outdated website browser. Upgrade your browser or install Google Chrome to better experience this site.

Latest News: Fickle First Week for McIntyre Ocean Globe Race

days hrs mins secs

2023 Ocean Globe Race announces Ocean Village Southampton UK as start and finish port

• UK start for the 50th anniversary celebration of the first 1973 Whitbread Race saved by anonymous corporate partner and MDL Marinas bringing this iconic sailing race home to Southampton
• Tracy Edwards and her Maiden team, the only UK entrant in the OGR, are excited to relive their Whitbread dream once again and race around the world
• 15 yachts including six previous Whitbread entrants and one Whitbread winner confirmed for the September 10th OGR start

When Don McIntyre decided in 2015 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ever Whitbread crewed race around the world, it had to start in the UK. That’s where the Whitbread story began.

He did the same thing when deciding to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race which also started from the UK. Sadly no support came from British ports so the 2018 GGR went to Les Sables d’Olonne in France (home of the Vendee Globe) where it was welcomed with open arms and strong investment that generated US$185m in media returns. The third edition GGR2022 is due to finish there in a few weeks.

Until now it looked like the Ocean Globe Race was going the same way. In an October 2022 press release announcing Cape Town, Auckland and Punta Del Este as the OGR stopover ports and after years of trying, OGR announced that ‘sadly UK ports are not interested in hosting the start and finish of this epic adventure and historic occasion’. Final discussions were underway with European ports for the hosting rights.

Fortunately that statement was picked up by a large corporate entity with UK connections. They felt strongly that the OGR should stay in the UK. At the same time MDL Marinas wanted to save the event for the UK as a celebration of their own 50th anniversary. They were passionate about bringing this iconic sailing race back to Southampton and their Ocean Village Marina , the home of so many previous Whitbread races. A deal was struck with both parties and now Ocean Village Southampton is the home of the OGR! This is a huge win for the UK that has seen other significant events move to Europe.

I am absolutely thrilled to have MDL onboard for the 2023 Ocean Globe Race and starting from Ocean Village in Southampton is a personal dream for me. Now, in September, the UK public and sailors everywhere will be able to celebrate an important part of their maritime culture with a true recreation of those first amateur sailors racing into the unknown! Don McIntyre, Ocean Globe Race Founder & Owner of McIntyre Adventure

On 10 September 2023, over 160 sailors will depart Ocean Village onboard the 15 yachts to complete the four leg, 30,000 mile race around the world via the three great capes; Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Australia’s Cape Leeuwin, and South America’s notorious Cape Horn. Onboard the privately-owned, pre-1988 classic sailing boats, the international, mixed-gender crews will have no GPS, no high-tech equipment and no computers. They will navigate using only a sextant, paper charts and the stars with all communications by HF SSB radios. They will return in April 2024.

Six of the yachts competing have taken part in one or more of the Whitbread races (including the first French yacht to ever win the Whitbread) to which they are now paying homage. One of the most notable is Tracy Edwards ’ Farr 58 Maiden . In 1990, Tracy triumphantly brought home the first ever all-female Whitbread crew onboard Maiden to Ocean Village Marina. At the time, it was estimated that almost 50,000 people came to witness this momentous event, which helped to turn the tide on women’s participation in sailing.

What better way to celebrate MDL Marina’s 50th anniversary than to join forces with Don McIntyre to bring the Ocean Globe Race to life to celebrate the iconic Whitbread Round the World race as it also turns 50. By hosting the start and finish of this retro edition of the historic race at our Ocean Village Marina, we’re hoping to recreate the jubilant atmosphere of the early races, welcoming crowds of supporters, capturing the imagination of visitors and inspiring the next generation of round the world sailors. Working closely with Southampton City Council and McIntyre Adventure it’s an honor and privilege to be part of this event, building on Southampton’s already proud maritime heritage. And there’s plenty of opportunities for businesses, both marine and non-marine, to be front and centre of all the action at the Race Village. Tim Mayer, Sales and Marketing Director at MDL Marinas

The Race Village at Ocean Village Marina will open on 26 August 2023, two weeks prior to the start of the race on 10 September. During the run up to the start, the Race Village will host speakers, pre-race activities, past race screenings, hospitality and entertainment as well as the media centre and sailors’ briefing area.

This is very good news indeed! I am delighted to hear that the 50th anniversary celebration of the first Whitbread is starting out of Ocean Village. This OGR will be a great race and huge adventure and tribute to all those original Whitbread sailors. Sir Chay Blyth OGR Patron and Official Starter

This is a chance for all UK sailors and yacht clubs to show they want and support these major events by heading out to the start, visiting the race village or volunteering to help the organisers make the event even bigger!

Any business interested in getting involved and partnering with this historic event in Ocean Village should contact Tim Mayer via [email protected] . For more information on the Ocean Globe Race visit https://oceangloberace.com . For more information on MDL and its marinas visit www.mdlmarinas.co.uk .

Don McIntyre OGR Chairman and Founder

Don McIntyre is the founder and underwriter of the goldengloberace.com the oceangloberace.com and the minigloberace.com . Follow him at mcintyreadventure.com .

• ← Prev Post
• Next Post →

O°G°R Latest News

Crew Stories

Join our mailing list

Get all the latest McIntyre Adventure news delivered to your email.

Technical Partners

Official suppliers.

Associations