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Achieving the dream.

Around the world Single-handed Non-stop By the three great capes With a unique format Budget friendly Environmentally conscious Starts in A Coruña from August 2023

Around the world Single-handed Non-stop By the three great capes With a unique format Budget friendly Environmentally conscious In A Coruña from August 2023

Latest updates

The weather situation in the North Atlantic has been far from simple for Riccardo Tosetto who has been force to a very westerly course to avoid getting stuck in the tropical calms and or the azores high. Since yesterday and for the first time in weeks he is sailing downwind with speeds above 10 knots. All seems fantastic, but the warm front that is providing the nice southerly winds to the Italian skipper is moving to the east fast and behind in the wind seems to be determined to turn around 180 degrees and Riccardo could find himself upwind again in just over a day. Francois Gouin meanwhile might benefit from the situation as he still needs to sail further north and aim to sail around the Azores high. He is further south but much further east and the gap to the finish between the boats is just over 200 miles, so the duel that we had called as over when Francois was forced to sail permanently with 3 reefs may reopen for the final rush to A Coruna. Clearly Francois has to hope for strong winds where his mainsail issues won’t be as much of a handicap.

Andrea Mura and Cole Brauer had never met. Andrea had arrived in A Coruna after Cole had already left on her earlier start. Yet, watching them talk for the first time today they looked like old friends overdo for a good chat and catch up, such is the bond you form when you share such an adventure and challenge, you know every other participant will know exactly what you mean each time you speak and the camaraderie that develops is incredible. It was so nice to see Andrea and Cole chatting away talking about their adventures.

Andrea Mura arrived in A Coruna in gentle southwesterly winds crossing the finish line at 2:44 pm local time (13:44 UTC) after 120 days and 44 minutes since his departure on November 18th. He achieved his held dream and, as he put it, this circumnavigation gave him back as much as he had to give to achieve it and feels he is totally at peace with himself now, happy to be back and happy to see family and friends. It was another long day and we’ll follow this up with a longer article as usual, for the time being we just wish to congratulate Andrea on his enormous achievement. Cole Brauer handed him the trophy and it was another emotional day for the skippers of the Global Solo Challenge.

LIVE FEED STARTS 1:30 pm Local time (Italy/Spain/France), 7:30 am EST US time (Approx) INSTAGRAM LIVE: https://www.instagram.com/globalsolochallenge/ FACEBOOK LIVE: https://www.facebook.com/globalsolochallenge/

Andrea will dock on the long 30m central pontoon just by the iconic Tower of A Coruna. The best place to watch him arrive (1) is the end of the breakwater until he crosses the finish line, after that you can make your way to the pontoons (2) and once celebrations on the dock have finished we will move to the Global Solo Challenge white tent in the space ashore (3) where beers will be offered to those attending.

Andrea Mura has sailed very fast all night and the wind is holding up, he is currently 25 miles from the finish sailing at over 10 knots. We expect to go out when he is about 10 miles to the finish at around 12:30 local time. The live stream will start soon after probably around 1pm local time or soon after. LIVE FEED STARTS 1pm Local time (Italy/Spain/France), 7am EST US time INSTAGRAM LIVE: https://www.instagram.com/globalsolochallenge/ FACEBOOK LIVE: https://www.facebook.com/globalsolochallenge/

Andrea Mura is less than 200 miles from achieving his lifelong dream after crossing the finish line in A Coruna. He has managed to keep a good pace and he is currently expected after midday local time tomorrow Sunday 17th, the exact timing will very much depend on the final approach and the possibility that the wind will decrease substantially for the last 20-30 miles. All in all an early afternoon arrival seems plausible. ETA SPAIN/ITALY : 13:00 – 17:00 ETA USA EST : 07:00 – 11:00 am

The Azores high has spread far and wide in the north Atlantic and is posing more than a headache to Italian skipper Riccardo Tosetto who has little option other than to keep sailing north and reach the latitude where he can find the favourable winds of a depression moving eastward. For the time being Francois Gouin should be able to gain back some of the miles lost in the Doldrums and we have to see how the situation evolves and whether any of the two skippers will be able to make relative gains. Francois is still limited to sailing with three reefs in the mainsail.

News Articles

Four skippers still battling to finish the Global Solo Challenge

David Linger, Flag George – Koloa Maoli @David Linger   With Andrea Mura completing the Global Solo Challenge podium on Sunday certainly the focus of many of those following the

Andrea Mura reclaims joy on the Global Solo Challenge podium

Andrea Mura, Daniela, Lucas, Marvel @globalsolochallenge   It was Sunday 17th March at 13:44 UTC that Andrea Mura crossed the finish line of the Global Solo Challenge on Vento di

Andrea Mura expected in A Coruna Sunday 17th afternoon

Andrea Mura – Vento di Sardegna @globalsolochallenge   With under 500 miles to go Andrea Mura must really be starting to feel the end of his epic adventure is near.

Andrea Mura to join Italian circumnavigators elite, with a smile

Andrea Mura – Vento di Sardegna @globalsolochallenge   After the emotional arrivals of Philippe Delamare and Cole Brauer in A Coruna, 5 competitors are still at sea in the Global

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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.

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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 .

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2023 Ocean Globe Race: The Whitbread Race is back!

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The 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race

• November 2, 2023

In the spirit of the Whitbread, 14 yachts from 23 different countries set off from Cowes to compete in The Ocean Globe Race 2023-24

Hundreds of spectator boats cheered the start of the Ocean Globe Race on Sunday 10 September, as 14 iconic yachts raced through the line off Cowes, at the start of a 27,000-mile global circumnavigation in the spirit of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race.

A flotilla of well-wishers, including Britain’s largest working steamship, Shieldhall, waved and clapped the fleet to the starting line opposite the Royal Yacht Squadron on the Isle of Wight, where Sir Chay Blyth, a fellow circumnavigator, fired the starting gun.

The race celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Round the World Race, which means taking on the world’s toughest oceans without modern technology, using no computers, satellites, GPS, or high-tech materials for navigational aids.

The Whitbread Round the World Race started from Portsmouth in 1973 following in the route of the great Clipper ships. It was the first fully crewed global yacht race, capturing the heart of the British public, and the forerunner of the Volvo Ocean Race and the Ocean Race.

Translated 9 was previously raced as ADC Accutrac by British skipper Clare Francis, who took fifth place in the 1977 Whitbread Round the World Race. Photo: Studio Borlenghi/Luca Butto

Explorer, AU (28) was first over the line in light winds, followed by Spirit of Helsinki, FI (71) and Translated 9, IT (09). The only British entry, Maiden, GB (03) was on the other side of the line in fourth position. This was only the start, however, and there were still 27,000 miles to go.

‘What an amazing sight to witness 14 teams recreating history, stepping back in time and setting off around the world on a grand adventure in the spirit of the original 1973 Whitbread,’ said Don McIntyre, Ocean Globe Race founder and sponsor.

Seven of the boats competing have taken part in one or more of the past Whitbread races: Maiden, Pen Duick VI, FR (14), Esprit d’Équipe, FR (85), Neptune, FR (56), Outlaw, AU, (08) and Translated 9, IT (09), formerly ADC Accutrac skippered to 5th place by Clare Francis in the 1977 Whitbread.

A wave from the crew of L’Esprit d’Equipe. Photo: Studio Borlenghi/Luca Butto

Father’s legacy

It was an emotional sight to see skipper Marie Tabarly at the helm of Pen Duick VI following the same route as her father 50 years ago on the same yacht. Pen Duick VI was dismasted twice in the 1973 Whitbread when skippered by Marie’s father, Éric Tabarly.

One of the most notable teams is the Farr 58, Maiden. In 1990, Tracy Edwards, now MBE, triumphantly brought home the first ever all-female Whitbread crew onboard Maiden to Ocean Village Marina, Southampton. 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.

In this edition, Maiden again set sail with an all-female crew under skipper Heather Thomas, firstly to win, but also to highlight the work of the Maiden Factor Foundation, a charity started by Tracy to support communities to enable girls into education, helping them to reach their full potential and create better futures for all.

L’Esprit d’Equipe at the start of the race. Photo: Studio Borlenghi/Luca Butto

Helicopter evacuation

A week after the start, an injured crewman, Stéphane Raguenes, from the French yacht Triana (66) was evacuated by long-range helicopter in a dramatic rescue 225 miles from the island of Madeira. Stéphane had slipped on deck in heavy weather causing a severe laceration to the back of his leg.

At the time, 4m waves made a transfer to a nearby container ship impossible and skipper Jean d’Arthuys planned to continue to Madeira to seek medical treatment.

But D’Arthuys raised the alert to Code Red the following morning and requested a helicopter evacuation after Stéphane’s condition deteriorated overnight. The long-range rescue was carried out later that day and Raguenes was successfully helicoptered to hospital in Madeira.

The same day, another entrant Godspeed, (01) USA, contacted OGR race control reporting their boom had developed a six-inch crack in the middle following a few days of heavy weather. The team has now diverted to Lisbon to begin repairs.

French rivals L’Esprit d’Equipe and Evrika passing the Needles en route to Cape Town. Photo: Studio Borlenghi/Luca Butto

Crew diversity

The 218 sailors taking part in the race – 65 women and 153 men ranging from 17 to 73 years in age – come from 23 different countries and include: 96 crew from France, 31 from Finland, 18 from the UK, 18 from the US, 11 from Italy and six from South Africa. The diverse crews taking part are united by a passion to live a life less ordinary.

This OGR is dominated by the French; five of the yachts, Triana (skipper Jean d’Arthuys), Evrika (skipper Dominique Dubois), Neptune (Tanneguy Raffray), Pen Duick VI (Marie Tabarly), and former winner L’Esprit D’Equipe (Lionel Regnier) sail under the French flag.

With so much emphasis on youth – invigorating though it is, we do live in an ageing society. There are many sailors who will warm to surgeon Tanneguy Raffray’s initiative for including Bertrand Delhom among his crew.

Delhom has had many medical misfortunes throughout his life, including a partial amputation of his foot which has left chronic residual pain. He is no stranger to depression. Raffray describes Delhom’s diagnosis with Parkinson’s Disease as ‘the last knife’. Delhom volunteers as an instructor for other disabled sailors and asked Raffray to accept him on board Neptune to give hope to others. They have worked together on a programme of physical and psychological exercises to strengthen Delhom for the voyage and have also made various modifications to Neptune to provide additional hand holds.

Raffray will write about the experience for both the medical and popular press when they return.

The oldest OGR entrant, Campbell Mackie, 73, mentoring Spirit of Adelaide’s youngest crew member, India Syms, 18. Photo: Studio Borlenghi/Luca Butto

Strong British contingent

Though Maiden is the UK’s only entrant, there are other British sailors scattered through the fleet.

Some have signed up to sail a single leg, others are ‘rounders’. Simon Curwen, who took line honours in the recent Golden Globe Race, is sailing the first two legs on board the Italian yacht Translated 9. He sounds slightly surprised to be there and agrees that this is a significant departure from his usual solo racing.

The invitation to join Translated 9 came so soon after the GGR last year that Curwen had turned it down. His wife Clare encouraged him to think again. He is sailing with Vittorio Malingri, whose father and uncle have both done the race, and who is joined by his son Nico. Owner Marco Trombetti is the co-skipper, and his wife and business partner, Isabelle Audrieu, will sail with them for a leg.

A hive of activity and excitement aboard Pen Duick VI as the crew get her off to a good start with Marie Tabarly at the helm. Photo: Studio Borlenghi/Luca Butto

Jill Comber, sailing the whole race on the Australian yacht Explorer, has a hunch that her skills as a CEO of a successful company will prove transferable to challenges of life on board. She took up sailing as a single mother looking for something she and her nine-year-old son could do together. He’s now an adult, seeking his own adventures.

Since selling her company Jill has done as much ocean sailing as she can and sees the OGR as a way to accelerate her learning about herself. ‘It feels like throwing my life up into the air and wondering where it will come down.’ Her role on board is crew co-ordinator, something very necessary as Explorer has crew joining and leaving at every stage. Some they haven’t even met yet.

Terry Kavanagh, the sole Irishman in the OGR, sailing on Explorer as first mate, agrees with Jill about business skills being transferable. He’s still part way through a slow circumnavigation with his wife Jac and is an unexpected convert to racing. This January they took part in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. However, Terry was inspired by Don McIntyre’s concept of the OGR and, as Jac had already raced round the world via the Clipper fleet, they agreed to leave their yacht in the West Indies and sign on. While Terry sails this race with skipper Mark ‘Captain Coconut’ Sinclair, Jac has joined the shore-based team, managing PR.

Maiden’s all-female crew range in age from age 18 to 42, with skipper, Heather Thomas, 26 (fifth from left), at the helm for the OGR. Photo: Studio Borlenghi/Luca Butto

Good to see the Brits

Tom Napper, first mate on Pen Duick VI, has found that the best way to have a career in sailing is to be at the right place and jump on opportunities. He’s a sailor and rigger from Cornwall who started his career afloat when he was two. His mother, a single parent and district midwife, often needed people to look after her hyperactive child and was relieved to discover that the motion of a boat helped him sleep.

He first met skipper Marie Tabarly when racing in Monaco and kept in touch until a message arrived last year, ‘We need to go and drink coffee.’ Tom joined Pen Duick VI in November and has found his French crewmates welcoming – though Sir Chay Blyth muttered that it was ‘Good to see a Brit on board,’ Aurora Sillars (23) is the youngest member on board the South African entry Sterna. This is owned by a new adventure sailing company, Allspice Yachting, which hopes to use the race to gain recognition and also undertake environmentally useful projects.

Her owner, Dr Gerrit Louw, is a former academic specialising in geo-informatics, and the boat’s main sponsor is Inclusive Carbon Standard, which aims to reduce the cost of carbon credits and supply food and trees for Africa. Aurora’s personal project is plankton collection. Sterna was the first yacht in the fleet to achieve the Green Card for passing all safety checks. She also has the lowest handicap.

Maiden’s all-female crew are likely to maintain resilience. Photo: Studio Borlenghi/Luca Butto

Lucy Frost on the Australian yacht Outlaw is clear about her motivation – ‘Sailing puts a smile on my face.’ She began sailing when IVF failed and it was clear that she could never have children. ‘You can do anything now,’ her sister told her. Fast forward to the OGR 23 and Lucy was one of the initial five investors in Outlaw, a cooperatively owned yacht.

Their skipper, Campbell Mackie (73) is the oldest person in the race and, like Tapio Lehtinen, still feels inspired by the legacy of the tea clippers and grain racers. Lucy has sailed on Maiden and believes that there are still many ways in which women in sailing are at a significant disadvantage. She welcomes the OGR quota system.

Pen Duick VI under way. Photo: Studio Borlenghi/Luca Butto

Multi-skilled crews

Emma Walker is the sole British woman on the US veterans’ yacht Godspeed. She’s an inveterate adventurer who has spent much of her life backpacking but has also served in both the Royal Navy (as an engineer) and RAF (as a photographer). She has little sailing experience but discovered that her talent for logistics is valuable when getting the all-veteran crew motivated and jobs completed. She will also use her experience as a photographer to document the trip.

Godspeed is owned by Skeleton Crew Adventures, a charity founded by skipper Taylor Grieger. Grieger suffered from PTSD after his military service and has already made a fundraising film, Hell or High Seas, (available on Amazon) about his attempt to round Cape Horn. They still have fundraising to do in order to complete this race. Emma says her experience so far is like being back in the service family; ‘We’ve got each other’s backs.’

Galiana WithSecure testing how many sails you can hoist at once

The Swan 57 White Shadow is the single Spanish entry, also skippered by a French sailor, Jean-Claude Petit, who will be joined by some of his family members.

The Finns have two boats, Spirit of Helsinki (formerly Whitbread racer Fazer Finland) skippered by Jussi Paarvoseppa, and Tapio Lentinen’s Galiana WithSecure. Their crews have trained hard and there is a good deal of national pride urging them on. And whatever one’s allegiance it will be hard not to wish Tapio, in particular, every good fortune after the gooseneck barnacle attack in the GGR18, the loss of Asteria in GGR22, and Galiana WithSecure’s dismasting in the recent Fastnet.

When asked how he personally recovered from such setbacks, Tapio spoke of the deeper values which sustained him, and also the realisation that being able to sail ‘is a fantastic gift. One shouldn’t spoil it by crying over spilt milk.’ With that in mind, Tapio will also be flying the Ukrainian flag.

The crews are expected to finish between the 1 and 10 April 2024.

The Ocean Globe Race route

The eight-month adventure follows the original Clipper route and is split into four legs, sailing around the three great Capes: Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Australia’s Cape Leeuwin, and South America’s notorious Cape Horn. Stopovers include: Cape Town, Auckland and Punta del Este.

The first leg: 6,650 miles, Southampton to Cape Town. The first boats are expected to finish between 9-21 October. The second leg: 6,650 miles, Cape Town to Auckland, New Zealand. It starts on 5 November and is expected to finish between 14-23 December. The third leg: 8,370 miles, 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, Punta del Este, Uruguay to Southampton. The first boats to cross the finish line are expected 1-10 April 2024.

The entrants

The yachts are split into three classes: the Adventure Class 46-55ft; Sayula Class 56-65ft; and Flyer Class, comprising ex-Whitbread yachts from the first three editions.

Adventure Class (47-55ft/ 14-17m)

Galiana WithSecure (Tapio Lehtinen), FIN, Swan 55; Triana (Jean D’Arthuys) FRA, Swan 53; Outlaw (Campbell Mackie), AUS, Baltic 55; Sterna (Allspice Yachting, Rufus Brand) ZAF, Swan 53; Godspeed (Skeleton Crew Sailing, Taylor Grieger), USA, Swan 51.

Sayula Class (56-66 ft /17-20m)

Evrika (Dominique Dubois), FRA, Swan 65; Explorer (Mark Sinclair), AUS, Swan 57; Spirit of Helsinki (Jussi Paavoseppä), FIN, Swan 651; White Shadow (Jean-Christophe Petite), ESP, Swan 57

Flyer Class (Former 1973, 1977 or 1981 Whitbread race boats)

L’Esprit d’Equipe (Lionel Regniér), FRA, Whitbread 1981; Translated 9 (Vittorio Malingri), ITA, Whitbread 1977, Pen Duick VI (Marie Tabarly), FRA, Whitbread 1973; Neptune (Tanneguy Raffray), FRA, Whitbread 1977; Maiden (Heather Thomas), GBR, Whitbread 1989.

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Latest News: Winners and losers Leg 4 of McIntyre Ocean Globe Race

days hrs mins secs

2023 Ocean Globe Race announces Ocean Village Southampton UK as start 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 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 .

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The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race sets off from Portsmouth

• Published 3 September 2023

Sailors have departed on a 40,000-mile nautical race around the globe.

The Clipper Round the World Race, crewed mainly by non-professional sailors, set off earlier from Portsmouth in Hampshire.

Participants have completed four weeks of training ahead of the 11-month route through treacherous seas.

Skipper Hannah Brewis said she "can't wait to tell people" about the "wild variety of places and different cultures" they would encounter.

The race is an endurance test for 11 teams, including over 700 race crew who will attempt the 40,000-nautical mile circumnavigation.

Ms Brewis said that 10m waves and big storms are some of the tough conditions that the racers would have to face.

"They're all part of the experience," she added.

The race comes with some serious health concerns as each yacht allows up to 22 paying amateurs on board.

In the race's 27-year history, there have been three fatalities, and since then organisers have been focused on safety training.

First Mate Cameron McCracken, who also took part in the race as an amateur, described the four weeks of training as "very rigorous".

"The safety's drummed into you from day one. We do man overboard drills every time we get out on the boat so safety is paramount," he said.

Race participant Fausto Prieto said the basic costs were "£52,000 for all eight legs" but he sees the expensive undertaking as "worthwhile".

The first leg sees all boats sail from Portsmouth to Puerto Sherry in Spain.

The Clipper 2023-24 Race team will also mark its first ever visit to Washington, DC, in June 2024, completing the seventh leg of the circumnavigation.

Follow BBC South on Facebook , Twitter , or Instagram . Send your story ideas to [email protected].

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First win for Our Isles and Oceans on race into Qingdao

22 March 2024

The Our Isles and Oceans team has achieved its best result of the circumnavigation, proudly sailing into Qingdao in first place after a gruelling race from Zhuhai.

The team, led by Skipper Max Rivers and First Mate Tom Newsom, had a fantastic race, despite the extremely challenging upwind conditions for the majority of Race 9: Sailing City – Qingdao Cup. Following a difficult start, the team was able to establish a leading position once the fleet had rounded Taiwan. After opting to use Stealth Mode, the team appeared back on the Race Viewer 24 hours later in first place, keeping the lead over the chasing boats Zhuhai, UNICEF and Qingdao until the Finish Line.

Image: Our Isles and Oceans arrives in Qingdao

On crossing the Finish Line, Skipper Max Rivers said: “What a way to arrive in to such a prestigious Host Port and long-time sponsor of the race. The team has been fighting long and hard to get here and they thoroughly deserve this win. It has been great watching the boat pull together and push in the same direction to a common goal, and to achieve that after all this time is amazing. Emotions are high on board and the whole team can't wait to get in and enjoy the delights and hospitality of Qingdao.”

Image: Max Rivers

Anthony Stoddart, the Our Isles and Oceans Team Partner, congratulated the team on their amazing result: “What a truly fantastic result for Max, Tom, the team and Wee Dram. We couldn’t be more delighted for them to be standing on the top step after all their hard work over so many Legs. Just rewards to say the least, and after the usual ‘nip & tuck’ that is synonymous with the Clipper Race, made the race even more nerve wracking with the dreaded Stealth Mode hiding what is going on. Congratulations and make sure a ‘Wee Dram’ is had to celebrate!”

The team arrived in Qingdao, China’s sailing city to an unbelievable welcome. Sailing in past the skyline and Olympic rings, the team was greeted by fireworks, crowds of fans and media, before an official Arrival Ceremony.

Image: Arrival beers!

Max added: “I’m ecstatic, it’s an amazing place and an amazing welcome! It’s been a really brilliant race for the team, and we’ve been working towards this for a while now, so we are happy it has come to pass. It’s a dream come true to win a race, and to win into such an amazing port is a real privilege.

“As always, the rest of the teams put up the best fight possible right until the very end. I really enjoyed having a good battle with UNICEF to the Finish Line.”

Elizabeth Balmer, the Leg 6 Our Isles and Oceans Ambassador said on arrival: “It was a tough start, really upwind. But then it was amazing, just being on the boat. To go into second place, and then into first, it’s just been amazing. Max let me helm across the Finish Line for the last two minutes, which was such an honour after a full team effort. It was a life changing moment.”

Image: Elizabeth Balmer

The team was paraded to the stage with dragon dancers and Chinese drummers and joined Qingdao Organising Committee and Clipper Race officials on the stage to celebrate the win.

Image: Arrival Ceremony

Speaking about the welcome on stage, Skipper Max Rivers said: “I’ve heard a lot about Qingdao from previous editions of the Clipper Race. It’s a legendary stopover and a fantastic Host Port which we have been excited about visiting since the start of the race. It’s amazing to able to experience China’s Sailing City for ourselves.”

Following the gifting of a cloak and hat to Skipper Max Rivers, the crew received beanies and scarves and then enjoyed their first, first place champagne spray of the Clipper 2023-24 Race.

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After starting in Newport, Cole Brauer is first American woman to sail solo nonstop around world

On Thursday, Cole Brauer made history, becoming the first American woman to sail solo nonstop around the world. The 29-year-old from Long Island, New York, celebrated at the finish line in Spain by drinking champagne from her trophy.

Friends, peers and sailing enthusiasts had been cheering Brauer on since last October , when she embarked on her more than four-month journey.

Race organizer Marco Nannini told USA TODAY he started the Global Solo Challenge to "create a platform for sailors like Cole to showcase her skills and move on to a pro sailor career."

While at sea Brauer kept her more than 400,000 Instagram followers updated − and entertained − with videos from onboard First Light. The trip was extremely challenging and physically exhausting, Brauer said in one video from December.

In the post, she describes how frustrated she felt when she had to fix and replace different parts of the boat.

"I don't want you guys to think I'm like Superwoman or something," Brauer said. "Right now I've been feeling just broken," she added, describing how she had to fix the boat's autopilot system after injuring her torso against the side of the boat's hull amid intense waves.

Cole Brauer coming to Newport to talk about solo experience

Sail Newport will be hosting Brauer on May 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Jane Pickens Theater where guests will be able to meet Brauer and hear about her journey. Sail Newport Executive Director Brad Read will emcee the event. Tickets went on sale Friday and are already sold out, but those interested in attending may register to be on the waitlist.

Who is Cole Brauer?

Brauer is from Long Island and competed for the University of Hawaii sailing team. She went to high school in East Hampton, New York, her university team website says. She was the youngest of more than a dozen sailors, or skippers, in the Global Solo Challenge.

The professional sailor lives in Boothbay, Maine, and during the spring and summer, she can be also found in Newport, gearing up for races, the Newport Daily News  reported last year .

Brauer has sailed on First Light, a 40-foot yacht, for over five years, the outlet reported.

"I always said I wanted to race around the world in this boat," she told the Daily News.

From above and below First Light's deck, Brauer shared aspects of her journey with followers and die-hard sailing fans.

On New Year's Eve, she donned a dress and  danced at midnight , and in another post, she  showed off  how many pull-ups she can do.

As the only woman racing solo, nonstop around the world in the first Global Solo Challenge, Brauer said she was determined to prove there's nothing women and girls cannot accomplish.

"I push so much harder when someone's like, 'No, you can't do that,'" Brauer  told NBC Nightly News . "And I'm like, 'OK, watch me.'"

Brauer is the first American woman to sail solo around the world. But Kay Cottee of Australia was the first woman in the world to accomplish the milestone, sailing off from Sydney Harbor in Australia in November 1987 and returning 189 days later.

On her profile page on the Global Solo Challenge website, Brauer said she wanted to send a message to the sailing community that it's time to leave its male-dominated culture in the past. In the profile, Brauer took aim at a lack of equal pay and what she describes as harassment in the sailing industry.

"Just as well as this community has built me up it has broken me and my fellow female teammates down. I am doing this race for them," Brauer said.

Brauer and her spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

How long was Cole Brauer at sea?

Brauer was sailing for over four months after departing on Oct. 29.

She finished second in the race, behind a sailor who departed about a month before she did.

The start times differed because that first place boat, Phillipe Delamare's Mowgli, is much slower, Nannini said, explaining the race's staggered start times.

"The format means that if you enter on a slow, small boat you can still win, which makes it much more inclusive than an event where a bigger budget is a definite advantage," he said.

France's Delamare will win first-place prize money of 7,500 euros (about $8,140), Brauer will win 5,000 euros (about $5,430) and the third place finisher will win 2,500 euros (about $2,710), Nannini said.

How dangerous was Cole Brauer's sailing race?

A medical team including a nurse and a physician trained Brauer and sent her on her journey with medicines and medical supplies, in case of any health issues, according to her Instagram account.

Early in the race, Brauer administered her own IV with a saline solution after she became dehydrated, according to one video posted to her social media.

Brauer's most serious health scare happened in early December when she said gnarly ocean conditions caused the boat to jolt, throwing her across the inside of the boat and slamming her hard against a wall.

Her ribs were badly bruised as a result, and her medical team told her to alternate between taking Advil and Tylenol, Brauer said on Instagram.

"Rigging up a sleeping seat belt has been added to my priority list," she said in the post's caption. "I know I'm very lucky that this wasn't a lot worse."

What is the Global Solo Challenge?

The inaugural Global Solo Challenge is a nonstop sailing race in which competitors departed last year from A Coruña, Spain.

The race encompasses nearly 30,000 miles and takes place mostly in the southern hemisphere.

After leaving waters off the coast of Spain, sailors travel south and around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. The race then includes the two other capes that together make up the famous three great capes: Australia's Cape Leeuwin and South America's Cape Horn.

About half of the other competitors dropped out of the race, according to racing data posted online by the Global Solo Challenge.

Delamare finished the race late last month after embarking on his journey in late September 2023, according to race data.

Contributing: Newport Daily News and Associated Press

‘They allowed me to flourish in Maine’: How Cole Brauer became the first American woman to sail around world solo in race

A s the sun rose, only one mile separated Cole Brauer from the coast of A Coruña in Spain, where a crowd of supporters eagerly awaited her arrival after 130 days alone at sea. The 40-foot yacht First Light sliced through the waves, its blue and red sails emblazoned with “USA 54″ billowing against the wind. Victory in sight, Brauer stood at the bow and spread her arms wide, a firecracker sparkling in each hand. As she neared the finish line, the 29-year-old sailor hollered and cheered, flashing a wide smile.

At 8:23 a.m. on March 7, Brauer made history. Four months after setting sail from A Coruña for the Global Solo Challenge , Brauer became the first American woman to race around the world without stopping or assistance. The youngest skipper and the only female competitor, Brauer finished second out of 16 racers.

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“I’m so stoked,” Brauer, of Boothbay Harbor , Maine, said in a livestream as she approached the end . She wore a headlamp over her beanie with the words “wild feminist” across the top, and a couple of boats trailed her. “I can’t believe it. I still feel like I’ve got another couple months left of this craziness. It’s a really weird feeling.”

As she circumnavigated the globe by way of the three great capes — Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Horn — Brauer documented the arduous 30,000-mile journey in full on her Instagram feed. She amassed hundreds of thousands of followers, introducing many of them to the sport and upending stereotypes of a professional sailor.

Brauer, who is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs just 100 pounds, has long defied expectations and overcome skepticism in reaching the pinnacle of the yachting world.

“I’ve always been not the correct mold. I had a guy who used to always tell me, ‘You’re always on trial because the second you walk in the door, you have three strikes against you. You’re young, you’re a woman, and you’re small,’” she recalled in a recent interview. “Now with my platform, I don’t have to be as careful about what I say or do because people care about me because of me — not because I’m a sailor.”

In her videos documenting her long days at sea, she was often vulnerable, crying into the camera when First Light had autopilot issues and sea conditions caused the boat to broach , throwing her hard against the wall and bruising her ribs. She was giddy, showing off her new pajamas on Christmas Eve and dancing in a pink dress on New Year’s Day . As her popularity soared, she was a guide for the uninitiated, providing a breakdown of her sailing routes , her workouts and meals, and how she replaces equipment alone .

A native of Long Island, N.Y., she spent her childhood on the water, kayaking with her sister across the bay to school and finding comfort in the roll of the tide. She went to the University of Hawaii at Manoa , where, longing to be back on the ocean, she joined the sailing team. Brauer learned quickly, becoming a standout and winning the school’s most prestigious athletics award.

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

After college, she moved to the East Coast, hoping to start a career in sailing. But she found it difficult to break into the male-dominated industry.

“It was very difficult. I got a lot of ‘nos’. A lot of, ‘No way, we want nothing to do with you. You’re a liability,’” Brauer recalled.

Undeterred, she took whatever job she could, often for little pay.

Brauer found her footing in Boothbay Harbor , where her parents, Kim and David, were living. She coached the junior sailing team at the yacht club and met yacht captain Tim Fetsch, who became her mentor. While talking with Fetsch one night over dinner, Brauer shared her goal of competing in the prestigious Ocean Race , known as “sailing’s greatest round-the-world challenge.”

He sent her “ Taking on the World ,” Ellen MacArthur’s book on finishing the Vendée Globe, a solo round-the-world race, at 24. She cried while reading it.

“They allowed me to flourish in Maine,” she said.

With Fetsch, she delivered boats to Mystic, Conn., and Newport, R.I., a sailing capital where Fetsch introduced her to his connections and she “was accepted pretty early on as as a worker bee.”

Her big break arrived when she became the boat captain for Michael Hennessy’s Class40 Dragon . She spent several years captaining Dragon and delivering it to races along the East Coast and the Caribbean.

In 2022, she was invited to try out for the Ocean Race. But after the two-week trials in France , where she sailed with a fully crewed team, she was dismissed. They told her she was too small.

“They didn’t want the 100-pound girl unless you were, you know, one of those big guys’ girlfriends, and I was not going to be that,” she said.

Describing the story to a couple of friends after the trials, Brauer made a vow — “I guess I just gotta go around the world alone.”

“It’s almost good that it happened because I needed that to push me over the edge,” she said. “I needed them to make me feel so little that I would do anything to be big.”

Later that year, Dragon was sold to a pair of brothers, who renamed it First Light and said Brauer could keep sailing it for the season. In June, Brauer and her co-skipper, Cat Chimney, became the first women to win the 24th Bermuda One-Two Yacht Race . After the victory, Brauer was prepared to take a break from competition and enjoy a “gorgeous Newport summer.”

Her sponsors had other plans. “You need to take the momentum with this win,” Brauer recalled the brothers saying. “This is probably your one and only chance to really show the world, and we’re willing to help.”

She set her sights on the Global Solo Challenge . First Light underwent a refit. With little time to prepare, Brauer suffered panic attacks and became worryingly thin. But the sailing community rallied around her and she assembled her team.

“Newport said, ‘You are our child, and we’re going to take care of you,’” she recalled.

Brauer took off from Spain on Oct. 29, and her online profile began to rise as she chronicled the voyage. The sudden isolation was overwhelming at the start, bringing her to tears at least once a day.

At one point in the race, while bobbing along in the Southern Ocean, things looked bleak. She was in excruciating pain after being slammed into the side of the boat and could hardly move. First Light was having issues with its autopilot system and she kept having to replace deteriorating parts.

“It took the entire team and my own mental state and my mother and my whole family to kind of be like, ‘You’re tough enough, like you can do this. You can get yourself out of this,’” she said.

In a race where more than half the competitors pulled out, their boats unable to withstand the harsh conditions, Brauer often listened to music on headphones to lower her anxiety.

“This is your everything. You don’t want to lose it,” she said. “Mentally, no one in the entire world knows what you’re feeling. They can’t understand the weather or the wind patterns.”

Her team monitored her by cameras and she spoke each day to those close to her, including her mom, whom she FaceTimed every morning. Sometimes they would just sit in silence. Brauer found comfort interacting with her Instagram followers, who peppered her with questions about sailing terminology and sent her messages of affirmation.

She made a ritual of watching the sunset and sunrise, each different than the last.

“Those were the most magical moments,” she said. “No obstructions, no buildings, no cars to ruin the sound.”

As she approached the finish, she described how surreal it felt that the journey was about to be over.

“It’s such a weird feeling seeing everyone. I’m trying to learn how to interact again with people, so we’ll see how this goes,” Brauer said with a slight smile and laugh on her livestream. “I don’t really know how to feel. I don’t really know how to act. I don’t really know how to be.”

Shannon Larson can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @shannonlarson98 .