18 months out and the 2023 Ocean Globe Race (OGR) launched in 2019, is entering its final phase with 23 paid up entrants. There are now only seven entries left to fill.
- 23 Yachts, 12 nationalities and more than 220 sailors confirmed
- Fleet restricted to 30 Yachts and “Classic Challenge” cancelled
- Neptune joins Flyer Class of Whitbread historic yachts
- Final course and ports to be announced in the weeks ahead.
This crewed race around the world, with sextants and paper charts in the spirit of the original 1973 Whitbread Race, continues to attract strong interest from sailors.
Cancellation of the ‘Classic Challenge’
The ‘Classic Challenge’ fleet, originally announced six months after the OGR was launched, has been cancelled.
This Class was added to the three Retro Classes due to strong lobbying from Whitbread 60, Volvo 60 and Maxi-Yacht owners wanting to enter. The organizer finally agreed and a wider range of yachts related to the golden years of the Whitbread were invited.
But no entry deposits were received by the deadline set for the end of January 2022.
Final course and Ports
Following feedback from ports, the OGR fleet is now reduced to a total of 30 yachts from all three retro classes to simplify logistics.
The announcement of the final course is currently just weeks away from the final decision, with a European start now expected, due to lack of budget and interest from UK ports post Covid.
Neptune joins the OGR
Neptune, a 60ft French entry from the 1977 Whitbread, joins the OGR bringing the total French entries to seven. She recently completed her trans-Atlantic crossing from Martinique to Brittany, joining six other iconic Whitbread yachts in the popular Flyer Class!
The 60-foot aluminum sloop will enter refit in Morbihan, Brittany.
Tan Raffray, a figure of the Metric Challenge, saw the opportunity of a lifelong dream to race around the world, building a project around the excellent crew of his 8M JI Hispania, alongside Daniel Gilles, original 1977 crew member and official Éric Tabarly biographer.
OGR entrant Tracy Edward has retired from the race.
She entered her first Whitbread in 1985–1986 sailing with Norsk Data GB and in the second leg became cook aboard the Atlantic Privateer. In 1998 she led the first all-female crew in the Whitbread onboard Maiden.
Alas, the new revised world sailing Tour of her 58-foot Farr design (which started as Disque d’Or 3) was delayed for over a year due to COVID. This new sailing schedule makes it impossible to prepare in time for the 2023 OGR.
About the Ocean Globe Race
The 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. Starting in Europe in September 2023, the OGR is a 27,000-mile sprint around the Globe, divided into four legs, taking in the Southern Ocean and the three great Capes, finishing back in Europe in April 2024.
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