Ocean Village Southampton, home of several Whitbread races, is now home to the Ocean Globe Race!
On 10 September 2023, over 160 sailors will depart Ocean Village, Southhampton, 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.
Ocean Village Southampton, home of several Whitbread races, is now home to the Ocean Globe Race! Credit: Ocean Village Southampton
Tim Mayer, Sales and Marketing Director at MDL Marinas . . . “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.”
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.
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.
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 2023.
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 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!
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.
For more information on the Ocean Globe Race visit https://oceangloberace.com
