OCEAN RACING FOR ORDINARY SAILORS

Join our crew to sail in this legendary ocean race!

The Whitbread race fostered countless legendary sailors that pushed the boundaries of what was perceived possible during their time. During the evolution of the Whitbread into the Ocean Race, the dynamics of the ocean racing changed and a new type of sailor evolved. Corinthian adventure took a back seat to professional athleticism. The Ocean Globe Race reintroduces the sense of amateur adventure lost during the evolution of modern-day round the world yacht races. It brings to life aspirational characters in a format where it is as much about the story as the final leader board.

"The Ocean Globe Race celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race. It is a fully crewed, seven-month retro around the world adventure on existing production-built ocean racing yachts designed before 1988. There will be no computers, satellites, GPS or high-tech materials. Instead, entrants will rely on sextants, leadership, team work and pure determination to push themselves and each other to the limit and beyond."

Don McIntyre (OGR founder and organiser)

The Ocean Globe Race is a 8 month sprint around the world in four legs.

Why the Ocean Globe Race?

The Ocean Globe Race makes it possible to sail around the world!

The decision to enter was based on the belief that sailing around the world is a logical progression of everything we have done the last couple of years. In part, we were inspired by the 2018 Golden Globe Race, in which a number of entrants with modest budgets did exceptionally well. Their performance in comparison to other well-funded or sponsored participants highlighted a crucial factor that differentiates the Golden Globe Race and Ocean Globe Race from the Vendee Globe and (previously Volvo) Ocean Race. The Ocean Globe Race is the most affordable round-the-world yacht race currently in existence because the retro concept prohibits expensive new boats and equipment. In other words, it makes it possible for more people to circumnavigate by racing. While it is not cheap, it is still significantly less expensive than the typical Ocean Race budget, which typically exceeds millions of dollars.

OGR crew member Melissa taking a sextant noon site near the Cape of Good Hope on a mid-winter day. .

The Race Team

Eight to ten sailors on the adventure of a lifetime!

Sailing in The Whitbread race was a life-long undertaking for many sailors, it required massive commitments and years long preparation. There Ocean Globe Race will not be any different. The four legs are roughly 8000 nm each, of which two legs take place almost exclusively within the extreme conditions of the roaring forties. Each leg requires a two-month commitment, not including the time spent training and doing trails before the race. The old adage "big risk equals big reward" is exemplified by the Ocean Globe Race.

The Skipper and Chief Mate are among the eight to ten sailors who will make up the Allspice crew. We intend to bring at least four paying crew members, including YOU, on every leg. You can sail the entire circumnavigation or just certain legs of the race!

The Ocean Globe Race is an amateur race that prioritises both inclusivity and safety. Accordingly, the Notice of Race (NOR) stipulates a number of crew-related requirements that must be adhered to:

One RYA (or equivalent) Ocean YachtMaster and one YachtMaster;
A mixed-gender crew;
One crew member 24 years old or younger;
One crew member with 25,000 total logged ocean sea miles;
All crew must have a minimum 1,500 ocean miles or 1000 ‘recent’ (within 12 weeks of boarding) miles on the entered yacht;
50% of the crew (including the YachtMaster Ocean and YachtMaster) registered for the first leg must complete an ‘approved’ 1,500-mile non-stop ocean voyage, together in the entered yacht, after March 1st 2023. (sailing plan to be approved before trial and tracking required);
All crew must undertake an approved medical/survival training course and undertake a comprehensive personal medical examination;
Maximum 70% crew swap at any stopover;
Maximum 33% of crew classified Professionals;
- A sailor in any capacity between the age of 24 & 70 who is paid, or has been paid anytime to go sailing. Any sailor who has been paid to race a sailing yacht, or who has worked in an active capacity in a race related industry such as sail making, yacht design or coaching is considered Professional. Voluntary work introducing youngsters to sailing or delivering yachts is not considered professional in this context. Individual cases should apply to the race committee for a ruling.

Funding Your Ocean Globe Race Campaign

Sailing around the world is not cheap, in fact, lets called it what it is: extremely expensive. That said, there are two ways you can fund your Ocean Globe Race campaign. The first is the self-funded route. The second is funding your campaign through crowd-funding, donations and sponsors. This is a massive global event with millions of potential PR value. We will help you with any material (photos, videos, copy-writing, etc.) that you would need to set up a professional pitch-deck. Each crew member will have to pay a deposit to secure a spot and then pay the rest in installments leading up to the race.

We are committed to make the campaign as affordable as possible for everyone involved. The price is competitive relative to other round the world regattas and Ocean Globe Race competitors.

How To Apply

You've read about the Ocean Globe Race and now you are so excited you can't think of anything else? Great! Please fill in the contact form below and we will get in touch!