The French legend Pen Duick VI FR (14), skippered by the indomitable Marie Tabarly, has taken provisional line honours in the final leg of the inaugural McIntyre Ocean Globe Race – and in the days ahead could potentially win the OGR Overall! At 22:52 UTC, 11th April, the stunning black-hulled, 73-foot Bermudan Ketch, revered amongst sailors around the world sailed gracefully across the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line in Cowes, UK. With Marie at the helm, leading her loyal troops, it was fitting that this yacht, sailed by her father Éric Tabarly in the 1973 Whitbread Round-the-World Race, should take line honours in such style. With almost a two-day lead on nearest rival L’Esprit d’équipe FR (85) for line honours, Pen Duick VI’s dominance on the final leg is unquestionable.

The French legend Pen Duick VI FR (14), skippered by the indomitable Marie Tabarly, has taken provisional line honours in the final leg of the inaugural McIntyre Ocean Globe Race. Photo: Aïda Valceanu/ OGR2023

Arriving in 12 knots of wind and strong tidal currents Marie, first mate Tom Napper and the ten determined crew onboard looked both relieved and immensely proud of their epic achievement. Maire had stated from the very beginning that once there was wind Pen Duick VI would shine and she was correct. For the final leg Marie’s strategy was “to go fast, fast, fast and we accelerate at the end”. Clearly a winning strategy!

Speaking on the pontoon after a difficult docking at Trinity Landing due to the extremely strong currents, Marie spoke with passion about her round-the-world experience.

There are winners and losers in every game — and never more so in the Ocean Globe Race.

The 11 yachts that slipped lines in Cape Town on 5 November and who are now surfing down the five-metre waves towards Auckland are living the Southern Ocean dream with near-perfect conditions for racing.

Three yachts have been less fortunate, however.

The Skeleton Crew sailing onboard Godspeed have made the announcement to withdraw from the OGR. The popular crew sailing with a mission to provide adventure therapy to US military service members and veterans through sailing expeditions won many fans thanks to their eclectic style, honesty and determination.

Meanwhile, South African entrant Sterna All Spice Yachting hope to slip lines this weekend after getting hauled out in Mossel Bay earlier in the week for essential maintenance on their rudder. 

The crew of Spirit of Helsinki will need their heaters to dry those foulies! | Credit: OGR2023/Spirit of Helsinki

Another yacht suffering the lows of the Southern Ocean experience is Explorer, who returned to Cape Town after just three days of racing. The Australian boat’s crew were already delayed a week having arrived in Cape Town just 24 hours before the start of Leg 2.

Work has already begun on Explorer and they fully intend to get sailing again over the weekend.

Both Explora and Sterna are now out of the rankings for Leg 2 as outside assistance is not allowed under the Notice of Race. This means they are still in the event and make their way to Auckland where they will once again be racing for Legs 3 & 4. Explorer has a paying crew vacancy for Legs 3 and 4 here.

Elsewhere, the iconic French 73ft Bermudian ketch Pen Duick VI, skippered by Marie Tablarly, is leading the dominating pack (with average speeds of 10 knots) but just barely over the Italian Translated 9, who took first in IRC ranking in Leg 1. It’s an echo of the 177 Whitebread Round the World Race when boat yachts sailed into Auckland (Translated 9 was known then as ADC Accutrac).

Maiden and Spirit of Helsinki continue to push equally as hard. Maiden, a yacht built for surfing and line honours back in the day rather than handicap performance, is currently sitting in 3rd in line honours. Spirit of Helsinki who took line honours in Leg 1, sitting 4th – although there’s a stark difference between the reports coming off both yachts.

Former Whitbread winner L’Esprit d’équipe leads the remainder of the pack, just — with Galiana WithSecure, Evrika, Outlaw and Triana forming a wall of iconic yachts across the ocean.

Neptune, who also sailed into Auckland in 1977, has made impressive progress after being forced to return to Port Elizabeth two days after race start to investigate steering issues. They had to come alongside to steady the boat for inspections and work, but accepted no outside assistance and remained in the race.

Galiana WithSecure skipper Tapio Lehtinen had an emotional moment as he passed the grave of his Golden Globe Race boat Asteria. The much respected Finn made international news after a dramatic rescue in the Southern Indian Ocean during the Golden Globe Race a year ago.

A toast to the future for Godspeed and Skeleton Crew | Credit: OGR2023/Godspeed/Emma Walker

South African Kirsten Neuschäfer, who went on to win the Golden Globe Race this past summer, diverted course to take him aboard Minnehaha after his Gaia 36 masthead sloop Asteria suddenly started taking on water and sinking.

Tapio returned home and immediately began working on the beloved Swan 55, the oldest yacht in the OGR, to get her race-ready. He and his young crew are currently eating up the miles with the lead pack.

In a bizarre coincidence, in the same week Tapio passed the stop where his boat sank, his rescuer Kirsten Neuschäfer was awarded the 2023 Rolex World Sailing Sailor of the Year gong. Kirsten’s win was the first time any woman has won a solo or crewed yacht race around the world through the Southern Ocean by the three great capes including Cape Horn.

Back to this race, and the first boats are expected into Auckland in the middle of December with a few weeks to rest and retool before the restart date for Leg 3 on 14 January 2024.

Australian yacht Outlaw competing in the Ocean Globe Race have contacted McIntyre Ocean Globe race headquarters, stating they’d come in contact with a sole male drifting in a 20ft canoe 90nm off the coast of Dakar.

The distressed mariner, who doesn’t speak English or French, had no water, limited fuel in two small cans, no fishing gear and no sign of a radio. Campbell provided food and water and took the sailor under tow, but left him in the canoe, making best speed under motor to Dakar at 5 knots in light winds.

OGR declared a Code Orange and contacted Senegal/Dakar MRCC, MRCC Dakar, JRCC /Maritime and Senegal Coast Guard, asking for assistance in an immediate evacuation.

An injured crew member from the 53ft French Yacht TRIANA, racing around the world in the McIntyre Ocean Globe, was successfully rescued yesterday after a dramatic long-range helicopter mission. The alarm was raised early on the morning of 18th when the sailor’s condition deteriorated overnight from injuries sustained the day before.

At 07:20 UTC yesterday, the captain of Triana (66) FR, Jean d’Arthuys, contacted Ocean Globe Race control to request an urgent medivac from the vessel. This followed an incident onboard at 1300 UTC, 17th Sept when crew member Stéphane Raguenes slipped on deck in heavy weather causing a severe laceration on the back of his leg behind the knee. Stéphane was taken below for immediate first aid to stop the blood flow. He was sedated and given morphine under supervision by MSOS 24hr Telemedicine organisation. He was conscious, talking and made comfortable by his crew mates.

The crew of French OGR entrant Triana (66) FR assisted Stéphane Raguenes into the liferaft before being winched onboard the helicopter and flown to Madeira for medical attention. Photo: OGR 2023 / Margault Demasles

The captain of the yacht had planned to make for the nearest port, but light winds and a failed engine combined to signal an immediate medical evacuation was the only safe option.

The rescue was carried out by the Portuguese Rescue Coordination Center with support from the Portuguese military and the French Griz Nez Rescue Coordination Centre. The French yacht Triana was approximately 225 miles from the island of Madeira. A fixed-wing aircraft was dispatched, arriving overhead at approximately 15:15 UTC ahead of the helicopter.

Captain of Triana, Jean d'Arthuys, considered transferring Stéphane Raguenes to a passing cargo ship, picking up a doctor from another OGR entrant Neptune, and diverting to Portugal or Las Palmas before opting for a medivac. Photo: Margault Demasles / Team Triana / OGR2023

The Triana crew launched one of their two eight-man SOLAS life rafts and the casualty was assisted into the raft by three crew Xavier Haize, Titouan Dourmap and Max de Montgolfier. All four were then secured to the stern of Triana by a 12-meter line. Sea state at that time was 2.5mtr sea and 17-20kt winds. Shortly after the helicopter arrived, and at 16:45UTC Stéphane was successfully winched out of the liferaft into the helicopter to continue the long flight back to the island of Madeira and awaiting medical personnel.

At 1830 UTC Portugal MRCC advised that the helicopter with Stéphane onboard had landed safely at Funchal Airport on the island of Madeira and he was being transported to Hospital. He is now being treated for his injuries and recovering well.

“After the accident of our crew member Raguenes yesterday I was worried with weak wind and still 2 days to reach Madeira, so I asked Don McIntyre this morning to launch an évacuation plan. I thank Don, the OGR organization and all the rescue international teams French and Portuguese for the incredible speed and professionalism of the helicopter and aircraft heli treuillage at 4pm today. Raguenes is safe, all the crew is happy and we are now back on track sailing to Cape Town.” said Captain Jean d'Arthuys.

The Portuguese Rescue Coordination Center is working with the McIntyre Ocean Globe crisis management team to coordinate a long-range helicopter medivac of injured sailor Stéphane Raguenes on board the French yacht TRIANA.

The yacht is one of 14 entrants that are currently competing in the 2023 McIntyre Ocean Globe Race around the world. Triana is currently 210 nautical miles South West of Portugal.

The Helicopter was expected on scene at 1425 UTC 18th Sept. to lift the casualty.

At 07:20 UTC Captain of Triana (66) FR, Jean d’Arthuys, contacted Ocean Globe Race control to request an urgent medivac from the vessel.

Yesterday at 1300 UTC the crew member Stéphane Raguenes slipped on deck in heavy weather causing a severe laceration on the back of his leg behind the knee. Stéphane was taken below for immediate first aid to stop the blood flow. He was sedated and given painkillers. He was conscious, talking and made comfortable by his crew mates.

MSOS, the OGR 24hr telemedicine team and TMAS International Telemedicine support were contacted and photos of the injuries were transmitted via satelite for diagnosis. As Afloat reported earlier, Medical advice was provided to the crew. OGR declared a Code Orange and OGR protocols were put in place. Next of kin were informed.

Captain Jean d’Arthuys considered various options, including an emergency evacuation to a nearby container ship or transferring Doctor Tanneguy Raffray from Neptune (56) FR, another French OGR entrant. Neptune was just 12 nm away at the time. Unfortunately, 4mtr seas and moderate wind conditions ruled out both options. Diverting to Portugal was also considered, but it was decided to continue South to Las Palmas and later Madeira. This option offered the least overall risk to all involved.

Injured Crew member Stéphane Raguenes onboard Triana. Photo:  Aïda Valceanu/ OGR2023

Overnight, Stéphane condition deteriorated, and the yacht’s speed dropped in lighter winds. At 07:20 UTC, Captain of Triana (66) FR, Jean d’Arthuys, contacted Ocean Globe Race control to request an immediate medivac from the vessel.

[0721 UTC from Captain via WhatsApp] Hi Don, situation is not good : Hé is bleedind and suffering and the wind is not good to go to Madère quickly. Can you organise an évacuation with helicopter or military ship today please. Tell me asap. Thanks. Jean

The OGR code ORANGE was ESCALATED to CODE RED. The decision was made after a difficult night for the casualty, Stéphane Raguenes, including continued blood loss. Morphine was administered. Captain Jean d’Arthuys also reported that the engine was not working.

On Sunday afternoon, the skipper of yacht Triana FR (66), Jean d’Arthuys, informed McIntyre Ocean Globe race control of an incident onboard.

Crew member Stéphane Raguenes had fallen on deck, resulting in a serious nine-cm-long, three-cm wide open wound on the back of his leg behind the knee.

Stéphane was taken below for immediate first aid to stop the blood flow. He was sedated and given painkillers. He was conscious, talking and made comfortable by his crew mates.

MSOS, the OGR 24-hour telemedicine team and TMAS International Telemedicine support were contacted, and photos of the injuries were transmitted via satellite for diagnosis. Medical advice was provided to the crew. OGR declared a Code Orange, and OGR protocols were put in place.

CROSS Gris-Nez, Maritime CoastGuard Agency, Portugal MRCC, Spain MRCC and Morocco MRCC were all informed. Stéphane’s next of kin were informed that while the wound was serious, it was not life-threatening, race control said.

Despite not having the easiest of starts to the race, Triana is currently leading ADVENTURE CLASS and is sitting mid-fleet, in seventh position overall and fifth in IRC ranking. Skippered by French media entrepreneur and winemaker Jean d’Arthuys, the yacht was forced to stop racing for four hours on night three to repair a broken steering cable. Repairs were successfully completed using Dyneema rope, allowing them to continue unhindered.

The Swan 53, one of the smaller yachts in the race, is sailing with a crew of just eight and is considered by many as the one to watch. She was leading the Adventure class by quite a margin.

In a 'historic announcement' made at HMS President in London, the skipper and crew for the upcoming Ocean Globe Race (OGR) were revealed. Maiden, an iconic yacht, will set sail with an all-female crew on September 10, 2023, for an eight-month around-the-world yacht race. The race will span four legs via three great Capes, starting and finishing in the UK, with stops in South Africa, New Zealand, and Uruguay.

The skipper, Heather Thomas, 26, hails from the UK, and her crew of 12 young women has diverse backgrounds, experience, and skills. They will rely on their wits and skills, such as celestial navigation with sextants and charts, instead of modern technology. They will have no GPS or other high-tech to guide them, steeped in the retro spirit of the first Whitbread race.

The Maiden made history over 30 years ago in the 89/90 Whitbread Race, inspiring generations of women, girls, and future sailors. This time, they will sail for a world-changing cause, raising awareness for the vital role of women in sailing and encouraging more women to take up the sport.

"Their aim is not to take part in the OGR, but to be the first all-female crew to win an around-the-world race!"

The Ocean Globe Race promises to be an exciting event, with Maiden and her all-female crew capturing the hearts of sailing enthusiasts worldwide. As they set sail on this historic journey, they will undoubtedly inspire another generation of women to pursue their dreams and challenge stereotypes.

The Ocean Globe Race yacht Maiden sails under Tower Bridge Photo: Kaia Bint Savage

Maiden is taking a break from the world tour, which resumed in 2021 but continuing the battle for equality for the next generation during the OGR; raising awareness and funds for communities and charities around the world to ensure that girls have access to education. Maiden and her crew have sailed over 70,000nm, visited nearly 50 destinations in over 20 countries and met thousands of girls from all walks of life – inspiring and empowering them to believe that whatever their background, they can build better futures for themselves, their families and communities through education.

With the start of the OGR just over three weeks away, Tracy Edwards MBE commenting on Maiden’s new skipper and crew in the OGR said: “We have an amazing young skipper and crew, they have come together as an awesome team and are all set for an experience of a lifetime, just as we had all those years ago. Their aim is not to take part in the OGR, but to be the first all-female crew to win an around-the-world race!”

Read also: Irish Sailors Set to Compete in "Retro" Ocean Globe Race Around the World Without GPS

Two Irish sailors are participating in the 2023-24 Ocean Globe Race (OGR), billed as a “retro race” in the spirit of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race.

Roisin O’Halloran (20) and Terry Kavanagh (55) will be on board the Swan 65 S&S Translated 9 and the Swan 57 Explorer, among a fleet of 14 yachts due to set sail from the Solent on September 10th.

Crews will not be using GPS, but will be relying on paper charts and astronavigation.

Irish sailor Roisin O'Halloran will compete in the Ocean Globe race

The fleet is divided into three classes -Adventure Class 46-55ft, Sayula Class 56-65ft and Flyer Class, comprising ex-Whitbread yachts from the first three editions.

The 27,000-mile course takes the three great Capes, Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, Australia’s Cape Leeuwin, and South America’s Cape Horn.

The Ocean Globe 2023-2023 race route

There are four stop-overs in Cape Town, South Africa; Auckland, New Zealand; and Punta del Este, Uruguay, before returning to Southhampton in April 2024.

O’Halloran, who learned to sail off the Irish west coast, was among over 1500 applicants for a crew spot on Translated 9, a Swan 65 yacht owned and co-skippered by Italian computer scientist Marco Trombetti.

She made a shortlist of 150 sailors who had to complete an arduous four-stage series of sea trials before final selection.

O’Halloran started racing at the age of 16, and has clocked up over 16,000 offshore miles in the past four years.

She currently lives in Falmouth, England, where she is studying sport and performance science at the University of Exeter, and teaches sailing in her free time.

Terry Kavanagh, a former deputy managing editor with Independent Newspapers, took up sailing with his wife Jacqueline after a Caribbean chartered holiday in 2016, and the couple recently completed an Atlantic crossing.

He spoke to Wavelengths and recalled how he saw an ad placed by Don McIntyre shortly before Christmas looking for crew.

You can hear his interview below

Tracy Edwards MBE and DP World, title sponsor of The Maiden Factor World Tour, have announced that the iconic yacht Maiden and her all-female crew will enter the 2023 Ocean Global Race.

The news confirms the commitment Edwards made in 2019 when the event was announced as a tribute to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973.

Maiden will take a break from her world tour, which began in September 2021, to take part in the race which sets out from a European port on 10 September, just 200 days away.

Edwards and crew have covered nearly 30,000 nautical miles visiting 20 destinations and engaging with schools, charities and organisations as part of her mission to educate, empower and elevate girls, increasing their life and career choices and also raising money to fund girls’ educational projects around the world.

And she believes the OGR will provide a great opportunity to amplify Maiden’s mission and the importance of educating all girls for better futures for all.

Maiden is currently in Cape Town, South Africa and will sail back to the UK for final preparations for the September start, once again with a young female skipper and crew of up-and-coming sailors from around the world, who will no doubt inspire another generation of women and girls to follow their dreams.

In 1989 Edwards made history as the skipper of the first ever all-female crew — among them Irish sailor Angela Farrell — to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race, now The Ocean Race. Their achievement is celebrated in the 2019 documentary Maiden.

The yacht later changed hands several times and her whereabouts were lost until 2014, when Edwards tracked her down to an island in the Indian Ocean. Despite being in serious disrepair, Maiden was eventually restored to her former racing glory.

Hundreds of sailors and many yacht clubs have become excited at the prospect of becoming involved, and commitments to enter now outweigh available places with sailors from France, Finland and the UK dominating the list. These include Whitbread veterans like Tracy Edwards who is currently making a global tour with an all-female crew aboard her 1989 Whitbread yacht Maiden. She says of the OGR: “With so many yachts from previous Whitbread races being rescued and restored, as has Maiden of course, it seems only fitting that we should race them around the world again. COUNT US IN!“

Finland’s Tapio Lehtinen, a finisher in the 2018 Golden Globe Race, has entered a Swan 55 in the Adventure Class for production yachts between 47 – 55.25ft. He has just taken ownership of the Olin Stephens designed yawl Galiana, one of two Swan 55s now entered in the OGR, and will set out from Southampton UK bound for Finland at the weekend. First launched in 1970, Galiana is the second of 16 yachts to be built by Nautor to this design, which Tapio describes “As the classiest and most beautiful of the early Swans.”

British yachtsman Alan Macmillan shares that view. He has entered his cutter rigged Swan 55 Ariana and is about to embark on a round the world cruise in preparation for the 2023 OGR, so here are two contenders who will be battling for line honours in their class

Tapio, who has also re-entered the 2022 Golden Globe Race, sailed in the 1981 Whitbread as watch leader aboard Skopbank of Finland, and is using his OGR programmer to ‘blood’ the next generation of Finnish ocean sailors now graduating through the youth racing classes by introducing them to the Southern Ocean and the global racing scene. This he hopes will secure a continuation of the Finnish round the world sailing legacy, which dates back to the days of the Gustaf Erikson windjammers and the theme of the Ocean Globe clipper route.

Demand for places in the Sayula Class for prescribed yachts between 57.4 and 65.5ft is equally high with five owners earmarking Swan 65s – sisterships to Sayula II, the original 1973/4 Race winner. One is French entrant Dominique Dubois, owner of the Multiplast Boatyard in Vannes, who previously owned a Swan 65, but sold it a few years ago to buy an ultralight boat to compete in last year’s Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race.

Having built all the Volvo 65’s, giant record setting trimarans like Francis Joyon’s Idec Sport and Thomas Colville’s Sodebo, together with a series of race-winning IMOCA 60’s, Race Chairman Don McIntyre asked Dubois: "Why do you want to compete in the Ocean Globe Race?"

Dominique’s reply: “It’s a dream! I didn’t imagine I would have this opportunity… until you offered it!“

Commenting on the entry list, Don McIntyre says: “Many want to remain confidential at this stage but I can say we now have 12 confirmed entries representing Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA with the strongest enquires coming from Finland and France. There is also strong interest from the current owners of Sir Peter Blake’s 1981/2 Whitbread yacht Ceramco NZ and the French Whitbread winning yacht L’Esprit d’Equipe

About the Race

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the first fully crewed 1973 Whitbread Race and sailed in similar yachts with 1970’s equipment including sextants and cassette music tapes, the 2023 OGR gives ordinary sailors the opportunity to race around the Globe for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Starting from a European port on Sept 10th 2023, the 30,000 mile course first stops in Africa before crossing the South Indian Ocean to Australasia and on through the Pacific via Cape Horn to a South American port before heading home. Preliminary discussions are underway with nine potential host ports.

Entries are limited to approved production ocean racing yachts between 47 and 65.5ft designed prior to 1988. There are also 8 places available in a third Flyer Class for yachts that competed in the first three Whitbread races and other production ocean certified sail-training yachts. Tracy Edwards’ Maiden is eligible because the yacht first raced in the 1981/2 Whitbread as Disque D'or.

Together with the pre-1988 designed Nautor Swan range of yachts, the Nicholson 55, Grand Soleil 52, Oyster Lightwave 48 and Baltic 48 production yachts are also now type approved.

Growing list of supporters

Many Whitbread veterans have also approached the OGR organisers looking for any opportunity to face those life-changing experiences once again in an honourable and simple race where the challenge is human and the adventure real.

Sir Chay Blyth, who competed in two of the early Whitbread races onboard Great Britain II, and claimed nine of the 12 trophies on offer in the ’73 Race, has also endorsed the OGR: “Delighted to hear that a 50th Anniversary edition of the Whitbread is being launched. The Ocean Globe will be a great adventure as well as a great race for participants. What a great challenge they can set themselves. My congratulations to the Organiser; it is such a bold and exciting move! “

Renowned yachting journalist Bob Fisher who reported on all the Whitbread races, also understands the unique aspects and serious human endeavour of this event. He says: “Of all the challenges this Ocean Globe Race beats all its predecessors, the Whitbread and those that followed in it’s wake”

Recent Rule Changes

Some OGR entrants were challenged with the idea of removing extensive electronics, carbon spars or painting high visibility patches on beautiful teak decks as required under the pre-Notice of Race. Following extensive discussions, entrants no longer need to remove existing electronics, just disable them temporarily by removing control heads. High visibility cockpit dodgers will also substitute for the high vis. deck paint, and carbon spars fitted before July 1st 2019 are also approved.

The larger yachts and ex-Whitbread entries use Dyneema/Spectra runners and check stays for safety reasons, as well as halyards. All now approved. Spinnaker snuffers were shown to be available in 1973 and are now approved for safety reasons with amateur crew, even though they were not used in the original Whitbread Race.

Following six months of discussion with builders, surveyors and owners, it has also been shown that each keel is unique with regard to engineering integrity. While the final responsibility rests with the skipper, it is now agreed that the independent qualified surveyor responsible for inspecting an entry prior to the start of the OGR, will consider the yacht’s history and condition before determining if the keel needs to be removed for service.

The use of satellite communications equipment is severely restricted except for safety, and no live video streaming is allowed, but the scheduled once-a-week satellite phone call to race control, now includes delivery of one satellite photo from the yacht.

For the smallest Adventure Class for yachts down to 47ft, the minimum mixed gender crew required has been reduced to six.

Noting the fashionable trend to wear grey, black and other ocean camouflaged foul weather gear, all OGR outer garments must predominantly be of a colour that easily distinguishes with the wearer in the ocean.