IT IS THE OCEAN GLOBE RACE!

The Ocean Globe Race is a race in keeping with the spirit of the original Whitbread races, where ‘ordinary’ sailors compete with sextants and paper charts, but without phenomenal budgets, foils and computers.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic Whitbread Round the World Race, MDL Marinas and the Ocean Globe Race have revealed plans for the OGR Village in Ocean Village, Southampton. Celebrating their own 50th anniversary, MDL Marinas previously hosted the 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2001 Whitbread races.

“I know the sailors competing are happy to be starting this epic adventure from the UK, the birthplace of the 1973

Spanish Victory In La

In just his fifth event at the helm of an F50, Spanish driver Diego Botin led his Spain SailGP Team to victory at the Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix.

In his first event final, Diego delivered a perfect start and was never caught, to defeat Nicolai Sehested’s ROCKWOOL Denmark and defending SailGP champions Tom Slingsby’s Australia.

Diego said: “This is amazing, we have been through some quite hard times as a team lately, and we really did not expect this to happen, we are behind the other teams in some areas, but we got in a good position.”

At the end of day one Emirates Great Britain were well placed with Ben Ainslie saying: “It felt like it was a battle out there for sure. It is such a tight race course, but it was a battle for all of the teams. Overall, it was a good day and fantastic racing, a really, really tight race course and good conditions.”

However, Emirates Great Britain endured a torrid second day on the waters of Los Angeles, starting in contention for the final but logging a ninth and an eighth in the two fleet races to drop to sixth.

Australia leads the championship standings by just one point after two events ahead of Spain and ROCKWOOL Denmark. Emirates GB sits in sixth.

Season 4 now heads to Europe, kicking o with the France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez on 9 – 10 September.

Whitbread,” said Don McIntyre OGR founder and race director.

Most would regard sailing 30,000 miles around the world via the three great capes, an epic, life-changing achievement in itself. But the adventurers are acutely aware getting to the start line on 10 September is a challenge in itself. Thousands of hours of refits, training, qualifying passages and safety courses are being completed across the 14-strong fleet.

The OGR Village in Ocean Village opens on 29 August, and the OGR starts 10 September from the Royal Yacht Squadron start line. Turn to page 28 to find out more, including how to get your free OGR Village tickets.

Racing To Ogr Start

Whitbread and GGR veteran Tapio Lehtinen sailing his Swan 57 Galiana WithSecure in the Rolex Fastnet Race was dismasted 12 hours after the start.

Tapio said: “The beat down the Solent was perhaps the toughest beat I have ever had in my life.

A washing machine is no exaggeration. Most of the crew were seasick but still capable of action.

However, Tapio is also entered in the Ocean Globe Race, and is now in a race to replace the mast and be ready for the 10 September start. Frustratingly, Tapio’s yacht had been completely rebuilt, including all new masts and rigging, for the Ocean Globe Race.

Tapio added: “I have been telling my team that in 1985, Simon LeBon used the Fastnet Race as a dress rehearsal for the Whitbread Race and instead of losing a mast, he lost a keel, and still they made it to the starting line. And so will we!”