OGR gears up

Yacht Club Punta del Este also awarded each yacht with a plaque commemorating their exceptional stopover in the stylish sunny Uruguayan resort.

The Yacht Club Punta del Este was then recognised by the Ocean Globe Race for their outstanding support during the immensely successful stopover. A race “Globe” was presented to the club as a token of thanks and a nod of recognition for the hopeful return of the OGR in 2027!

The leg three awards presentation followed with the French yacht Triana Fr (66), skippered by Jean D’Arthuys, being awarded the much-coveted overall prize for 1st in IRC. The crew of the Swan 53, one of the smallest yachts in the fleet, also picked up the award for first in Adventure Class.

Continually impressive, the determined team includes legendary sailor Sébastien Audigane, who will soon run out of fingers to count the number of times he’s already been around Cape Horn! The Triana sailors are ready to take on leg 4 and maintain their extraordinary winning streak.

“I feel so proud, so happy, it’s a dream for us,” said Jean D’Arthuys, Skipper of Triana. “Six months ago I couldn’t imagine being on the start line so to win the Cape Horn leg is fantastic. Thank you to the crew. They are just the best.”

Next up were Spirit of Helsinki FI (71) taking first in Sayula Class. The impressive Swan 651, a former Whitbread boat formerly known as Fazer Finland, is skippered by Jussi Paavoseppä. He’s looking forward to another close race with friends and sometimes foes onboard Maiden UK (03). The two yachts match raced from Cape Horn to Punta del Este with just minutes separating their final results.

“We are really happy to go head-to-head again with Maiden and let’s see who’s coming first into Cowes,” said a smiling Jussi, Skipper of Spirit of Helsinki, who is known for the Finnish saying “Ladies first, especially on thin ice”.

Skipper Marie Tabarly and her Pen Duick VI crew were the next to grace the stage and pick up the award for first in Flyer Class and first in line honours. The legendary Pen Duick VI finally got the conditions he was built for, and it showed with the results. And for the tactics for leg 4?

“Fast, fast, fast and we accelerate at the end,” joked Skipper Marie Tabarly.

However, she may well have been smiling when relaying the line, but it’s no doubt that’s the actual plan!

ALL RESULTS CAN BE VIEWED HERE

Speaking of the success of the first three legs of the OGR, Don McIntyre, OGR founder, recognised the work and dedication shown by the 247 sailors who’ll have set sail as part of the inaugural event.

“It’s hard to believe I’m handing out awards for the completion of the Cape Horn leg of the OGR. It hardly seems any time since these sailors set sail from Cowes, not knowing what adventures lay ahead. A big congratulations to them all – you can stand tall and be very proud of yourselves.

“It’s been a privilege to see what these sailors have achieved over six months. To hear the stories and to know their experiences will enhance their lives forever. We have one leg to go so it’s certainly not over, but this is a night of recognition of those who have decided to take on the extraordinary and succeed. And to the 137 adventures setting sail on Tuesday, I wish you all the best – it won’t be easy.

“But the OGR team looks forward to welcoming you over the finish line in Cowes next month. Sail safe and congratulations – do not forget you inspire others every day with your determination, dedication, and will to succeed.”

And then, to a drum roll, it was announced that the final McIntyre Ocean Globe Race prize giving is to take place on June 21st in Rome, hosted by Translated 9. Events will commence on the evening of the 21st at the Translated 9 PI Campus in Rome, where the final awards of the OGR will be presented. Celebrations will continue the following day with a beach party at the Tognazzi Marine Village in Ostia Lido.

“We can no longer win the race, so I think the best thing we can do for this incredible race is to honour all the other crews we love,” stated Marco Trombetti, Co-skipper of Translated 9.

“And the best way to honour them is to sponsor the prizegiving and have a big party at the end of this race and welcome everyone.”

The former Whitbread yacht Translated 9 ITL (09), diverted to the Falkland Islands to repair cracks in their hull discovered after passing Cape Horn. After receiving outside assistance, this disqualified from Leg 3 ranking under the Notice of Race. But, after two weeks of mammoth effort, the Swan 65, formerly known as ADC Accutrac when sailed in the 1977 Whitbread, has made it to Punta del Este and plans to start with the fleet for race start on March 5th.

Once the formalities were completed it was time for the crews to show their hidden talents!

Ville Norra, Galiana WithSecure FI (06) was not only the warm-up act, but the middle and finale!! His guitar, singing and presence stole the show, making him without a doubt the unofficial OGR pop star!

But, as far as WOW Factor!! The crew of White Shadow ESP (17) certainly won the prize for surprise value with their costumes and performance of rewritten version of ‘Bella Ciao’ which will give Ville Norra’s “Port Tack” classic a run for its money in the charts.

The Outlaw AU (08) crew raised a laugh and toast with entertaining reworked lyrics to the tune of Yellow Submarine. While the passion of the family and friends onboard Evrika dressed to impress for their musical performance – displaying a definite French flavour – also won over the crowd.

Maiden UK (03) never fails to entertain and didn’t disappoint – wearing their ‘famous’ Maiden shorts, woolly hats, gloves, and sailing boats they got the crowd going with their rendition of “California Girls” and rap!

Neptune FR (56), L’Esprit d’équipe FR (85) and Explorer AU (28) also got the crowd going with their performances and proved there is a lot more to these crews than just being talented sailors!

Now with less than 24 hours to go until the start of the start of Leg 4 Punta del Este to Cowes, UK it’s time to pack away the awards, get the provisioning onboard and think about the thousands of miles of ocean ahead!

RACE START INFORMATION 5 MARCH 2024

10:15 am – Teams Assemble at Yacht Club Punta del Este for a group photo.

11:00 am – Yachts depart the marina at five-minute intervals.

14:00 am – Leg 4, Punta del Este to Cowes, UK – RACE START

The first yachts are scheduled to arrive in Cowes from approximately 8 April.

The Ocean Globe Race (OGR) is a fully crewed retro race in the spirit of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race to mark the 50th Anniversary of the original event. Starting at MDL’s Ocean Village Marina, Southampton UK on 10 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.

The fleet is divided in three classes for a total of 14 entries. Stopovers include Cape Town in South Africa, Auckland in New Zealand, and Punta del Este in Uruguay, before finishing back to the UK in April 2024.

oceangloberace.com