The Golden Age of fully crewed ocean racing around the world seems a distant memory.

Huge budgets and elite professionals racing custom carbon yachts that 'fly' on €800,000 foils steered by sophisticated autopilots, not sailors, where shore teams via satellite are making tactical decisions is the new norm. Technology moves so fast, that sailors the world over, while marvelling at these advances, have been left behind and look back fondly at the Corinthian days of the 1973 Whitbread Race and dream.
A time when adventurous sailors put together their own fun campaigns, skippers and crew made all decisions and where the simple fleet was evenly matched. A time when budget played a small part, technology was minimal and humans dared to achieve.
Well it’s time for a reality check. Time to step back, slow down, take a deep breath and go.
Following the hugely successful 50th Anniversary Golden Globe Race in 2018, McIntyre Adventure is proud to announce a 50th anniversary celebration of that first fully crewed round the world race. The retro Ocean Globe Race (OGR) will take to the high seas in 2023, following the same route as the Clipper ships and the inaugural 1973 Whitbread Race in similar affordable yachts.
The Ocean Globe Race is the future of accessible round the world ocean yacht racing for any sailor. The opportunity returns after nearly 30 years and is set to inspire and capture the imagination of sailors and passionate followers the world over.
Turning the tide for ordinary sailors with a dream.

Don McIntyre
Ocean Globe Race Founder
1st July 2019
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Featured Video
Nakamal Sailing
Shot during a training session in Marseille Harbour, Nakamal and her crew are entrants in the OGR Adventure Class.
Video by Romuald Sintes and Viken Avedissian.
Skippers: Arnaud Lizop and Valerie Fumat.
OGR Family
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With so many of the beautiful yachts from previous Whitbreads being rescued and restored, as has Maiden of course, it seems only fitting that they should be raced around the world again!
Tracy Edwards MBE, Maiden -
I'm 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 the participants. What a challenge one can set themselves? My congratulations to the organisers - it's such a bold and exciting move.
Sir Chay Blyth -
Of all the challenges, this Ocean Globe Race beats all its predecessors, the Whitbread and those that followed in its wake.
The late Bob Fisher, veteran yachting journalist and author -
This supreme challenge is an opportunity for those who could usually only dream of participating in such an event. Take it from me, this will offer an experience of a lifetime with lasting memories that will forever remind you of a unique and outstanding achievement.
Ashley Manton, Chairman International Association of Cape Horners -
What a brilliant idea to give people another chance to have the fun, to make the friends and to share the experiences we had fifty years ago. There will be days and weeks of being terrified, exhausted, cold, wet and miserable; other times you will be excruciatingly bored, but you will make friends for life, with a deep friendship born of the shared experience of danger, exhaustion and discomfort, and at the end you will realise it was the best thing you have done in your entire life.
Butch Dalrymple Smith, Crew Sayula Winner 1973 -
The first Whitbread Race in '73 was a huge adventure and became a major milestone in the history of ocean racing. This retro Ocean Globe Race marking the 50th anniversary of that first race will be just as exciting and provides a unique opportunity for ordinary sailors to test themselves in the rolling surf of southern oceans once more.
Barry Pickthall, Author of five Whitbread Race books -
Those early Whitbread days really were full of passion. Every edition put up new challenges with the human element so important. The stories and characters became legend and we had a lot of fun. I have lots of memories of 'Fisher & Paykel', many of which are about coming only second! This new Classic Challenge in the Ocean Globe is going to excite a lot of people on and off the water. Imagine if Steinlager and F&P return!
Grant Dalton, Whitbread and Volvo Ocean Race legend