Please select your home edition
Edition
Sailingfast 2018 2 728x90

The McIntyre Ocean Globe Race beat, bash and bounce to Cape Town

by Ocean Globe Race 11 Oct 2023 16:12 BST
McIntyre Ocean Globe Race 2023 – The proud South African yacht Sterna showing their support for their team taking on the French in the World Cup Rugby quarter-finals on Sunday. They're pushing the boat to get into Cape Town for the final on Oct 28th © OGR2023 / Sterna / All Spice Yachting

The long, choppy upwind beat to Cape Town is proving challenging for the crews of the McIntyre Ocean Globe. With the calm of the doldrums a distant memory, the relentless South Easterlies means the yachts are moving, but it's taking its toll on bodies and brains.

The crews are also under pressure to get into Cape Town to ensure adequate time for maintenance, provisioning, and recuperation before the start of the challenging Southern Ocean Leg to Auckland, starting November 5th. The OGR Notice of Race requires yachts to have a mandatory minimum four-day stopover in port, meaning they need to arrive by 14:00 local time on November 1st to ensure starting Leg 2 with the rest of the fleet.

This deadline is certainly playing on some minds with fluky, tricky winds about to become a trademark of the 'traditional' tradewinds.

Jean d'Arthuys, skipper onboard the Swan 53, Triana FR (66) admits that the conditions are more brutal than he expected.

"Everyone is getting tired going upwind now for ten days, it's very uncomfortable as you know. This leg is longer and harder than we thought. It's not good for morale." said Jean.

Meanwhile, the crew on Evrika FR (65) are clearly thinking about the physical ramifications of sailing at 25 degrees for days on end.

"We're going to end up with one leg longer than the other." joked the crew.

Living at an angle is also proving challenging for those onboard the Spanish entrant White Shadow ESP (17).

"Jumping waves and heeling for one week. Little has been written about the art of going to the toilet in these conditions without stuccoing the walls." reported Guillaume.

But it's not just the crew taking a beating. Maiden UK (03), who compared moving around the yacht like climbing Everest in Crocs, had some arduous nighttime maintenance to contend with. While putting reef three in the main they noticed the stitching on the seams had become undone.

"We had to remove the main at night, repair it and put it back on which was a really big job for everyone. There were a lot of bruises especially for me and Molly trying to get the cars off the tracks. But we're just thankful this didn't happen in the Southern Ocean." said skipper Heather.

Campbell Mackie, skipper of Australian entrant Outlaw AU (08) also reported damage onboard.

"There was a loud band like a rifle shot. The genoa halyard broke."

Outlaw has continued on the most Easterly route in the fleet. It's yet to be seen if the gamble has paid off as they'll have strong headwinds to contend when they finally turn more Southerly.

Godspeed USA (01) remains the only yacht not to have crossed the equator but are making impressive progress and now following Outlaw on an Easterly route.

"We haven't seen the sun in a couple of days. Last sight we got was three days ago. We're kind of guessing where we are in the world. We're beating into the wind but the boat is outstanding, she thrives in this weather." said skipper Taylor - who was also happy to report that they hadn't run into any ships despite the lack of sights! Listen here.

Meanwhile Explorer AU (28) who will struggle to get to Cape Town for the start of leg two has opted for the most Westerly route. Skipper Mark Sinclair has calculated they'll have to sail at 7 knots consistently to reach Cape Town by November 1st. But they're clearly also exploring other options.

"Staying well west. We'll either reap the benefit of the South Atlantic High or be very early for Mardi Gras in Rio." said Mark, AKA Captain Coconut.

There is 700 nm between Sterna SFA (42) the tailenders of the middle pack and former Whitbread winner L'Esprit d'équipe FR (85) who is leading the same pack. They continue to forge South but might well encounter lighter winds in the coming days if they remain on a similar heading.

But it would appear Marie Tabarly, skipper of French yacht Pen Duick VI (14) has more than just sailing on her mind.

"We absolutely do not miss news from the ground apart from the Rugby World Cup. On October 15th the France / South Africa match will take place. I think we will still be at sea but that doesn't matter. Come on Blues, let's stay strong. Solid on the supports." said Marie.

No doubt the fact France beat Italy (60 / 7) during the week might help compensate for the fact Italian yacht Translated 9 continues to outrun Pen Duick VI in IRC ranking!

So, it goes without saying the OGR team don't want to miss out on any of the action and are decamping to Cape Town! By the weekend the team, and a new baby rib, will be installed ready to welcome tired crews and equally tired yachts with a bottle of bubbly.

We are of course, still all on call, and available.

Related Articles

Countdown to historic McIntyre Mini Globe Race
Fleet of plywood home-built yachts will set off in two weeks In just two weeks, on 28 December 2024, a fleet of ALMA Globe 5.80 19ft /5.8mtr plywood home-built yachts, will set off from Marina de Lagos, Portugal, for the third Class Globe 5.80 Transat Race. Posted on 10 Dec
2023 McIntyre Ocean Globe Prize giving
It's a wrap with 2027 OGR on the horizon! Heather Thomas and her all-women Maiden crew have been crowned the 2023 McIntyre Ocean Globe champions during a lavish mid-summer day poolside prize-giving party, hosted by and at Marco Trombetti's Translated villa headquarters in Rome. Posted on 25 Jun
Celebrating throughlines in sailing leadership
And the sailing world's newest hero Back in mid-March, Sail-World celebrated singlehanded American skipper Cole Brauer as the sailing world's newest hero. Now, I'm now happy to report that we have another sailing hero, albeit one who carries a British passport. Posted on 7 May
McIntyre Ocean Globe Race update
Translated 9 defeat the odds to finish They just kept coming! Nothing could, or would stop them. The McIntyre Ocean Globe has truly shown the depth of human stories over the past eight months and this story is a classic. Posted on 3 May
Translated 9 successfully completes the OGR 2023
Winning the first two legs and dominating the subsequent two until sustaining hull damage Winning the first two legs and dominating the subsequent two until sustaining hull damage, and managing to restart twice, Translated 9 provided everyone with unique emotional experiences and demonstrated the value of determination and resilience. Posted on 3 May
Sterna piped home in Mcintyre OGR
Finishing to the sounds of Bagpipes! Sterna SA (42) Allspice Yachting crosses the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line at 10.37UTC after 53 days 17 hours 37 minutes and 55 seconds at sea ranking 11th in line honours. Posted on 28 Apr
Finns and French finish Ocean Globe Race
Galiana WithSecure and Evrika excape the windhole 40nm from the finish line It was a long, painfully slow final two days to complete their circumnavigation. But, finally, Galiana WithSecure FI (06) and Evrika FR (07) crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line in a moody windless, moonlight Cowes arrival. Posted on 25 Apr
Triana & White Shadow finish Ocean Globe Race
Trinity Landing pontoon in Cowes was a busy spot Tuesday afternoon Trinity Landing pontoon in Cowes was a busy spot Tuesday afternoon with Triana FR (66) SWAN 53 and White Shadow ESP (17) SWAN 57 finishing the McIntyre Ocean Globe Race after 48 days of racing. Posted on 24 Apr
Maiden wins the Ocean Globe Race 2023-2024
First all-female crew to win a Round the World Race On Tuesday 16 April 2024, in a brisk northerly breeze the iconic yacht and her young all female crew from around the world crossed the finishing line at 1152hrs completing the 4th and final leg of the Ocean Globe Race. Posted on 22 Apr
Maiden wins McIntyre Ocean Globe
IRC win official! The first ever all-women crew to win an around the world yacht race Maiden UK has taking first in IRC handicap rankings against a 14 strong fleet of very experienced and committed sailors. They have also been written into the history books as the first ever all-women crew to win an around the world yacht race. Posted on 22 Apr