Editorial Andrew Hurst Starting at the right end
The Ocean Race is well underway. The low(er) budget Volvo 65s have had their contest changed to a three-leg sprint, but for five fast Imocas it is the real deal, their course length of 32,000nm the longest attempted by a round-the-world race. Given the limited time demands of the VO65 regatta (one week now, three weeks in the summer)
it is disappointing that more boats could not be rustled up. The organisers worked their bits off to grow the entry, but sadly
the interest is no longer there. Equally disappointing – and we too were surprised –was the low take-up by Imoca teams. For 10 years we were among those confident that if the world’s biggest ocean racing class was made welcome in this crewed race then the numbers problem would be solved. Oops, got that wrong. It’s easy to blame the bl**dy pandemic but that’s not it at all.
We misjudged the singular focus of the Imoca teams, in particular their intense commercial focus upon the Vendée Globe. Even the iconic Route du Rhum comes a distant second – witness in 2022 the skippers of new boats admitting they would take it easy, using the Rhum as a shakedown without putting the boat at risk. This was neatly borne out when the top two ‘old’ boats took first
and second in the Rhum, followed by the only new boat with real sea miles, Charal. Exactly as the Imoca skippers had called it. I too underestimated the power of the solo race, that if an event
was not of direct benefit to the Vendée Globe it did not warrant a discussion. Hard to believe there was once a time when even F1 Grand Prix teams took part in occasional non-championship races! So Imoca is not a golden bullet. But for the handful in The Ocean
Race it will be interesting to see how hard these boats can be pushed without failure. Spectacular new benchmarks may be achieved, but only in short bursts when the ‘tool’ is not at risk.
However Twenty-eight entries for a crewed round-the-world race. Run in four long stages, from Europe to Cape Town to Auckland to Punta del Este and back to Europe. Remember those legs: some of you will, others may have read of them in an ‘old fart’ web forum. But this is not a historic reference. On 10 September, at least
that number will set off, probably from Les Sables d’Olonne (where most money and enthusiasm now reside) for a first stopover in Cape Town. Other than starting in France the course for the Ocean Globe Race is the same as the early Whitbreads, where in 1981 entry peaked at 29 yachts. Ironic, or telling? The Ocean Globe will be scored under IRC (IOR was used back
then – both simple time-on-time systems) and trophies awarded for both line honours and handicap results. Again familiar. A long time ago Sir Chay Blyth had a go, having sensed the
stirrings of demand for a new Corinthian crewed round-the-world handicap race, which is how the Whitbread (and the Admiral’s Cup,
(Seahorse passim) first began. Chay was too early and the all-pro Volvo still hogged media coverage. Today that is no longer the case. Ocean racing is now dominated by shorthanded events,
Corinthian and professional, plus the crewed 600nm classics. There is now a bigger than ever pool of large, fast yachts from which to choose and enthusiastic new ocean-racing converts to sail them. The Ocean Globe is the latest brainchild of brilliant and innovative
Don McIntyre, a man who similarly knows his market and has co- incidentally picked up on a race model proposed in these pages 10 years ago. Don, being a solo round-the-world veteran, also knows of that of which he speaks and has no issue with credibility. He pushed his race a little harder than we suggested into his
favoured ‘super-Corinthian’ corner, but yet again the response has been terrific and he has another success on his hands. Like Sir Chay, we favoured a crewed round-the-world race open
to all IRC yachts (but with GPS allowed, Don!) following the Whitbread route. As we have repeatedly lobbied for a ‘new’ Admiral’s Cup, begin at the beginning, return to basics and let things develop naturally. IRC-scoring, boats of 60-80ft (boats of just 40ft raced the first Whitbread!). Also a TCC band to keep the fleet tight. Don has gone most of the way with his latest but little-publicised
event, which was already heading for success 12 months before the start. If a different organiser, more steeped in higher-level competition, subsequently floats the idea of a similar course for faster IRC yachts they may receive a generous reception. It’s not our place to tell the Royal Ocean Racing Club what to
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Clare Francis’s ADC Accutrac poled-out in the Southern Ocean during the second Whitbread Round the World Race in 1977-1978
do... but how about a working party to sound out interest? The days of an all-professional Admiral’s Cup are in abeyance – but not for ever. And we’ve seen how little interest exists in an all-pro global race. Better to play the hand you’ve already got. Here to help.
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ICONIC Pen Duick has a young crew of 12, half of
us women – Ocean Globe entry Marie Tabarly (the same)
But with few boats like this, there is no school
to learn to race her – Tabarly She is a 73ft ketch, very heavy, so to gybe we need 11 people…
(see above) – Tabarly Like father like daughter – Ed
1970–INCLUDED ERG Heath: winner of Sydney to Hobart
yacht race – Balliol College, Oxford alumni record
1970–OMITTED ERG Heath: British Prime Minister
HMM We decided really late to compete in
The Ocean Race – Paul Meilhat, Imoca Biotherm
with the crew – Meilhat
I have never trained
Never! – Meilhat (incentivi$ed to boost numbers perhaps?)
GHOSTS He helped choose the words of many
sentences – JFK’s ‘autobiographer’ Ted Sorensen
OK, my book team
helped me – Hillary Clinton I hear it’s [my autobiography]
a terrific book – Ronald Reagan One of these days I’m
going to read it myself – Reagan I leave the typing
to others – Katie Price, she of dozens of different autobiographies
Write it, I’ll never even
read it… – Naomi Campbell
FRANGLAIS While we looked for money for a French challenge Franck Cammas and Quentin Delapierre worked away underwater to
keep things quiet – K-Challenge Racing
Seahorse magazine and our associate raceboatsonly brokerage site are both at:
seahorsemagazine.com The editor is contactable by email at:
andrew@seahorse.co.uk
SEAHORSE 11
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BOB FISHER/PPL
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