Image: The crew of Translated 9 ITL (09) clearly delighted to pass the Punta del Este finish line - but still plenty of work to be completed before the starting gun on March 5th Credit: OGR2023/Rob Havill
Arrival receptions, Q&As, crew briefings, yacht maintenance, safety inspections and just a ‘little’ partying crammed into the crew’s hectic schedule.
The sunny coastal resort of Punta del Este, Uruguay is abuzz with busy OGR crew juggling their yacht and social commitments. Having completed the notorious Cape Horn Leg most crews took a day or two off for some much-needed rest and relaxation before launching into deep cleans, safety inspections, stitching ripped sails, reprovisioning, and only then having a glass of wine or two or three.
Events kicked off on Monday evening with a question-and-answer session hosted by the Yacht Club Punta del Este. The club’s members questioned skippers and crew on topics ranging from how often crew shower onboard, to more technical queries on the weather, the challenges of celestial navigation and feeding hungry sailors for 40-plus days at sea.
Tuesday evening the OGR crews were lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the crew of Uruguay Natural, the 1993 Uruguay entrant in the Whitbread Round the World Race. The Whitbread sailors were guests at the ‘Arrivals Reception’ where they were presented with the OGR ‘Gold Coins’ which have been given to Whitbread veterans in Southampton and Auckland.
“Since Uruguay Natural completed the race, we’ve felt like a big family. I spent half the world sailing with them and some of us were involved in the project for two or three years just to prepare the boat. So, when the race started in 1993, we’d the commitment to not only finish the race as fast as we could but mostly to do it safely. We pushed the boat to the limits but without any accidents.
Having an event with the Ocean Globe Race we felt the same spirit we had 30 years ago – a group of friends pushing the limits and sailing around the world. Luckily for us and the new generations of sailors, there’s a chance for amateur crews to sail around the world again.”
ALVARO ROBAINA, PRESIDENT OF THE RACE COMMITTEE OF YACHT CLUB PUNTA DEL ESTE AND CREW MEMBER OF URUGUAY NATURAL.
Vice Commodore Daniel Sielecki then presented each of the OGR entrants with an impressive coffee table book documenting the history of Yacht Club Punta del Este on its 100-year anniversary.
It was then down to serious business once again on Wednesday morning for the obligatory Skipper and First Mate briefing. The coffee on offer was very welcomed by those who’d clearly enjoyed the club’s hospitality the previous evening.
The mandatory safety inspections have been taking place across the fleet – a requirement for the revalidation of the yachts coveted ‘Green Card’. Skippers have taken on the task of inspecting each other’s yachts, ticking off the many requirements under the OGR Notice of Race.
Translated 9 ITL (09), crossed the Punta del Este breakwater at 15:13 local time, meaning they’re within the four-day in-port stopover requirement obligatory under the Notice of Race. They can now start Leg 4 on March 5th with the rest of the fleet, much to the relief of crew and supporters alike! The stunning Swan 65 and former 1977 Whitbread yacht diverted to the Falklands to repair cracks in their hull.
After crossing the line the Italians sailed onto a Piriapolis to carry on with essential maintenance – including fixing their engine that stopped working en route to Punta del Este from the Falklands. Translated 9 are out of the ranking for Leg 3, but will resume racing in Leg 4.
RACE START INFORMATION MARCH 5th, 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!!
VIEW THE FLEET SET SAIL FOR COWES, UK FROM THE PUNTA DEL ESTE BREAKWATER!
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 September 10th, 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. For more information, visit www.oceangloberace.com.