The Ocean Race facts for kids
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| Formerly | Whitbread Round the World Race (1973–2001), Volvo Ocean Race (2001–2019) |
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| Sponsor | Volvo |
| Partner | Inmarsat |
| First held | 1973 |
| Yachts used | Volvo Ocean 65 IMOCA 60 (Since 2021) |
| Start | 2023  Alicante, Spain |
| Finish | 2023  Genoa, Italy |
| Competitors | 7 |
| Legs | 10 |
| Champion | 2023  11th Hour Racing Team (IMOCA 60)2023  WindWhisper Racing Team (Volvo Ocean 65) |
The Ocean Race is a super exciting yacht race that goes all the way around the world! It happens every three or four years and started back in 1973.
When it first began, it was called the Whitbread Round the World Race. This was because a British company called Whitbread helped pay for it. Later, in 2001, a Swedish car company named Volvo became the main sponsor, and the race changed its name to the Volvo Ocean Race. Then, in 2019, it got its current name: The Ocean Race.
Teams of skilled sailors race day and night for weeks at a time on different parts of the journey. Since the 2008–2009 race, there's also been a special crew member called an On Board Reporter (OBR). This person doesn't help sail the boat. Instead, their job is to send amazing pictures and videos from the middle of the ocean back to race headquarters using satellites!
To keep the boats light, sailors mostly eat special freeze-dried food. They also have to deal with huge temperature changes, from super cold to very hot. Sometimes, they only bring one change of clothes for the whole trip!
Contents
The Race's History
In 1972, the Whitbread company from England and the British Royal Naval Sailing Association decided to create a big sailing competition. They called it the 'Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race'.
The very first race started on September 8, 1973, from Portsmouth, United Kingdom. 17 yachts and 167 sailors took part. About 3,000 other boats came out to watch the historic start! This first race was won by a Mexican amateur sailor named Ramon Carlin on his yacht, Sayula II.
The original path for the race followed the old routes that large square rigger ships used in the 1800s to carry goods around the world.
In 2001, Volvo and Volvo Cars took over the race. They renamed it the 'Volvo Ocean Race'. They also added new stops in countries like Germany, France, and Sweden. These were important places for Volvo's car sales in Europe.
Winning this race doesn't come with a cash prize. The amazing achievement of just finishing the race is considered the biggest reward! Many sailors in The Ocean Race also compete in other famous events. These include the Olympic Games, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, and the America's Cup.
The toughest weather conditions are usually found in the Southern Ocean. Here, waves can sometimes be as tall as a 15-story building, and winds can blow at over 130 kilometers per hour!
The 2017–18 race was the longest ever, covering about 83,000 kilometers.
The Racing Boats
In the early races, many different kinds of boats were used. But after the 1989–1990 race, they decided to create a special boat design called the Whitbread 60. This happened because the biggest boats were becoming very expensive. They also had a huge advantage over the smaller boats. For example, a boat called Steinlager 2 won every part of the race in its class!
The Whitbread 60 design was used for all smaller boats in the 1993–1994 race. Then, for the 1997–1998 race and the next seven races, only one type of boat was allowed. These boats changed over time to the Volvo Open 70 and then the Volvo Ocean 65.
For the 2021–22 race, two types of boats were used: the Volvo Ocean 65 and the IMOCA 60. The IMOCA 60 is a very advanced boat that is usually sailed by just two people.
The Race Route
The race route changes a bit each time to visit different cities around the world. However, it usually starts in Europe in October. In recent years, it has had about 9 or 10 "legs" (parts of the journey). There are also shorter "in-port races" in many of the cities where the boats stop.
The 2008–2009 race began in Alicante, Spain. This route was different because it included stops in India and Asia for the first time. That race covered almost 72,000 kilometers and took over nine months to finish. About 2 billion people around the world watched it on TV!
The 2011–12 Volvo Ocean Race also started in Alicante, Spain. It ended in Galway, Ireland, in July 2012. During those nine months, the teams sailed over 72,000 kilometers through some of the world's toughest seas. They visited places like Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Auckland, and sailed around Cape Horn.
The 2014–2015 Volvo Ocean Race also started in Alicante. It finished in Gothenburg, Sweden. Along the way, boats stopped in cities like Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Auckland, Newport, and Lisbon.
Past Winners and Records
The Ocean Race has a long history with many exciting finishes. Here are some of the past winners and cool facts:
- The Netherlands is the only country to have won the race three times.
- Conny van Rietschoten is the only skipper (the captain of the boat) to win the race twice.
- The yacht Steinlager 2 is the only boat ever to win all six legs of a race.
- Maiden was the first all-female team to compete, led by Tracy Edwards.
Hans Horrevoets Rookie Award
Since 2009, The Ocean Race has given out the Hans Horrevoets Rookie Award. This award celebrates the best sailor under 30 years old in each race. The team captains choose who wins!
Some past winners include:
- 2008–09 - Michael "Michi" Mueller
- 2011–12 - David "Dave" Swete
- 2014–15 - Sophie Ciszek
- 2017–18 - Bleddyn Mon
Images for kids
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Race boats in Baltimore Inner Harbor, 2006
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The Volvo Ocean Race flag in Baltimore, United States
See also
In Spanish: The Ocean Race para niños
- List of Volvo Ocean Race sailors
- The Ocean Race Europe
- Ocean Globe Race, a retro race to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Whitbread Round the World Race.
