This is only the third time this race will have been run in over 100 years of Offshore Powerboating and is the “Mount Everest” of such events.  The race is scheduled to begin at Portsmouth on June 21 next year and already over 60 boats have expressed an interest in taking part in this very special event.   Full details can be found on the race website.

Ocean Pirate is entered in the Classic Class and there are eight other entries but Pirate is the only 1969 race boat that finished that race to have entered.

The course will be much the same as the first race although boats will not be able to circuit the Isle of Man this time and will go to Bangor in Northern Ireland instead.  Some of the ports on the East Coast are different and the penultimate leg will end in Lowestoft.  This will suit us very well since this is Pirate’s home port and we hope for significant local support. Expected date of arrival is 29 June and we will leave for the final leg to Portsmouth the next day.  These last two legs will be the most arduous as they are long and crews will be tired but that is the nature of endurance racing!

In later bulletins there will be profiles of the crew this time and how preparation is going.

It is also hoped that it will be possible to prepare daily race reports on the site but much will depend on how things are going and what needs to be done before the following day.