Josh Hall on the third Global Ocean Race

Josh Hall’s announcement on Monday regarding the third Global Ocean Race, starting from Southampton in 2014 and with a new advisory board of media big wigs, indicates that the next Class40 round the world race should be held at a much elevated level - welcome news. With the race for the first time starting and finishing in the UK, plus the confirmation of Cape Town and Charleston, South Carolina, only the Australia/New Zealand and South American stopover have still to be confirmed with the race continuing to follow the ‘classic’ Southern Ocean route around the world. One of the significant issues with the last two Global Ocean Races has been the small number of entries. While having six entries was just about okay for the first race, having six and then subsequently losing three during the race (one returning), to leave just three boats racing, was thin. However as Hall points out, just three months out from the start of the last Global Ocean Race they had 18 solid entries, only for two thirds to drop out prior to start day. “It was due very much to the economic climate. The very thing that has made Class40 the great success is affordability, but that has been its Achilles Heel as well because it is an owner-driver class and, for the owners, their responsibilities are more towards their own businesses than the race, so it is easier for them to pull out.” For the 2014 Global Ocean Race, Hall is doing everything possible not only to attract competitors, but also to ensure they get to the start line once they have entered. Hall intends to achieve this in several ways. Firstly they are anticipating that the next race’s media offering will be better resourced and much improved, in turn making the event more attractive to