Portimao Global Ocean Race

The Portimão Global Ocean Race is a brand new around-the-world race set to start from Portimão, Portugal on October 12. The fleet, consisting of 40 and 50 foot monohulls, will be raced either solo or double-handed on a course that stops in Cape Town, South Africa, Wellington, New Zealand, Ilhabela, Brazil and Charleston, United States before finishing back in Portugal in June 2009. This will be the first time ever that both single-handed and double-handed teams will compete on the same global race course and sailors from nine different countries have signed up.  The concept of the Portimão Global Ocean Race is to broaden the base for global ocean racing, to make it more affordable, and to allow both aspiring professionals and rank amateurs to take on the amazing challenge of a circumnavigation race.  The budgets are reasonable and the boats significantly less complicated to sail than some of the other blue water races such as the Vendee and VOR. A 13-part television series is planned that will recount the highs and lows of an unforgettable nine-month odyssey.