Ocean Globe Race 2027 Crew Application
Welcome to Outlaw’s crew selection process and the opportunity to circumnavigate the world in a retro race that emulates the Corinthian spirit of the early Whitbread events.
This will be Outlaw’s third round the world race, having competed in the 1985/86 Whitbread and the inaugural Ocean Globe Race of 2023. The 2023 campaign was led by Campbell Mackie who is also leading the 2027 project. A core group of sailors from the 2023 race have formed the nucleus of our next crew. By this point you would have seen their profiles featured on the 2023 crew page of this website.
To complete the lineup, we are seeking to fill eight positions, making a sailing complement of 11. It is our preference to appoint people who wish to complete the full circumnavigation. However, if circumstances make this objective unachievable, we will accept applicants who seek a lesser commitment. In addition, experience tells us that having a reserve bench is a wise investment. So don’t let availability constraints get in the way of completing your application, there will be lots of twists and turns leading up to the start line.
After a mini refit in May / June 2025, Outlaw successfully completed the 2025 Fastnet race. Our experience of the 2023 campaign and several changes to the Notice of Race have defined a scope of works for further improvements. This work will be carried out in the spring and summer of 2026 leaving the 2027 season clear for training and boat tuning prior to a September race start. Applicants who have the skills and availability to contribute to the refit in 2026 will be viewed in a positive light.
Our campaign budget will be finalised in November so the cost to join is not yet available. But the order of magnitude can be gauged by the fees the race organiser, Don McIntyre is charging for a circumnavigation on his yacht Explorer – EUR 50,000.00.
Meanwhile our business model is established and approved by the race organiser who has labelled it an ‘owner’s cooperative’. Outlaw is an Australian flagged vessel owned by an Australian registered company. The 2023 crew own shares in the company in proportion to the number of legs they signed up for. New entrants will buy shares from the exiting owners at a price encapsulated in the total fee. This model was initiated for our 2023 campaign and we observed that having ‘skin’ in the game deepened commitment and made for a very strong team ethos.
It is a requirement of the Notice of Race that we have a mixed gender crew and at least one person who is under 24 years of age at race start. We will be establishing a bursary for the under 24 year old to help fund their place. Our 2023 line up included 3 females and reinforced lessons learned from previous ocean racing campaigns, i.e. that mixed gender crews perform well in marathon endeavours.
Other requirements we are seeking to satisfy are:
- A mate with an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore ticket or equivalent,
- an astro-navigator to provide redundancy,
- a doctor or experienced nurse,
- knowledge of marine meteorology,
- on board media management including experience with drones,
- a victualler.
Completing this application does not guarantee you a berth on board but it might just get you into the interview process. If accepted, a series of pre-requisite courses and minimum mileage on the boat will be necessary to satisfy the Notice of Race. The more detail you can provide here the better, please be open and honest! If your submission meets our requirements, we will contact you to schedule an interview.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by email at info@sailingoutlaw.com
Thank you for your interest in joining the OUTLAW Team!