A round-the -world sailing rally from 2014-17, aiming to raise awareness of climate change and the most urgent issues facing our ocean. Read the latest news.
I have sailed to some of the remotest parts of the globe and have been privileged to encounter some of the most isolated communities.
More than anything else, for me the Blue Planet Odyssey will be payback time. I want to show my gratitude to those people all over the world who have welcomed me and countless sailors with warmth, friendship and generosity.
As this Odyssey calls at places where people’s lives are affected by climate change, we want them to know that cruising sailors care for them and empathise with their concerns.
Jimmy Cornell
The Blue Planet Odyssey is a round the world sailing event aimed at raising awareness of the global effects of climate change and the state of the ocean, conveying the message: The Ocean – Our Future by calling at some of the most endangered places on the planet:
- San Blas Islands in the Atlantic Ocean;
- the Arctic Ocean;
- Galapagos Islands, Tuvalu and the Great Barrier Reef in the Pacific Ocean.
Starting from Europe in 2014, the route of the Blue Planet Odyssey has been chosen to take advantage of the most favourable weather conditions and to pass through some of the most attractive cruising areas in the world.
Participants can start from a port on their own continent or join the event at the nearest point along its route, completing their circumnavigation in 2016-2017.
Sail the Odyssey programIn line with the overall aim of the Blue Planet Odyssey, participants are expected to play an active part in some of the projects associated with the event. You can read more about the Sail the Odyssey environmental program in Our Ocean section including information on the education, community and science programs to which our participants are contributing.  Rob Harvey and Bob Shanks deploy a drifting NOAA buoy from S/V MAGGIE Participants are taking part in a number of oceanographic and meteorological projects by deploying autonomous scientific instruments, gathering and transmitting data from remote ocean areas from where there is an acute absence of up-to-date information on climatic conditions. In recognition for this valuable contribution to scientific research, the Blue Planet Odyssey is run under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organisation and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). |
Routes
- Blue Planet Odyssey sails westabout around the world along the classic trade wind route via the Panama Canal and Torres Strait.
The Blue Planet Odyssey route will now not sail through the north Indian Ocean in view of current political uncertainty and instability in that whole region, but will sail through the South Indian Ocean to South Africa and into the South Atlantic, visiting St Helena and Brazil before arriving in the Caribbean early in 2017. -
For those who prefer to sail a more challenging route, there is the option of a Northern Route via the Northwest Passage.
