The Whitbread Round the World Race 1973-74 Official Film

If you look at the pictures in the Rushcutter Room you would have seen photos of the 1973-74 Whitbread around the world race with RANSA as a stop over point. Like so many great adventure stories, this one started in a pub, with a conversation between the Royal Naval Sailing Association (UK) and the head of the Whitbread Brewery.

Within a year or so, 17 crews were on the start line off Portsmouth, UK, for the first Whitbread Round the World Race in September 1973.

From that was born one of the greatest sporting events in the world. Check out the story of the first edition of what we now know as The Ocean Race in this restored footage of the first race.