The Ocean Race and TIME join forces in the…

Wednesday, 12 May

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The Ocean Race, the world’s toughest test of a team in sport, and the global media brand TIME, are launching a new partnership to help inspire change for the ocean. Combining The Ocean Race’s unrivalled experience of the seas and award-winning sustainability programme, with TIME’s mission to lead conversations that change the world, the collaboration will raise awareness of the threats to the ocean, champion the critical role it plays in climate change and help to drive the action needed to protect it.

As an Official Impact Partner of The Ocean Race, TIME will play a key role in The Ocean Race Summits, which bring together global decision-makers to help to drive new and improved policies to protect and govern the ocean and support healthy seas. The Ocean Race’s Learning programme, which teaches children aged 6-12 about what makes our seas incredible and the threats they face, and the Science programme, which gathers vital data to increase understanding about the state of our marine world, are other key elements of the ‘Racing with Purpose’ sustainability programme, developed with founding partner 11th Hour Racing, that will be highlighted through the collaboration.

The Ocean Race and TIME will also amplify the key messages of this purpose-led partnership within forthcoming global issues of TIME and on Time.com, and through collaborations at major events, such as the World Economic Forum and COP26. Additionally, The Ocean Race and TIME will work together to engage audiences around The Ocean Race Europe.

Anne-Cécile Turner, Sustainability Director at The Ocean Race said: “At The Ocean Race we have a purpose far greater than sport: sustainability is at our heart. We’re delighted to join forces with TIME in our shared mission to give the ocean a stronger voice.

“Without healthy seas we simply cannot have a healthy planet. The ocean plays a vital role in reducing the impact of climate change, by absorbing carbon emissions and capturing the vast majority of human-made excess heat. It needs to have a central role on the global stage this year, particularly in major climate discussions, such as COP26. TIME’s influence, audience and networks provides an incredible opportunity to reach those in the public and private sectors that can create the change we desperately need for the ocean.”

The partnership builds on TIME’s commitment to, and legacy of, covering sustainability and climate change throughout history, from the 1989 Endangered Planet of the Year cover package to TIME 2030, the decade-long global editorial initiative that focuses on the ongoing exploration of solutions to the challenges of the post-COVID world and the leaders and innovators driving them. 

Agatha DeMaio, VP of International Partnerships at TIME: “We are thrilled to join with The Ocean Race for this purpose-driven partnership. Through our shared commitment to championing sustainability, our goals are to serve as a catalyst for positive change, accelerate the application of innovative solutions to help restore ocean health and help build a better future for all.”

The Ocean Race’s multi-award winning ‘Racing with Purpose’ sustainability programme brings together a range of tangible ways that the world’s leading sailing race can have a positive impact on the marine environment. Working with 11th Hour Racing – the Founding Partner of the Racing with Purpose programme and Premier Partner of The Ocean Race – and Volvo Cars, The Ocean Race is engaging and inspiring millions of people around the planet with their messages. Find out more here.

DownloadMay 6, 2015. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in second position of Leg 6, arriving to Newport.
© Ian Roman

DownloadDolphin spotted during the round the world race
© Guo Chuan/Green Dragon Racing/Volvo Ocean Race

Download11th Hour Racing Team crossing the North Atlantic.
© Amory Ross

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For more on The Ocean Race, visit our website: www.theoceanrace.com

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About The Ocean Race

Since 1973, The Ocean Race has provided the ultimate test of a team and a human adventure like no other. Over four decades it has kept an almost mythical hold over some of the greatest sailors and been the proving ground for the legends of our sport.

The last edition of the race was the closest in history, with three teams virtually tied, approaching the finish line. After 126 days of racing spread across 11 legs, the winning margin for Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng Race Team was only 16 minutes. The top three teams were separated by just four points.

The next edition of The Ocean Race will start from Alicante, Spain in the autumn of 2022 and will finish in Genoa, Italy in summer of 2023. 

The Ocean Race Europe

In May/June of 2021, IMOCA and VO65 teams will take part in the inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe, starting in Lorient, France on May 29 and finishing in Genova, Italy on June 19, with stops in Cascais, Portugal and Alicante, Spain. 

Sustainability in The Ocean Race

We have a proven commitment to sustainability, and with the support and collaboration of 11th Hour Racing, Founding Partner of the Race Sustainability Programme and Premier Partner of The Ocean Race, we are inspiring action and creating tangible outcomes.

Building upon our award-winning legacy in sustainability, our innovative Racing With Purpose programme is acting as a catalyst for positive change and accelerating the application of innovative solutions to help restore ocean health.

The Ocean Race 1973 SL Registered Office: Muelle 10 de Levante, Puerto de Alicante, Alicante, 03001, Spain. Registered in Spain No B76239177. This email and any files transmitted are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify webmaster@theoceanrace.com.

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The American “duck”

The engineering feat that revolutionized the landing process

The American “duck”

A DUKW at the Utah Beach Museum in Normandy
(Photo: Author’s own)

The DUKW is an amphibious modification of the General Motors Company (GMC) AFKWX military truck used in World War II. This model was a specialized version of GMC’s CCKW six-wheel-drive military truck with a cab-over-engine design and a longer cargo bed. AFKWX stood for “A” – 1939 design, “F” – Forward cab, “K” – All wheel drive, “W” – Tandem rear wheels, “X” – Extended bed. Via the modifications, American troops were able to transport goods (a payload of 2.5 tons) or around 20 troops with all their equipment, on land and as well on water. This engineering feat revolutionized the landing process since, so far, the supply ships had to dock before unloading their cargo in ports which was a time-consuming operation. The DUKW proved remarkably reliable and versatile in all situations. Beside their normal duties, some were used as naval ambulances, while some provided fire support, just to mention some special purposes they were used for. They are still in use today either for military or police training or in civilian use, mostly in tourism on “duck tours”.The DUKW was based on GMC’s AFKWX military truck
(Photo: www.uusautoindustryworldwartwo.com, David D. Jackson)WebsiteFacebookInstagramYouTube

The vehicle was designed by yacht designers Sparkman & Stephens in collaboration with General Motors involving Dennis Puleston, a British designer and environmentalist, and Frank W. Speir from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Developed in only 38 days, the initial design was rejected by the military. The Army changed its mind when a Coast Guard patrol craft ran aground on a sand bar near Provincetown, Massachusetts in a storm, and a DUKW prototype happened to be in the area for a demonstration and saved the crew of the patrol craft. This achievement gave green light to the project.A DUKW in the Omaha Beach sector in 1944
(Photo: E-bay)

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Approximately 21,147 were manufactured between 1942-1945. A quarter of all DUKWs held a .50-caliber Browning heavy machine gun in a ring mount. The name DUKW comes from the model-naming terminology used by GMC: “D” for designed in 1942, “U” for utility, “K” for all-wheel drive, and “W” for two rear axles. It was nicknamed “Duck” by the soldiers. The DUKW featured a Chevrolet engine with 104 horsepower. The vehicle was able to reach 50 mph or 80 km/h on ground and 5.5 knots (6 mph or 10km/h) on water. Its empty weight was 6.5 tons and it could carry a 2.5-ton payload. It measured 31 feet in length, 8 feet in width and 7 feet in height.A DUKW in Arromanches, Normandy at a D-Day anniversary
(Photo: Author’s own)

The 6×6 all-wheel drive DUKW was the first vehicle to allow the driver to vary the tire pressure from the driver’s compartment with the help of the so-called Speir’s device named after the engineer involved in the development of the vehicle. This central tire inflation system improved performance on different surfaces. The fully inflated tires were good for hard surfaces such as roads and less inflated tires gave better grip on softer ground like beach sand.WebsiteFacebookInstagramYouTubeA soldier inspecting a German Goliath tracked mine with a DUKW in the background on Utah Beach
(Photo: world-war-2.wikia.org)

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The main recipients of the DUKWs were the U.S. Army and Allied forces, with 2,000 provided in the Lend-Lease program to Britain. The rest were acquired by Australian forces and the Soviet Union. The Soviets even made their own version, the BAV 485, which was produced until 1962.A P-38 Lightning aircraft carried by two DUKWs
(Photo: Worldwarphotos.info)

These vehicles were initially used in Guadalcanal in March 1943, then, for the first time in a landing role, in the invasion of Sicily in Operation Husky, and later on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day and in other operations in Europe on the road to the heart of the Third Reich. On D-Day at Omaha Beach, it suffered heavy losses to due its improper use. The DUKW was supposed to be used in good weather, where it could perform its tasks very well. On the contrary, in bad weather and surrounded by high waves, it was not seaworthy, especially if it was fully loaded with cargo. On Omaha Beach, they were completely overloaded since, on top of the supplies, they were equipped with heavy weaponry, such as howitzers. With the exception of one such DUKW, all of the vehicles carrying howitzers sank shortly after debarking from their carriers. From our earlier newsletter regarding the assault on the promontory of Pointe du Hoc, you may also remember that in the daring operation U.S. Rangers used specially modified DUKWs with 100foot/30m extension ladders to climb the steep cliffs of the Norman coast and to take the German positions there.The specially modified DUKW with an extension ladder used at Pointe du Hoc
(Photo: Mikesresearch.com)

General and later President, Dwight Eisenhower wrote that, according to most senior officers, the bulldozer, the Jeep, the 2,5-ton truck, and the C-47 airplane were the four most vital pieces of equipment to the Allies’ success. He regarded the DUKW as “one of the most valuable pieces of equipment produced by the United States during the war.”Eisenhower climbing down from a DUKW during his visit shortly after D-Day
(Photo: Pinterest)

Apart from the unfortunate example of Omaha Beach, the vehicle was an outstanding success in its primary role: the ship-to-shore-and-beyond shuttling of personnel and war materiel. After World War II, only reduced numbers were kept in service by the United States, with hundreds sent to the Korean War and Vietnam. Some DUKWs were decommissioned and distributed to the police or to civilian search-and-rescue units. You can also buy some of the remaining versions in good condition in auctions for a price ranging between $20,000 – 65,000 or even more. Original DUKWs and replicas also became famous as tourist attractions in many spots of the world, although its success in tourism was sometimes overshadowed by deadly accidents which occurred due to its improper use in rough waters in bad weather.A DUKW in London on a “duck tour”
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

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