Besides financing research projects, Pure Ocean also promotes races and athletic challenges with the objective of raising awareness about the critical state of our oceans. The Race for Pure Ocean challenges are exceptional races, carried out by exceptional athletes, alone or in teams, selected to draw maximum attention to threatened ecosystems and highlight the importance of protecting them.
Race for Pure Ocean 2023
Race for Pure Ocean 2022
Race for Pure Ocean 2021
Race for Pure Ocean 2020
Race for Pure Ocean 2019Crossing the Atlantic to raise awareness of the need for ocean preservation
EDITION 2023
Jean-Pierre Dick and his crew won this transatlantic race on the “JP54 Notre Méditerranée Ville de Nice” with a record time of 11 days 8 hours 38 minutes and 23 seconds, beating the reference time of 12 days 23 hours and 28 minutes set in 1979 for monohulls.
On the multihull side, Vincent Willemart and his crew won this transatlantic race on the “Banzaï” with a record time of 11 days 13 hours 53 minutes and 8 seconds! The previous crossing time of 12 days 23 hours and 16 minutes was set 40 years ago by Eugène Riguidel and Jean-François le Menec.
In 2022, Pure Ocean became the official cause of the Marseille-Cassis, mythical running race through the Calanques National Park
For its 43rd edition, the SCO St Marguerite, organizer of the legendary Marseille-Cassis, has decided to support Pure Ocean !
Do the most circles around the Frioul in 24 hours for the protection of the Ocean !
Pure Ocean and the CNTL are organising the second edition of the 24 hours Pure Ocean around the Frioul Islands in order to raise public awareness of marine protection. Ludovic Gérard, aboard the Solenn for Pure Ocean, will be leading the way with sailing boats !
Sail in Marseille for the protection of marine biodiversity
Departing from the Vieux Port of Marseille on September 21, 2022, take part in a unique regatta combining science, sports challenge and ocean protection for the benefit of Pure Ocean.
A wonderful trail in the mountains to support ocean research
The Montgenèvre Sky Race is one of the most beautiful trails in France and is largely due to the beauty of the landscape in which it takes place.
Comprising 4 beautiful races in the mountains surrounding the village of Montgenèvre on the Italian border, the Sky Race has chosen to support Pure Ocean for its 23rd edition!
First qualifying race for the Vendée Globe 2024
The Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne is the first qualifying race for the Vendée Globe 2024. It is a challenging ocean race, to be completed single-handed, non-stop and without assistance.
From 12 June, 25 adventurers will set off on this 3500 mile race in the waters of the Great North and live a unique experience.
Great news: Pure Ocean will be present throughout the event, in partnership with IMOCA, to talk about its actions and ocean protection. An online tombola has been created for the occasion to allow everyone to participate in the actions of Pure Ocean!
A sporting challenge for the environment
Ludovic Gerard & Nicolas Brossay, two loyal Pure Ocean ambassadors, participated in May 2022 in the Cap Martinique, a race committed to nature where the two amateur sailors proudly sported the Pure Ocean colours. For this first edition, the crew of Solenn for Pure Ocean won the first place of the podium! A great pride for them, of course, but also for the whole Pure Ocean team who is proud to have two committed and victorious ambassadors at their side!
The adventure continues in 2022!
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean to raise awareness of ocean preservation
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean to raise awareness of ocean preservation
After two successful editions in 2020 and 2021 between St Pierre et Miquelon and Lorient, the Pure Ocean Challenge will take place between Bermuda and Lorient in May 2022.
BERMUDES LORIENT – DÉFI PURE OCEAN, proposed by PURE OCEAN, ABSOLUTE DREAMER and LORIENT GRAND LARGE is a sailing challenge across the Atlantic, open to all types of sailing boats, with several objectives:
A race to do the most laps around the Frioul in 24 hours !
Pure Ocean and the CNTL are organizing a 24-hour nautical event around the Frioul Island to raise awareness about marine protection. Ludovic Gérard, on board Solenn for Pure Ocean, will be leading the way.
A regatta committed to biodiversity
A sport challenge for the environment
4 women will participate in an extreme challenge across France to help save the ocean.
An incredible sailing project, committed to the Ocean
A crossing of the Atlantic to raise awareness of the protection of the Ocean.
Sébastien Destremau, on the sailboat named “Merci” will take part to the Vendée Globe and raises funds for our ocean.
Electric motor, carbon offset, cardboard cap were not enough for him, so the skipper Sébastien Destremau has joined forces with Pure Ocean. Its goal is to raise funds for scientific research and the preservation of the environment.
The crowdfunding is online on Ekosea, help Sébastien raising funds for the ocean !
“MERCI” AND ITS ECO-FRIENDLY SKIPPER
Under his air of modern-day artist-poet, Sébastien is a man of convictions. Fully assuming its choices, its electric propulsion engine almost cost him, his place on the starting line… for a recalcitrant battery. Drafted at the very last minute, Sébastien will be well at the start of this solo race around the world.
Another strong choice is a protective sailor’s cap at the back of the boat, which is made entirely of cardboard. “I am hopeful that one day all of the non-structural parts of our boats will be made from bio-based materials.” In addition, a study carried out by EcoAct estimated that the global “merci” project (over 2 1/2 years) will emit 89 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Emissions that will be fully offset thanks to labeled carbon sequestration projects.
Lilian Dauzat and Guilhem Orlhac rise up to an extreme challenge and raise funds for our oceans.
A few days before the initial start, in 2019, Lilian and Guilhem were unable to take up the challenge of the transatlantic race due to an injury to Guilhem’s thumb. But the team is coming back stronger and has made “this crisis an opportunity to make an even better crossing”.
On November the 21st, the duo will be setting off from the Canary Islands and rowing to Martinique. An extraordinary challenge that requires exceptional physical and mental endurance: more climbers have climbed Everest than rowers have crossed an ocean. Their shared passion for extreme challenges and for the oceans led them to take up this challenge for the benefit of Pure Ocean.
These two experienced adventurers will travel 5,000 km in the Atlantic Ocean aboard a 7,3 m long monohull, on shifts of 2 hours rowing / 2 hours rest. They will spend between 40 and 50 days in this boat in complete autonomy. The energy they will need for onboard instruments, lighting and communication will be generated by solar panels on the boat.
Despite the extreme weather conditions, physical fatigue and stress, we can count on our two champions to go all the way for our oceans!
Support them throughout their adventure by sending them “a bottle to the sea”.
A subaquatic hiking to protect the ocean.
Every second 250 kg of plastic waste arrives in the ocean. To raise awareness against this scourge, five members of the Watch The Sea association took concrete action in favor of environmental protection by traveling the entire length of the Calanques Park – approximately 25 kilometers covered in 3 days, in Seatrekking.
But what is Seatrekking? Seatrekking is an original concept combining a sporting adventure of subaquatic hiking and protection of the ocean. Participants are travelling independently long sections of coast over several days, equipped with fins, mask, and snorkels.
These excursions are an opportunity for everyone to take concrete action to protect the environment. Cleaning the seabed as well as collecting information on the state of biodiversity are an integral part of the association’s citizen activities.
Dans le cadre de l’opération Calanques Propres 2020, Watch the Sea s’est engagé du 17 au 19 octobre en tant qu’acteur actif de la prise de conscience et du changement, mais aussi à lever des fonds en faveur de la Fondation Pure Ocean.
As part of the Calanques Propres 2020 operation, from October 17th to 19th, Watch the Sea was committed as an active actor in awareness and change, but also to raise funds for Pure Ocean. Read more.
A mythical transat to raise awareness of the fragility of the ocean
A 2150 nautical mile sailing transatlantic race St Pierre & Miquelon and Lorient? With the crazy idea of beating Eric Tabarly’s mythical record by 10 days, 1 hour and 31 minutes?
This year Jean-Pierre Dick’s JP54 and Morgane Poupon’s Class 40 will be on the starting line in mid-July for the Pure Ocean Challenge – Route St Pierre Lorient.
David Sussmann, founding president of Pure Ocean, will take part in the challenge on The Kid, Jean-Pierre Dick’s JP54. During this race, David will share his logbook with us. Each day, he will make a video on how it feels to be in the middle of a transat, but above all he will talk to us about the ocean, the threats that weigh on it and the role of science and researchers who find solutions for its protection every day!
This event will rase awareness of the importance of protecting the ocean and raise funds for research programs. See more.
The first underwater marathon combining a sporting challenge and awareness of the fragility of the ocean
Pure Ocean is organizing an underwater relay marathon on June 8, 2020, to raise awareness of the plight of the ocean. In the Marseille’s bay, scuba divers, aquatic marathoners, will make you discover the Mediterranean sea.
This underwater marathon will be a mobilizing event, bringing together diving clubs, institutions and donors around an ambitious and unprecedented challenge.
Over 300 hundreds swimmers will participate in this incredible demanding race, the last event of the EDF Aqua Challenge.
This year, during the Prom’Swim, all Nice will swim for the Oceans on Saturday, September 21st!
A 10 km open water swim: an exceptional distance, open to all, because amateur swimmers are also exceptional athletes. The go-ahead will be given at 9am from the Plage des Ponchettes.
Prom’Swim, the final event of the EDF Aqua Challenge, is dedicated to the oceans with the 10 km race labelled Race for Pure Ocean! Prom’Swim aims to be an eco-friendly event with a beach cleanup, waste sorting for recycling and the lowest impact on the environment possible. This year, straws, plastic plates & cutlery have been banned from the Race village.
A great opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to protecting the environment and raise funds to protect marine ecosystems with Pure Ocean.
Alex Caizergues, kitespeed world record holder, commits to protecting our oceans and attempts to set a new record.
Alex Caizergues, 4 times kitespeed World champion and 3 times Champion of France, is the most prized kitesurfer in France. He currently holds the kitespeed world record: an average of 107,3 km/h on 500 meters. In August 2019, he will try to break his own record to affirm his commitment to oceans preservation.
Ambassador of Pure Ocean, Alex is preparing a formidable challenge for the oceans. He has established a 100 km route between Essaouira and Agadir that he will travel in one tack, as fast as possible.
For this first Race for Pure Ocean on the African continent, a new reference time has been set: 98.4 km 3:30! A record to beat in the years to come!
Arthur Le Vaillant, a navigator committed to oceans protection.
In 2019, Arthur Le Vaillant took on the challenge of the Solitaire URGO Le Figaro race. He was pitting against 46 other skippers in this solo sailing race between Nantes and Dieppe, divided into 4 steps around the Channel and the Celtic Sea. Leyton France accompanied Arthur in this challenge, through which they both affirmed their common commitment to protecting the environment.
With this race, Leyton chose to show its support for Pure Ocean by joining the Race for Pure Ocean initiative, hoping to trigger awareness about current environmental issues.
Moreover, technologically innovative devices for environmental protection (sensor measuring air quality…) were installed on the boat in order to be tested in the field.
Engaged athlete Brice Bonneviale takes on a challenge that measures up to the current environmental emergency.
As part of the Race for Pure Ocean initiative, in June 2019 Brice Bonneviale finished the Enduroman in 75h45mn, thus becoming the 37th person to complete this extreme triathlon. On June 22nd, he started his journey from Marble Arch, London, and ran the 14Okm to Dover in 16h55mn before diving into the waters of the Channel. Landing on French soil after defying the cold and the strong currents for 21h51mn, he got on his bike for the last 290km, which he traveled in 14h37mn. He reached the Arc de Triomphe in Paris at 11:45 p.m. on June 25th. His reason to go through with this: participating in the project carried out by Pure Ocean, that finances innovations destined to protect the oceans and their biodiversity.
An exceptional challenge to launch the Race for Pure Ocean series. By undertaking this athletic challenge that demands high levels of endurance and the ability to push one’s limits, Brice wished to contribute to raise awareness about current environmental issues that are threatening not only our oceans, but the entirety of our planet’s ecosystems. As part of this ecological commitment, while Brice’s team followed him throughout the race, they picked up the rubbish they found along the way. Oceans lover, he also hoped to increase public understanding of the extent of the threats facing our oceans and put forward the solutions that exist to protect them. He therefore chose to use this challenge to raise funds for Pure Ocean.
Amateur swimmers participate in a night-time race in the Mediterranean Sea to show their commitment to the protection of our oceans.
On the 20th anniversary of the Monte-Cristo challenge, Pure Ocean joined the biggest open water swimming event in Europe. Around forty amateur athletes affirmed their support for the environmental cause by participating in this high level nocturnal athletic performance, the second episode of the Race for Pure Ocean series.
On June 21st, at night fall, the go-ahead was given at the Chateau d’If, one of Marseille’s most emblematic monuments. The participants, all amateur swimmers, undertook a unique athletic performance while asserting their commitment to the protection of our oceans. With the Mediterranean Sea, maritime jewel of the South of France, as its background, this challenge allowed Pure Ocean’s project to gain visibility and raised public awareness about the critical state of our oceans – and our planet more generally. Thanks to this event, 20 000€ were raised for Pure Ocean. These funds will be used to finance innovative projects to protect the oceans and their biodiversity.
