Translated selects iconic Swan 65 for Ocean Globe Race, bringing legacy of diversity, inclusion

Ship Made History when First Female Captain, Clare Francis, Piloted It to Finish in the 1977 Whitbread Race

ROME (April 19, 2021)—Translated, a company that is pioneering a powerful combination of human creativity and machine intelligence to craft quality translations at speed, has selected a sailing craft with a storied history to be its vessel during the epic Ocean Globe Race 2023 (OGR 23).

Translated will participate aboard the #translated 9 in the around-the-world regatta in which sailors pilot vintage ships without the benefit of modern technology or equipment.

The Translated 9 previously sailed as the ADC Accutrac, and it became an icon of the seas under British skipper, Clare Francis, who led it to a fifth place finish of the 1977 Whitbread Around the World Race, achieving a milestone in both sailing and women’s history.

The craft, a Swan 65 designed by the historic New York studio Sparkman & Stephens, is currently anchored at Rome’s Port of Riva di Traiano, in preparation for the race. The OGR 23 marks the 50th anniversary of the epic #competition, first held in 1973. The 2023 race will mirror the original Whitbread in both its route, primarily across the Southern Hemisphere and the skill required to navigate such a journey in a small craft.

“To participate in the OGR 23, we wanted a boat that was not only beautiful and iconic but that also spoke of diversity, inclusion, and courage,” said Isabelle Andrieu, Translated’s co-founder. “We were thrilled to find this boat that was captained to the finish by the first woman to enter the Whitbread race. Clare Francis’ sailing career may have been short-lived, by her own choice, but it was record-breaking and left a lasting legacy.”

The Swan 65 is considered to be one of the most beautiful sailboats ever made and certainly one of the most successful. A Swan 65, (the Sayula II by Ramon Carlin) won the first Whitbread race, which took place over 1973 and 1974. During the second Whitbread, three Swan 65s placed--King's Legend, Disque d'Or and ADC Accutrac--at second, fourth and fifth respectively. In the fourth Whitbread in 1985, a 651-011, Fazer Finland, finished third.

Launched in 1974, #translated 9 is almost 20 meters long by 5 meters wide. It has three cabins, three bathrooms, a kitchen, and a dinette and can comfortably accommodate 11 people. Its exterior and interior are made of precious wood and the craft is considered a combination of performance excellence and comfort.

The craft gained fame under Francis, who crossed the Whitbread finish line in fifth place, in 126 days and 20 hours at sea. Finishing the rigorous Whitbread at all, like the upcoming Ocean Globe Race, is considered the greatest of successes.

ADC Accutrac’s odyssey under Francis, as featured in the book she wrote about the race, “Come Wind or Weather,” found its deck covered with snow, skimming by icebergs and its sailors clinging to the rudder under enormous waves, with sails blown by gale-force winds.

While Francis left sailing and pursued a successful career as an author, the ADC Accutrac ultimately fell into disrepair. Nicola Parolin found the boat, at the time named Force 9 of London, near Gaeta, Italy, and brought it back to life and on the seas once again.

The ship changed hands once again, now as #translated 9, under the stewardship of #translated co-founders Marco Trombetti and Isabelle Andrieu. It is taken on sails up and down the coastline near Rome as it prepares to tackle the world’s oceans once again.