At The Ocean Race we want to use our global platform to accelerate action for our marine world. One of the ways we are doing this is by reaching the decision-makers who can make this happen. This is where The Ocean Race Summits come in.

Our current series of 12 Summits, which take place between 2019 and 2023, are helping to drive new and improved policies around the major issues affecting the ocean: lack of governance, lack of protection, and climate change. The series also examines whether giving the ocean ‘rights’ could be key to ensuring its future.

The Summits feature innovative Action Labs, in which the participants break into groups to look at a different issue relating to ocean health, building on best practice from across the world to create clear pathways and actions. The result will be a catalogue of draft principles presented in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023.

Started as a stand-alone event during the 2014-15 edition of the Race, at the stopover in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, the Summits have become one of the most important elements of our Racing with Purpose sustainability programme.

During the 2017-18 edition of The Ocean Race, a series of Summits brought together a diverse range of global players to showcase innovative solutions to the ocean plastic crisis and to inspire action to help turn the tide on this urgent issue. As a result of the Summits, governments, mayors and governors signed their countries, cities and states up to the Clean Seas programme, while businesses such as Volvo Cars made public commitments to reduce their use of plastics.

In collaboration with 11th Hour Racing, Premier Partner of The Ocean Race and Founding Partner of Racing with Purpose, the Summits have evolved to reflect the need to broaden out the focus beyond plastic to other key issues relating to the restoration of ocean health.

The summits are held in different locations, with a physical presence from local participants and virtual participation from attendees from across the globe. We are also holding the summits outside of the Race as there is no time to waste in tackling the threats to our blue planet.

Full list of The Ocean Race Summits

• SEYCHELLES 2022 (view the report here)
• EUROPE 2021 (View the Summit here and download report)
• NEWPORT 2015/ 2018/ 2020
 (download report)
• THE HAGUE 2018/ 2020
 (download report)
• GENOA 2019

• GOTHENBURG 2018

• CARDIFF 2018

• HONG KONG 2018

• CAPE TOWN 2017

• ALICANTE 2017


The Summits support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14) to Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. The goal highlights that ‘Saving our ocean must remain a priority’ and that ‘Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future’, this is echoed in the themes tackled in The Ocean Race Summits.