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Sailing is a part of Beth Milledge’s DNA. And now, she’s putting her passion for the sport into the complex logistics for one of its biggest events, The Ocean Race.
GAC has been appointed its official logistics partner for an unprecedented fourth time in a row. For the first time, we’re supporting all three major events on the series calendar: The Ocean Race Europe 2025, The Ocean Race Atlantic in 2026, and the flagship around-the-world race starting from Alicante, Spain, in 2027.
As Project Manager, Beth is navigating the route, pulling the sheets and steadying the helm to coordinate a range of services including feasibility planning, transportation of event infrastructure, and on-site material handling and operational support at host cities.
“I grew up in a town called Lymington, near Southampton, at the heart of the British sailing scene. I was sailing before I could walk,” she says.
“My career took me in the same direction, working in event organisation and operations – always in sailing. And when I joined GAC in April last year, I made it clear that I wanted to be part of the team supporting The Ocean Race.”
It’s an all-encompassing task. Beth relocated to Alicante in Spain – embedded as part of The Ocean Race team at its headquarters there – and now she’s getting ready to follow the first event in the series around Europe.
Experienced team
She works with a GAC crew seeped in the culture of the Race, having worked with the organisers and competitors since 2014. Among them is GAC’s UK-based Head of Global Sports & Events Services, Martin Molloy, who will be at Beth’s side in Kiel, Genova and Montenegro, and Site Managers Aaron Lush in Portsmouth and Genova and Herve le Quilliec in Cartagena and Nice.
“Our main role is to move the landside infrastructure from one stopover to the next within the strict schedule that the race demands. It’s a complex task that involves coordinating with a network of haulage partners across Europe that GAC has developed over the years,” she says.
Handling the legal documentation for the movement of cargo from one country to another is a big part of the task.
“You might imagine it would be simpler for the Europe Race, but as the UK and Montenegro (where it will finish) are not part of the EU, simplified rules don’t apply, and we have to be absolutely sure that we meet all the import and export requirements.”
Forward planning
For Beth and her GAC colleagues, the logistics race began well in advance of yachts setting off in Kiel, Germany, on 10 August. Cargo has been pulled from all over the continent to the starting point. There are nearly 20 truckloads of infrastructure to build the Ocean Live Park at each stopover – and each one must arrive on time to keep the tight build schedule on track.
“It’s not just about having a Plan B. We have to be prepared with solutions to possible scenarios spanning the entire alphabet.”
Pride and passion
It’s not a 9-to-5 job. It’s one driven by pride in being involved in a prestige event and a passion for getting it right.
If a problem arises at 2am, the GAC Team will burn the midnight oil to find a solution. It’s what they signed up for.
“The people we’re working with are passionate about their sport. I get that, I share that pride and passion,” Beth adds. “But they don’t need to know or prioritise what goes into setting up everything at the stopovers along the race route. That’s where we come in.”
By working behind the scenes alongside The Ocean Race’s own operations team, GAC helps ensure racing stays centre-stage.
The Ocean Race Europe 2025 starts from Kiel, Germany, on 10 August, continuing through Portsmouth (UK), a brief stop at Matosinhos (Portugal), then calling at Cartagena (Spain), Nice (France) and Genova (Italy) before the Finale in Boka Bay (Montenegro) on 21 September.
