WAYS TO TAKE ON THE WAVES

* If you aspire to become a sea dog, there's an ocean race for you somewhere. Besides the BOC Challenge, here's a partial list:

The Vendee Globe Challenge: begins in November in France every four years (even years). The race is singlehanded and nonstop, the next race is 1996.

The Whitbread Round the World Race: 60- and 80-foot fully crewed sailboats race around the world every four years (odd years). The race begins and ends in Britain and has five stops. Next race: 1997.

Royal Western STAR: formerly The Observer Singlehanded Transatlantic Race (OSTAR), STAR goes from Britain to Newport, R.I., every four years. The next race is in 1996. There is also a two-person race, TwoSTAR, which sails this year.

Route de Rhum: runs in odd years from St-Malo, France, to Martinique. Singlehanded.

BOC Transatlantic Challenge: a singlehanded warm-up for the BOC. Goes from Falmouth, England, to Charleston, S.C.; starts July 3.

Yamaha Osaka Cup: sails from Melbourne, Australia, to Osaka, Japan. Two-handed. The next race is March 1995.

Bermuda One-Two: starts in June of odd-numbered years from Newport, R.I., to Bermuda. Leave singlehanded, return with a mate. (There are a number of fully crewed races to Bermuda, including the Marion [Mass.] Yacht Club to Bermuda race, every other year.)

Sydney to Hobart (Australia): leaves every Boxing Day (Dec. 26). Fully crewed.

Round Britain: a two-handed race, every four years. Next one is in 1997.

Mini-Transatlantic: the maximum boat length is 21 feet. From France, to the Canary Islands, to the Caribbean. Singlehanded.

Trans-Pac: sails from Los Angeles to Hawaii every two years on odd years. Fully crewed.