round the world yacht race single handed

At the heart of winter refit: where do we stand with the job list?

Unesco and the vendée globe: together for a better understanding of the ocean, discover the antarctic with polar journal.

One globe, one ocean

The Vendée Globe aims to use the media impact of the event to raise public awareness of ocean conservation throughout the round-the-world race. By sailing around the world, the Vendée Globe sailors are highlighting the fragility of our oceans faced with global warming. They are direct witnesses to the changes underway, particularly around Antarctica, a region that is under particular threat.

Soft mobility

The Vendée Globe adventure doesn't start in Les Sables d'Olonne! It starts from home, by using a low-carbon mode of transport to get to the race village. The organisers have set up a mobility committee to bring together all the public and private players involved and propose soft mobility solutions for getting to the village.

44 candidates

Fabrice Amedeo

Romain Attanasio

Éric Bellion

Yannick Bestaven

Jérémie Beyou

Arnaud Boissières

Louis Burton

Conrad Colman

Antoine Cornic

Manuel Cousin

Clarisse Crémer

Charlie Dalin

Samantha Davies

Violette Dorange

Benjamin Dutreux

Benjamin Ferré

Sam Goodchild

François Guiffant

James Harayda

Oliver Heer

Boris Herrmann

Isabelle Joschke

Jean Le Cam

Tanguy Le Turquais

Nicolas Lunven

Sébastien Marsset

Paul Meilhat

Justine Mettraux

Giancarlo Pedote

Yoann Richomme

Thomas Ruyant

Damien Seguin

Kojiro Shiraishi

Sébastien Simon

Maxime Sorel

Guirec Soudée

Nicolas Troussel

Denis Van Weynbergh

Szabolcs Weöres

What is the Vendée Globe?

The Vendée Globe is a single-handed, non-stop, non-assisted round-the-world sailing race that takes place every four years. It is contested on IMOCA monohulls, which are 18 metres long. The skippers set off from Les Sables-d'Olonne in Vendée and sail around 45,000 kilometres around the globe, rounding the three legendary capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and finally Cape Horn) before returning to Les Sables d'Olonne. The race has acquired an international reputation, attracting skippers from all over the world. Beyond the competition, it is above all an incredible human adventure.

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Solo Challenge

About the Global Solo Challenge 2023-24

What is the global solo challenge.

The Global Solo Challenge is a single-handed without assistance around the world sailing event with a unique format.

Boats will set off in successive departures starting from August 26, 2023, from A Coruña Spain.

It is for sailors on a wide range of boats seeking the challenge of a competitive solo circumnavigation under the umbrella of an affordable, well organised and controlled event that puts the safety of participants first.

Full details can be found in the Notice of Event .

A unique format

The format is unlike any other round the world event and will make it fair and exciting for the Skippers as well as easy and engaging for the public and sponsors to follow:

Boats will be grouped by performance characteristics and set off in successive departures from August 26th, 2023 to January 6th, 2024.

Once at sea, there are no classes. All boats will be sailing the same event. The faster boats will have to try to catch up with the slower boats, the pursuit factor creating competitive interest aboard and a fascinating event for the public and sponsors.

The first boat to cross the finish line wins. The performance differential between the boats is taken into account in staggering the departures, eliminating the need to calculate corrected times.

All entries will have a chance of winning – dramatic from beginning to end

It may feel quite daunting and emotional to be among the first to set off on the adventure, with the remaining participants seeing you off.

Equally it will be nerve wracking for those with a long wait before their departure, following on the satellite trackers the progress being made by the earlier starters.

The last skippers to set off will have to keep cool waiting for their turn to start the chase . And hope they can put on a show like Jeremy Beyou on Charal in the most recent Vendée Globe, progressively carving his way through the fleet.

The faster boats will need to sail fast and well to make up for the head start given to the slower groups.

It will be the ultimate enactment of the tale of the tortoise and the hare, with steady cruisers being chased by performance thirsty skippers on faster boats. Who will cross the line first?

Budget friendly

The event format creates a fair and exciting event for all the participants, their sponsors and the general public.

Budget alone should not be a deciding factor in how well each boat does.

What type of boats can enter?

The range of boats permitted in the Event is wide.

• From classic long keel cruisers to more recent cruiser/racers.
• Also One-off Open designs and other racing boats such as Class40s, Open 50s and Open 60s.

To keep budgets under control the Organisers do not wish anyone to build a boat specifically for the event.

Entry criteria

Boats must satisfy minimum stability criteria and may require modification to allow for adequate watertight bulkheads sub-dividing internal space. Read the Notice of Event for detailed entry criteria.

Each entry in the Event must comply with the Global Solo Challenge Regulations .

Historically boats of many types and lengths have proven that a circumnavigation is possible. After all the first ever non-stop solo circumnavigation was completed by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on a 32ft cruising boat in 1968 during the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race . The famous navigator and writer Bernard Moitessier also took part in that event on a 39ft cruising boat.

What is the route?

An around the world, east-about circumnavigation. The start and finish port is beautiful and historic Marina Coruña, A Coruña, Spain. Entrants must leave “ The Antarctic Region ” and all known ice as defined by an “ Ice Limit ” to starboard and the three Great Capes to port before making their way to the finish line. “The Antarctic Region” and the “Ice Limit” will be defined in the Sailing Instructions.

How long will it take?

A circumnavigation by the three great capes is approximately 26,000 Nautical Miles long. Because the Event admits boats that are widely different in design and performance, the faster boats are expected to take around 70 days to complete the circumnavigation whilst the slower ones could take in excess of 200 days .

When will it take place?

The Event will start in August 2023 with the first group of smaller and slower boats setting off on Saturday 26th August 2023 at 1300 UTC.

The last group of fast boats will set off in December!

Where will the start and finish be?

Marina Coruña , A Coruña, Spain will be the host port for the start of the Global Solo Challenge 2023.

Located in the stunning independent municipality of Galicia, A Coruña and its principal marina will provide the perfect venue for the GSC 2023. From a nautical point of view, the geographical location of A Coruña is ideal for both the start and the finish of a traditional East-About round the world sailing event.

Entrants will start the event from the protected bay waters of Ria da Coruña. After rounding the peninsula of Montealto, where the iconic Tower of Hercules is located, they will quickly be into the prevailing trade winds , passing Cape Finisterre prior to their descent of the Atlantic.

Awe-inspiring scenery , the historic city of A Coruña, stunning local beaches and Galician food and hospitality will provide a unique experience and backdrop for the families, friends and well-wishers of the GSC entrants. As the entrants tackle the final days of their circumnavigation, the weather systems of the North Atlantic, typically a train of depressions to the north and the Azores high pressure area to the West, conspire to make Galicia in general and A Coruña in particular, a natural point of arrival.

In round-the-world sailing events the first possibility of rescue following an incident often comes from another competitor in the same event. Therefore, an important safety benefit in staggering the starts is that the fleet should close together as it approaches the infamous southern Pacific point Nemo and the highly challenging passage of Cape Horn.

Each boat entering the Event must satisfy the Global Solo Challenge Regulations, which are based on the established best practices set out by World Sailing in their Offshore Special Regulation for Category Zero Events. These are Trans-oceanic events which pass through areas in which air or sea temperatures are likely to be less than 5°C (41°F) and where boats must be completely self-sufficient for very extended periods of time, capable of withstanding heavy storms and prepared to meet serious emergencies without the expectation of outside assistance.

Boats are therefore likely to require some modifications to meet the Regulations.

A fantastic personal adventure, but risks should be mitigated

For each Skipper the Global Solo Challenge will be a fantastic personal adventure. But is not to be undertaken lightly.

Each participant must carefully consider if this Event is right for them.

Skippers participate in the Event at their own risk and peril and on their own responsibility. The Global Solo Challenge Regulations and event provide a framework that skippers can build on to implement strategies to mitigate the risks that exist in attempting a circumnavigation. They will be called to make thoughtful judgement in difficult situations and sound choices in challenging circumstances.

Hoping for the best cannot be a strategy, and only careful planning for the worst can yield success. Skippers will have to remain lucid, realistic and pragmatic as to the decision whether or not to depart and to continue. This event is not for everyone.

Who is it for?

The Event is open to anyone with the right combination of skill and determination to achieve a single-handed around the world circumnavigation without outside assistance. As Val Howells, one of the pioneering competitors of the original 1960 OSTAR, once said – we do it to expand the envelope .

The spirit of the Event

Pure competition is unlikely to be the only motivating factor behind entries in this event.

The Global Solo Challenge bridges the gap between high-budget, professional events and the very human, yet common, dream of a single-handed circumnavigation.

The intention is to keep this a sailor’s event, where camaraderie among entrants will produce lifelong friendships; where the sharing of the preparation and navigation will bring people together.

Many of our enquirers have long dreamed of setting off single-handed around the world. They can now do so single-handed, but not alone.

As part of this unique event they can share their personal challenge with other sailors.

As a sailor once famously said, on being asked why he sailed single-handed: “ I do it for the company ”.

Who are the Organisers and what is their experience?

Marco nannini  is a sailor, writer and consultant in marketing and communication with a financial background.  “ i know the commitment it takes to undertake a round the world sailing project. i experienced the sense of achievement it brings and the sacrifice it takes. i never underestimated the risks involved, i learnt the importance of mitigating and managing them. i wish to provide a safe and budget friendly event to achieve a dream that many sailors have. “.

The Event, its name, logo, website, social media pages and all their content are the sole property of Marco Nannini LTD. All rights, title, intellectual property, Copyright, contractual and other entitlements of and relating to the Event, its name, logo, website, social media pages and all their content, vest in and are retained by Marco Nannini LTD.

Request more information about the Global Solo Challenge

Global Solo Challenge Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved. Website created by Primeconsulting

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Round the world race: 100ft trimarans set for solo race

• Helen Fretter
• July 9, 2021

The fastest offshore racing designs ever built, the foiling 100ft Ultim trimarans, will go head-to-head in a solo round the world race in 2023

Photo: Yvan Zedda

The Ultim class has announced the first single-handed race round the world for giant multihulls , the Solo Ultim World Tour. 

This will likely be the most challenging ocean sailing race ever held. The solo skippers will need to navigate a course as arduous as the Vendée Globe , but will be doing so in 100ft foiling trimarans with complex appendages capable of sailing at 45 knots , with the ever-present risk of a split-second capsize.

Six of the fastest ocean-racing designs in the world will be taking part in the new solo race round the world, with record-breaking sailors Armel Le Cléac’h , Charles Caudrelier and Thomas Coville among the solo skippers lining up.

The Gitana entry Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is one of the most highly optimised big trimarans, and will be coming back into the Ultim class. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut / PolaRYSE / Gitana

Unsurprisingly, the race has been a long-time in coming to fruition. Now called the Solo Ultim World Tour, it will be organised by the hugely experienced event company OC Sport Pen Duick, in collaboration with the Class Ultim 32/23, to start in the autumn of 2023. The concept was first mooted around 15 years ago, just as the notoriously skittish Orma trimarans were in their final days. A calendar was drawn up for the embryonic Ultime class which included solo and crewed round the world races, building up to a solo around the world race set for December 2019, then called the Brest Oceans. 

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However, in the 2018 Route du Rhum – the transatlantic race with a reputation for being something of a demolition derby – four of the big trimarans suffered severe damage. Armel le Cléac’h’s Banque Populaire IV capsized and broke up mid-Atlantic, while the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild lost 10m of one float, Sodebo also suffered structural cracking to one float and Macif lost a foil and a rudder. 

History seemed to be repeating itself – in the 2002 Route du Rhum, only three of 18 multihulls had managed to complete the race, and the ensuing capsizes and dramatic rescues saw many sponsors leave the Orma fleet. It was clear that the Ultim class was nowhere near ready to race solo around the world.

Macif at the start of the 2019 Brest Atlantiques Race

However, the class changed tack. A multi-stage double-handed race looping around the Atlantic was held in 2019 instead – the Brest Atlantiques . Although several boats suffered damage – Macif swopping out a rudder in Rio, and Sodebo breaking off its starboard rudder after hitting a whale (an impact which caused so much damage that the aft section of the starboard float filled with water and later also broke away), three of the four made it around and there were no dramatic rescues.

Round the world race entries

Even more remarkably, new boats kept being launched. Banque Populaire commissioned a new Ultim for le Cléac’h, and although Francois Gabart’s previous sponsor Macif pulled out mid-build, his new Ultim – code-named M101 – was completed, and he secured new backing from French cosmetics group Kresk (now under the name SVR-Lazatigue ). 

Combined with a new Sodebo for Thomas Coville in 2019, and a healthy market for second-hand giant trimarans that are ripe for optimisation, the biggest, and most audacious ocean racing fleet in the world is now attracting entry numbers to rival that of the last one-design Volvo Ocean Race (seven in the last Volvo, six currently in the Solo Ultim World Tour).

Confirmed entries for the round the world race so far are: Banque Populaire XI , skippered by Armel Le Cléac’h; Maxi Edmond de Rothschild with Charles Caudrelier (which will come back into the Ultim class after being modified out of class rules for round the world record attempts); Thomas Coville’s Sodebo;  Francois Gabart on his new SVR-Lazartigue ; Actual , skippered by Yves Le Blevec, and a Brest Ultim Sailing entry, the former Actual , with the skipper still to be announced. 

These sailors are the absolute elite of ocean racing. Between the five confirmed skippers alone they include two Vendée Globe winners, two around the world solo record holders, two Volvo Ocean Race wins , at least two Jules Verne around the world crewed records and multiple further attempts.

The start and finish host city has not yet been decided, although discussions are underway with the City of Brest, which has shown keen interest in hosting the event since the creation of the project and hosted the Brest Atlantiques Race in 2019.

Sodebo was one of three latest generation Ultimes racing in the 2019 Fastnet. Photo: Kurt Arrigo / Rolex

The current around the world multihull solo record stands at 42d 16h, set by Gabart on his previous Macif in 2017 . The Solo Ultim World Tour is likely to take around 40-50 days, as they will not be setting off with an optimal forecast for record-breaking.

However, the biggest question will be whether they can make it around without race-ending foil damage. After the experiences of the Brest Atlantiques Race and 2019 Route du Rhum, all the teams have been innovating with ways of both avoiding collisions, and making their trimarans more robust in the event of hitting a UFO.

The new Banque Populaire has increased structures, sacrificing ultimate light weight for strength (see more on this in the August issue of Yachting World magazine, out now). Sodebo has been experimenting with appendage fittings designed to absorb impact, and all the big tri’s are trialling collision avoidance systems such as Oscar to try and identify objects in the water.

Charles Caudrelier, the co-skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild who will be taking on the solo race, said: “This solo round-the-world race in the Ultim is a dream I didn’t even dare to hope for in my career. I have always been very drawn to the Vendée Globe, but here, at the helm of the fastest boats on the planet and in flying mode, it is quite simply the ultimate challenge. 

“Leading such a boat alone on such a demanding global course is an extraordinary adventure that I am really proud to share with the Gitana Team and on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. I have been thinking about this world tour for two years, it is this goal that motivates me and keeps me moving forward every day.”

The newly launched Banque Populaire XI

Thomas Coville, skipper of Sodebo Ultim 3 , commented: “It is a privilege to be part of this group of sailors. With Sodebo, we have been thinking about this race since 2007 when we launched the construction of the first Sodebo Ultim trimaran.

“There were a lot of twists and turns in the creation of this race around the world. This race justifies 20 years of commitment and high-level sailing. This is the race that will consecrate the life of an athlete and a sailor.”

Armel Le Cléac’h, Banque Populaire skipper added: “Our boats are magical, and I am happy that we can share them with the public around great adventures. I can’t wait for it to start!”

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• Races & Events
• Mini Globe Race

Real adventure, fun racing, serious challenge and unmatched style

The mini globe race is a single-handed round-the-world yacht race contested in class globe 5.80 yachts..

The first edition of the Mini Globe Race will commence on 24 October 2024. The proposed course is westward, starting and finishing in Europe, transiting the Panama Canal and rounding the Cape of Good Hope.

The race is expected to cover more than 26,000 miles and take 400 days to complete.

The Class Globe 5.80 yacht is designed as an affordable, round-the-world capable single-handed yacht that ships readily inside a standard 20 foot shipping container. Yacht plans have sold to more than 23 countries, and construction is underway around the world.

Mini Globe Race 2024

classglobe580.com

Time Until Departure:

• Gangwon 2024
• Milano Cortina 2026
• Brisbane 2032
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• Olympic Games
• Olympic Channel
• Let's Move

Vendée Globe 2020 - Everything you need to know

Sailing's ultimate test begins off the west coast of France on Sunday with the 33 solo competitors bidding to go non-stop around the world.

The Vendée Globe is the ultimate test in ocean sailing .

Held every four years, it is a non-stop solo round the world yacht race starting and finishing at Les Sables D'Olonne on the west coast of France.

The 2020-21 epic begins on Sunday (8 November) and you can watch the start - now closed to the public after France enforced stricter Covid measures last week - live on Olympic Channel .

A record 33 boats will set off on an arduous and at times dangerous journey which, barring accidents, will take between 70 and 130 days and cover a total distance of 45,000km (28,000 miles).

Olympic Channel will bring you weekly highlights and live coverage as the first boats arrive back to shore at Les Sables D'Olonne.

Vendée Globe 2020 start, route and rules

The Vendée Globe starts in the Vendée region of France and, like the Volvo Ocean Race , takes the clipper route of circumnavigation used by ships carrying goods between Europe and the Far East and Oceania.

This is the fastest round-the-world route starting out in the Atlantic towards the Cape of Good Hope south of Africa and then travelling east through the Southern Ocean making use of the 'Roaring Forties' winds found at latitudes of between 40 and 50 degrees.

The fleet then passes by Cape Horn at the south tip of South America before tacking north back to where they started.

The yachts are all monohulls conforming to the IMOCA 60 class, also known as the Open 60.

Inclement weather can place sailors in grave danger, not least due to their vast distance from normal emergency services, and competitors must have completed a solo trans-oceanic race or a previous Vendée Globe to be eligible to take part.

Outside assistance is not permitted although competitors can anchor to carry out repairs.

There has been a handful of cases of sailors rescuing rivals who have suffered serious boat damage or capsized, the last coming in the 2008-09 race when defending champion Vincent Riou brought Jean Le Cam on board near Cape Horn.

Le Cam was trapped in his overturned boat for 16 hours and the dramatic rescue damaged Riou's mast leading him to abandon the race in the world's southernmost city Ushuaia .

Riou, who had beaten Le Cam by less than seven hours four years previously, was awarded third place overall.

History of the Vendée Globe

The Globe Challenge, now known as the Vendée Globe, was founded in 1989 by French sailor Philippe Jeantot .

He was fourth in the inaugural 1989-90 race behind Titouan Lamazou with 12 men - 10 Frenchmen, a South African and an American - taking part.

There were seven official finishers although Mike Plant completed the race and set a new American single-handed circumnavigation record despite disqualifying himself for receiving minor assistance.

On his way to finishing in second place, Loick Peyron rescued Philippe Poupon who capsized in the Southern Ocean.

Plant was the race's first fatality when he was lost at sea off the Azores on his way to the 1992-93 race before his friend, British yachtsman Nigel Burgess , was found drowned just four days after the start.

Alain Gautier won the second renewal from Jean-Luc Van den Heede who improved on his third-place finish from two years previously.

The race then switched to being held every four years but poor weather led to there being just six finishers from 16 starters in 1996-97.

Christophe Auguin took victory with Catherine Chabaud becoming the first woman to complete the Vendée Globe, but this edition was marred by a number of capsizes.

Briton Pete Goss rescued Raphael Dinelli in the Southern Ocean, an act for which he would receive the Legion d'honneur , with two more competitors - Tony Bullimore and Thierry Dubois saved by the Australian navy.

Then Canadian sailor Gerry Roufs was lost at sea as the race suffered its third fatality prompting organisers to strengthen safety rules for entrants and boats.

Those efforts were rewarded with 15 completing out of 24 in 2000-01.

The race is best remembered for a fine duel between Michel Desjoyeaux and Britain's Ellen MacArthur whose victory bid was ended when her boat needed emergency repairs after hitting a semi-submerged container.

MacArthur took second to become the first non-French sailor to finish in the top three and the youngest competitor to finish the race at 24.

Winner Desjoyeaux set a new solo circumnavigation record of 93 days three hours and 57 minutes with he, MacArthur and third-placed Roland Jourdain the first sailors to go round the world single-handed in under 100 days.

The race grew in popularity after that with Riou beating Le Cam to victory in 2004-05 before Desjoyeaux claimed his second triumph four years later.

Armel Le Cleac'h was runner-up in 2008-09 and had to settle for second again in 2012-13 behind Francois Gabart when the race's last capsize - Spaniard Javier Sanso who was rescued near the Azores - occurred.

But Le Cleac'h finally emerged victorious in 2016-17, winning in a new race record of 74 days three hours 35 minutes and 46 seconds from Britain's Alex Thomson .

The contenders for the Vendée Globe 2020

With Le Cleac'h opting not to defend his title, Thomson will be hoping to become the first non-French Vendée Globe winner having finished third and second in the last two events.

The 46-year-old Welshman won the Clipper Race back in 1999 making him the youngest captain to claim a round-the-world yacht race .

He has since excelled in single-handed events despite being forced to retire in both the 2004-05 and 2008-09 Vendee Globes.

Four years ago, he made a blistering start race reaching the Cape of Good Hope in less than 18 days, but a broken starboard foil slowed his progress and made his second place all the more creditable.

If he can avoid serious boat damage, Thomson is undoubtedly the favourite to take the title out of France for the first time in its ninth edition.

Before setting off from his home base of Gosport on the south coast of England, he told Portsmouth News he was hoping to fulfil a long-held ambition.

"This is 20 years of my life so, yes, this is what we’ve all been waiting for and what we’ve all been working towards.

"A win would certainly validate everything that we as a team, together with our partners, have put into this journey.

"Obviously, the goal is to go out there and win it. But to get there, you have to finish and this race is very, very tough to finish." - Alex Thomson

There are no previous winners in the line-up although 2004-05 runner-up Le Cam, who has finished fifth and sixth since being rescued in the 2008-09 race, will also make his fifth start.

More than half the fleet hails from France with four competitors from Britain and one from each of Switzerland, Finland, Italy, Germany, Japan and Spain whose Didac Costa will helm the boat MacCarthur steered to second place 20 years ago.

There are five women taking part with three from Britain including Samantha Davies who finished fifth in the 2008-09 race.

Finland has its first entrant in the shape of 58-year-old airline pilot Ari Huusela who races Ariel 2, the boat Dee Caffari steered to seventh place in 2008-09.

Boris Herrmann is Germany's first Vendée Globe sailor over a year after he and his boat, Malizia II , were involved in a headline-making transatlantic journey.

Herrmann transported climate change activist Greta Thunberg to the UN Climate Action Summit last August with the boat's energy supplied by solar panels and underwater turbines making it a zero-carbon trip.

A keen environmentalist himself, Herrmann's boat will have an ocean sensor onboard to monitor water temperature, carbon dioxide and pH levels in the Southern Ocean to gather data for scientists examining climate change.

He will hope to go the distance unlike Malizia II's previous Vendée Globe outing four years ago when French skipper Sebastien Josse had to quit due to foil damage 30 days into the race.

Also in the fleet is the incredible Damien Seguin who is the first sailor with a disability to compete in the Vendée Globe.

The 41-year-old Frenchman was born without a left hand but went on to become a skilled seaman and won gold at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games in the solo 2.4-metre keelboat class.

He has won now appeared in four Paralympic Games, winning three medals in total and regaining his 2.4mR title in Rio.

Seguin, who carried the French flag in the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, is also a regular on the IMOCA offshore racing circuit.

With the help of Le Cam, Seguin has made ergonomic adaptations to his Groupe Apicil boat ahead of the start of his awe-inspiring challenge.

How to watch the Vendée Globe 2020

You can watch the start of the Vendée Globe 2020-21 live on Olympic Channel on Sunday 8 November with the fleet set to depart at 12:02 GMT.

Olympic Channel will also stream weekly highlights of the race as well as live coverage of the finish in Les Sables D'Olonne with the first boats expected back in mid-January.

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Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Golden Globe Race

The start of the 2022 Golden Globe Race. Photo: Ville des Sables d’Olonne – Christophe Huchet

The third ever edition of the Golden Globe Race started in late 2022. The first was in 1968, which was followed many years later by the race’s rebirth in 2018. 

What was unique about the Golden Globe race?

The original Golden Globe Race was the first race around the world solo without stops or any outside assistance. 

The GGR remains one of sailing’s best known events, capturing the hearts and minds of a global audience. It also began a thirst for single handed round the world racing that continues to this day. 

The first participants in 1968 are well known, whether it is the eventual triumph of Britain’s Sir Robin Knox Johnston over his arch rival Frenchman Bernard Motissier, or the tragic story of Donald Crowhurst (the story of which is the subject of the film, The Mercy ). 

It was then, and remains today, a serious undertaking for anyone hoping to achieve it. Even in the modern era racing around the world solo and without assistance remains a very difficult task to achieve. Despite many trying, many attempts still end in failure (though not usually with tragic outcomes).

To put the challenge into some perspective, more people have travelled into space than have raced around the world alone and unaided. 

That original race saw sailors able to set off on their voyage within a fairly wide window of opportunity, with the only rule being that the first person to complete a lap of the globe would be declared the winner. 

Recently the race has been reborn with a round the world race being held in 2018, attempting to capture something of the adventuring nature of those early intrepid sailors. 

The event was a success and, as such, another edition will be held this year, as contestants set off on the Golden Globe Race 2022.

The same organisers of the 2018 and 2022 Golden Globe have also announced another reto race in the form of the Ocean Globe Race , which will look to recreate the Whitbread Round the World race of old.

What is the Golden Globe yacht race?

The 2022 Golden Globe Race is a solo, nonstop yacht race around the world with no assistance and without the use of modern technology.

This means the skippers can’t use GPS, chartplotters, electric winches, autopilots, mobile phones, iPads or use synthetic materials like Spectra, Kevlar or Vectron.

Their only means of communication is via registered, licensed maritime-approved HF Single Side Band (SSB) Radio, with discussions generally limited to the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) weather. They are allowed to listen to HAM radio, but are not allowed to transmit.

Where does the Golden Globe race start and when?

The 2022 Golden Globe Race will start on 4 September 2022 from the port of Les Sables d’Olonne on France‘s Atlantic coast.

Over the years this has become the effective home of round the world racing, with a variety of modern events starting from this French venue. 

The best known is the Vendée Globe, which is essentially the modern version of the Golden Globe Race, with participants racing highly technologically advanced yachts around the world at blistering speeds.   

Who was the winner of the 2022-23 Golden Globe Race?

• Kirsten Neuschäfer – SOUTH AFRICA – Winner of the 2022-23 Golden Globe
• Abhilash Tomy – INDIA – Second place in the 2022-23 Golden Globe
• Michael Guggenberger – AUSTRIA – Third in the 2022-23 Golden Globe

Skippers still racing but now in the Chichester class (those who have made 1 stop):

• Simon Curwen – UNITED KINGDOM – Winner of the 2022-23 Chichester class – for those who have made 1 stop

Who is competing in the 2022 Golden Globe Race?

Chichester class – for those who have made 1 stop

• Jeremy Bagshaw – SOUTH AFRICA 

18 skippers started the 2018 race on 1 July 2018, with just five finishing, so it is not expected that all these skippers will make it to the finish. 

2022-23 Golden Globe Race retirements

• Edward Walentynowicz , (Canada), Rustler 36, Noah’s Jest
• Guy deBoer , (USA), Tashiba 36, Spirit
• Mark Sinclair (Australia), Lello 34, Coconut
• Pat Lawless , (Ireland), Saltram Saga 36 , Green Rebel
• Damien Guillou , (France), Rustler 36, PRB
• Ertan Beskardes , (UK), Rustler 36, Lazy Otter
• Tapio Lehtinen , (Finland), Gaia 36, Asteria
• Arnaud Gaist – FRANCE
• Elliott Smith – USA
• Guy Waites – UNITED KINGDOM
• Ian Herbert-Jones – UNITED KINGDOM

Jeremy Bagshaw on his 2022-23 Golden Globe Race

• July 20, 2023

A lifelong sailor, Jeremy Bagshaw started sailing as a child in an Optimist dinghy before moving onto Fireballs and Lasers. He raced offshore while at university and prior to Golden…

Michael Guggenberger on his 2022-223 Golden Globe Race

• July 18, 2023

Originally, Michael Guggenberger planned to take part in the 2018 Golden Globe Race, but delayed until the 2022 edition to allow more time to prepare. This paid off for the…

Abhilash Tomy on his 2022-23 Golden Globe Race

• July 13, 2023

In 2013, Abhilash Tomy became the first Indian to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world, via the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Horn and Cape Leeuwin, aboard the…

Simon Curwen on his 2022-23 Golden Globe Race

• July 11, 2023

Chichester Class winner Simon Curwen tells Katy Stickland all about his experience taking part in the 2022-23 Golden Globe Race

How I survived a dismasting in an 80 knot storm in the middle of an ocean

• July 7, 2023

Cape Horn gave me a good beating, and I needed to sort some problems on the boat, so I anchored off Picton Island in the lee of the Horn. It…

Kirsten Neuschäfer on her 2022-2023 Golden Globe Race

• July 5, 2023

Winning the Golden Globe Race meant everything to Kirsten Neuschäfer; her ambition would not only drive her, but would also leave her frustrated and despondent, especially when she became trapped…

Guy Waites crosses the 2022 Golden Globe Race finish line

• June 19, 2023

Guy Waites has crossed the finish line of the 2022 Golden Globe Race. The Scarborough skipper completed his solo circumnavigation of the world with two stops

Jeremy Bagshaw: the final finisher in the 2022 Golden Globe Race

• June 9, 2023

South African skipper Jeremy Bagshaw has finished the 2022 Golden Globe Race after weeks of punishing north-easterly winds and a broken forestay left him crawling towards the finish line

Michael Guggenberger is third in the 2022 Golden Globe Race

• May 12, 2023

Austrian skipper Michael Guggenberger has come third in the 2022 Golden Globe Race, having been one of the most prepared entrants in the race

Golden Globe Race: Michael Guggenberger approaching Biscay

• May 5, 2023

Michael Guggenberger has passed the Azores and is expected to cross the finish line next week

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Solo Ultim round the world race set for 2023

The first ever single-handed race around the world in the giant Ultim multihulls will take place in 2023, 15 years after the vision was originally conceived. The race will be organised by OC Sport Pen Duick in collaboration with the Class Ultim 32/23 as well as the skippers and owners of the world’s   most highly advanced and exciting ocean-going race boats.

An incredible test of both man and machine awaits the skippers, in a race which will no doubt create the greatest heroes of ocean racing. The coming together of these 32-metre giants promises an extraordinary sporting feat that will be shared with people around the globe, guided by strong core values of surpassing oneself, humility, commitment, perseverance, and ambition. The adventure, talent and shared emotions will place the event at the heart of sports conversation and mark a significant moment in the history of ocean sailing.

The long-awaited summit

The concept of a solo, round the world tour for these multihulls was first envisioned more than 15 years ago. However, the idea that these marvels of ocean sailing and innovation could chase the winds around the globe has taken time to come to fruition – and for good reason.   The balance between technical development, reliability, and an ambitious programme is extremely complex. And so, the first edition, to be held at the end of 2023, is the fruit of many years of work to establish such a revolutionary event.

“We are very happy to see this project come to life. Together, we will be able to prepare for this round the world trip and give this magnificent race, which is both very human and highly technological, the breath it deserves. Jean-Bernard Le Boucher, newly appointed General Manager of the Ultim 32/23 Class will have, among other missions, that of supporting this great and beautiful challenge,” said Patricia Brochard, President of the Ultim 32/23 Class.

“It is with great joy that we are pleased to announce the confirmation of this great project, the organisation of the single-handed round the world race in a multihull. Everything has come together after many years of reflection and joint work to make this event a sporting, media and public success,” commented Edouard Coudurier, Chairman of Groupe Télégramme and Roland Tresca, Chairman of Pen Duick and Deputy CEO of Groupe Télégramme, owner of OC Sport Pen Duick.

A common adventure

The creation of a race of this magnitude – which marks the start of an exciting new chapter in ocean sailing – has been made possible thanks to the joint efforts of the boat owners and their skippers, the Class and OC Sport Pen Duick’s expertise in event management.

“More than 40 years after the first edition of the Route du Rhum, the announcement of the Ultim round-the-world solo race is reflective of the pioneering character and know-how of OC Sport Pen Duick. We are delighted to be able to now start working with the boat owners on the implementation of this superb project which will undoubtedly be a milestone in the history of sailing,” stated Hervé Favre, President of OC Sport Pen Duick and organizer of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe and The Transat CIC.

While the choice of the start and finish host city has not yet been decided, discussions are underway with the City of Brest, which has shown keen interest in hosting the event since the creation of the project.

The level of competition and the calibre of the skipper’s is set to be exceptional, with formal commitments already confirmed by:

Actual (skipper, Yves Le Blevec)

Banque Populaire (skipper, Armel Le Cléac’h)

Brest Ultim Sailing (TBC skipper)

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (skipper, Charles Caudrelier)

Sodebo (skipper, Thomas Coville)

SVR-Lazartigue,  a newcomer to the world of large trimarans (skipper, François Gabart) also supports this new project and its strong, unifying ambition.

Quotes from the Skippers / boat owners

Cyril Dardashti, Managing Director Gitana France:

“This race is part of the objectives we set for ourselves in 2017 by building – and then launching – the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the pioneer of this generation of flying giants. It took a little patience for the first edition to see the light of day, but today we can make this announcement! The arrival of the new maxi-trimarans was accompanied by a technological breakthrough and so it was important to allow time for this first event to live up to the magic of these boats. Beyond the incredible sporting performance that the sailors will accomplish on this inaugural round-the-world trip, it will be an extraordinary challenge to take up. We are delighted to be able to draw on the know-how of OC Sport Pen Duick as organiser for this great premiere.”

Charles Caudrelier, Skipper Maxi Edmond de Rothschild:

“This solo round-the-world race in the Ultim is a dream I didn’t even dare to hope for in my career. I have always been very drawn to the Vendée Globe, but here, at the helm of the fastest boats on the planet and in flying mode, it is quite simply the ultimate challenge. Leading such a boat alone on such a demanding global course is an extraordinary adventure that I am really proud to share with the Gitana Team and on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. I have been thinking about this world tour for 2 years, it is this goal that motivates me and keeps me moving forward every day.”

Thomas Coville, Skipper Sodebo Ultim 3:

“It is a privilege to be part of this group of sailors associated with exemplary partners. With Sodebo, we have been thinking about this race since 2007 when we launched the construction of the first Sodebo Ultime trimaran.

There were a lot of twists and turns in the creation of this race around the world. We had to be patient for the project to mature, which shows that we are all interdependent. On the day of the start, we will all be happy to have carried this idea.

This race justifies 20 years of commitment and high-level sailing. This is the race that will consecrate the life of an athlete and a sailor.”

Armel Le Cléac’h, Banque Populaire Skipper:

“I am delighted to see the Ultim’s programme structured around major sporting events that are very motivating, and which will also create superb sporting moments for all enthusiasts. Our boats are magical, and I am happy that we can share them with the public around great adventures. I can’t wait for it to start!”

Emmanuel Bachellerie, Managing Director and owner of Brest Ultim Sailing:

“These exceptional trimarans have deserved this solo race for a long time. They were thought out, designed, financed, built, and developed for it. Now that it is finally happening, the race will deliver its outcome after 40 to 50 days at sea – or more, or less… That is the magic of the sea and may it continue to remain so; that is to say, an exceptional adventure that we cannot predict.”

Samuel Tual, President Actual Leader Group:

“This round-the-world race is the culmination of our shared project with the Ultim Class. It will be an exceptional event. Exceptional for our skippers who will have to take up an unparalleled sporting and technical challenge aboard boats with performances like Formula 1. Exceptional also for all the public who will follow this race and the extraordinary adventure of talented sailors who are capable of extraordinary things. I am delighted that we have succeeded in creating this event which I hope will make ocean racing history.”

Yves Le Blévec, Skipper Actual Ultim 3:

“The confirmation of this single-handed round-the-world race for Ultim’s is very good news that we were all impatiently awaiting. Beyond the sporting challenge and the preparation that is required, I am proud to be able to be part of this with Actual Ultim 3, which promises to be very challenging. We are going to live an extraordinary adventure with exceptional sailors, on exceptional boats and with partners who have demonstrated the strength of their commitments.”

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This race is a nonstop sail around the world. Cassette tapes are allowed, but no GPS

Scott Neuman

South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer, the only woman in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. All but three of her 15 competitors in the grueling months-long competition have been forced to drop out. Aida Valceanu/GGR/2022 hide caption

South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer, the only woman in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. All but three of her 15 competitors in the grueling months-long competition have been forced to drop out.

Somewhere in the Southern Pacific Ocean, Kirsten Neuschafer is alone on her boat, Minnehaha, as she tries to outmaneuver the latest storm to cross her path as she approaches Cape Horn.

Instead of sailing directly for the tip of South America, she's spent the past day heading north in an effort to skirt the worst of the oncoming weather. The storm is threatening wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour and seas building to 25 feet.

Her plan, she explains over a scratchy satellite phone connection, is to get away from the eye of the storm. "The closer I get to the Horn," she says, "the more serious things become, the windier it becomes."

But there's no turning back. That's because Neuschafer is battling to win what is possibly the most challenging competition the sailing world has to offer — the Golden Globe Race. Since setting off from the coast of France in September, Neuschafer, the only woman competing, has left all rivals in her wake. Of the 16 entrants who departed five months ago, only four are still in the race, and for the moment at least, she's leading.

The race is a solo, nonstop, unassisted circumnavigation, a feat first accomplished in 1969, the same year that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon. Since then, more people have traveled to space than have done what Neuschafer is hoping to accomplish.

The race is a throwback in most every way. Unlike its more famous cousin, the Vendée Globe solo nonstop race with its purpose-built vessels made for speed, Golden Globe entrants sail low-tech boats that wouldn't look out of place in any coastal marina. And they do so without modern electronic aids — no laptops or electronic charts, radar or sophisticated weather routing. To find their position at sea, participants instead rely on navigating by the sun and stars and simple speed calculations.

Racers don't do it for the money. The prize of 5,000 pounds (about $6,045) is the same as it was in the 1960s and is not even enough to cover entry fees. The real lure is the challenge.

"The single-handed aspect was the one that drew me," Neuschafer, who is from South Africa, says of her decision to enter.

"I really like the aspect of sailing by celestial navigation, sailing old school," she says, adding that she's always wanted to know "what it would have been like back then when you didn't have all the modern technology at your fingertips."

Satellite phones are allowed, but only for communication with race officials and the occasional media interview. Each boat has collision-avoidance alarms and a GPS tracker, but entrants can't view their position data. There's a separate GPS for navigation, but it's sealed and only for emergencies. Its use can lead to disqualification. Entrants are permitted to use radios to communicate with each other and with passing ships. They're allowed to briefly anchor, but not get off the boat nor have anyone aboard. And no one is allowed to give them supplies or assistance.

The race motto, "Sailing like it's 1968," alludes to the fact that it's essentially a reboot of a competition first put on that year by the British Sunday Times newspaper. In it, nine sailors started, and only one, Britain's Robin Knox-Johnston , managed to complete the first-ever nonstop, solo circumnavigation, finishing in 312 days. Despite leading at one point, French sailor Bernard Moitessier elected to abandon the race in an effort, he said, to "save my soul." Yet another, British sailor Donald Crowhurst , died by suicide after apparently stepping off his boat.

Bringing the race back in 2018 for its 50th anniversary was the brainchild of Australian sailor and adventurer Don McIntyre, who describes the competition as "an absolute extreme mind game that entails total isolation, physical effort ... skill, experience and sheer guts."

"That sets it apart from everything," he says.

For sailors, it's the Mount Everest of the sea

Neuschafer, 40, is a veteran of the stormy waters she's presently sailing, having worked as a charter skipper in Patagonia, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. Although she's been around Cape Horn before, this time is different, she says.

Previously she's been around "the Horn" when she could choose the conditions. But nonstop from the Pacific, with limited weather information, "I'd say, it's a notch up on anxiety. It's almost like ... trying to reach the peak of Everest," she says.

Finnish sailor Tapio Lehtinen's boat sank in November off the southern tip of Africa. He was rescued with the help of fellow racer Kirsten Neuschafer. Aida Valceanu/GGR2022 hide caption

Finnish sailor Tapio Lehtinen's boat sank in November off the southern tip of Africa. He was rescued with the help of fellow racer Kirsten Neuschafer.

Probably the most harrowing moment so far in this year's race came in November, when Neuschafer sailed 100 miles, staying at Minnehaha's helm through the night to rescue Finland's Tapio Lehtinen — one of the finishers in the 2018 race. She plucked him from a life raft some 24 hours after his boat, Asteria, sank in the southern Indian Ocean.

For the rescue, race officials broke protocol and allowed her to use GPS and gave her a time credit on the race. "I basically sailed throughout the night and by morning I got within range of him," she says.

Spotting Lehtinen's tiny life raft amid 10-foot waves was far from easy, Neuschafer says. "He could see ... my sail [but] I couldn't see him, not for the life of me." She later managed to transfer him to a freighter.

That incident reinforced for her how things could change at any moment. In the Golden Globe, she says, "a large proponent of it is luck."

The days can be serene, but also isolating

The drama of such days at sea is offset by others spent in relative peace. A typical day, if there is such a thing, starts just before sunrise, she says, "a good time to get the time signal on the radio so that I can synchronize my watches," which she needs for accurate celestial navigation.

"Then ... I'll have a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal, and then I'll wait for the sun to be high enough that I can take a reasonable [sextant] sight." A walk around the deck to see if anything is amiss and perhaps a bit of reading — currently it's The Bookseller of Kabul by Norwegian journalist and author Asne Seierstad — before another sight at noon to check her position.

Or perhaps some music. It's all on cassette, since competitors aren't allowed a computer of any kind. As a result, she's listening to a lot of '80s artists, "good music that I ordinarily wouldn't listen to," she says.

The isolation was more difficult for American Elliott Smith, who at 27 was the youngest entrant in this year's race. He dropped out in Australia due to rigging failure.

Elliott Smith, a 27-year-old originally from Tampa, Fla. A rigging failure forced him to quit in Australia. Simon McDonnell/FBYC hide caption

Elliott Smith, a 27-year-old originally from Tampa, Fla. A rigging failure forced him to quit in Australia.

Reached in the Australian port city of Fremantle, the surfer-turned-sailor from Florida says he doesn't entirely rule out another try at the race in four years. But for now, he's put his boat, Second Wind, up for sale. He seems circumspect about the future.

"It was really obvious that I stopped enjoying the sailing at some point," he confides about the rigors of the race. "There were moments ... where I found myself never going outside unless I had to. I was like, 'I'm just staying in the cabin. I'm just reading. I'm miserable.' "

Smith says there were days when he would see an albatross, but was too mentally exhausted to appreciate the beauty of it. "I was like, 'This is so sad, you know?' Like, I've become complacent [about] something that most people would never even try, you know?"

Neuschafer, too, has had her share of frustrations. The latest was a broken spinnaker pole, which keeps her from setting twin forward sails on the 36-foot-long Minnehaha — her preferred setup for running downwind.

She's looking forward to finishing in early spring. But first, she still has to traverse the entire Atlantic Ocean from south to north.

"I'll get off and enjoy feeling the land beneath my feet." After that, she says, "the first thing I'd like to do is eat ice cream."

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The Ultim single-handed round the world race - Green light for 2023!

Article published on 08/07/2021

By Emmanuel van Deth

published in n°SP16 aug. / sept.

For 15 years now, race organizers, skippers and sponsors have been dreaming of THE great universal race - a single-handed round-the-world race on board large ocean-going trimarans. This project is now becoming a reality - OC Sport Pen Duick announced on July 7 th , 2021 that this race will take place in 2023, in collaboration with the Ultim 32/23 Class. 

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It will have been necessary to wait until these incredible flying machines had proved to have sufficient reliability, and that the race schedule fits in with other races, along with many other factors... The announcement was apparently very well received by the skippers. Several have already formalized their commitment to enter:  Actual  (Yves Le Blevec),  Banque Populaire  (Armel Le Cléac'h),  Brest Ultim Sailing  (TBC),  Maxi Edmond de Rothschild  (Charles Caudrelier) and  Sodebo  (Thomas Coville). As for SVR-Lazartigue, a project led by François Gabart, they are willing in theory. The start and finish port should be the city of Brest, in Brittany, unless there is a major change of plans.

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